When Batman fans queued to see the 1989 classic at the Coventry cinema lost

Comic book heroes have captured the imagination for decades – especially when the central character is a mysterious and complex figure. This week, we took a nostalgic look back at 1989, when hordes of people lined up to see the new Batman movie.

And it brought back another memory, that of Theater One in Ford Street, which has now been consigned to history.

The 1989 film Batman spawned a popular series and was directed by Tim Burton, starring the likes of Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton.

The story focuses on the rise of Batman and his battles with the arch-nemesis Joker. Three sequels were subsequently released: Batman Returns in 1992; Batman Forever in 1995; and Batman & Robin in 1997.

As for Theater One, the building has long since disappeared, having it was demolished in 2014 to make way for student apartments. It was a sad end to a once celebrated entertainment venue. According to cinematreasures.org, Theater One beat Coventry’s big chain cinemas to be the first to play Star Wars in the city in 1978.

It began life as the Alexandra Picturedome in 1917, undergoing modernization and a name change in 1969 to become Theater One Cinema. It closed in 1997 and later became Mustard Nightclub until 2012.

Check out more nostalgic content here and don’t forget to share your memories of Theater One Cinema in the comments.

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