Sound & Vision

The first film shown in the Ambassador

 

Modern-day trailer for Vaudeville - Original title: Varieté,  a German film from 1925 starring Emil Jannings and Lya De Putti, This film was one of two shown on at the opening night Gala on Christmas Eve 1928.

 

Short video clips & photos

site visit August 2001

The video is made up of short clips and still photographs taken during a site visit to the Ambassador by The Ambassador Project group in August 2001.  If you don't want to wait for the atmospheric organist intro you can skip to 1:20 

Clip of Reginald Liversidge the first resident Organist

An edited clip from Nigel Ogden's the Organist Encores Episode 353 – Manchester & Möller featuring Reginald Liversidge 1920’s

 

Clip one:   Rhythm Medley: The Sheik Of Araby/Margie/Whispering/Avalon

                    Recorded in 1971 on the Wurlitzer in the Gaumont,  Manchester

Clip two:   The Desert Song Selection

                    Recorded in 1968 on the Wurlitzer in the Paramount/Odeon, Manchester

 

You can hear more organists at  The Organist Encores

 

Vera's Bingo night at the Ambassador

 

Filmed in February 1993, some 18 months before broadcast on July 8th 1994 and just 12 months after the Ambassador had a major refit. Coronation street viewers were treated to a view of the Ambassador Mecca Bingo which was doubling for a Blackpool bingo hall.

The video above starts just at the point where they show the auditorium of the Ambassador in all its Bingo glory.

Click Watch on YouTube for the BIG screen experience

Ambassador Project Site Visit 

First vist - 18 Feb 2001

The Ambassador Project team made their first site visit to the Ambassador Cinema on Langworthy Road, Salford, on February 18th, 2001. We were filled with hope, believing this could be our chance to save the Ambassador. Unfortunately, we had no idea that the Rank Organisation was already working behind the scenes to have the building's listed status removed.

 

Ambassador Project Site Visit 

SEcond visit - 18 March 2001

The Ambassador Project team made their second visit to the Ambassador Cinema on Langworthy Road, Salford, on March 18th, 2001. With more supporters and guidance from Peter Hanley, we felt confident that our plans would gain momentum. We hoped that national and local politicians would back our efforts, much like Stockport Council had supported the Plaza Cinema Trust in saving the Ambassador's sister cinema The Plaza Super Cinema, the last cinema built for the Ambassador Circuit, the Ambassador being the first!.

Unfortunately, we were let down by the apathy and indifference of the politicians coupled with Salford's addiction to erasing the city's heritage landmark buildings. Treachery was just around the corner when English Heritage (now Historic England) who should have really been in the business of saving the Ambassador actually wrote a report in support of the Rank Organisation delisting request, which led to the DCMS delisting the Ambassador exactly one year after it had originally been listed.

 

This is a very good example of a 1930s projection room in 3d

It's not the Ambassador's projection room, just a cool 3D example by Miguel Bandera of what it was like working in a projection room. You can view more of his amazing digital 3D work here >> https://sketchfab.com/miguelbandera