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Theatres in Putney, London

Although I don't have details of Arthur Lloyd performing in Putney he did perform a song called 'The Putney Bus' Click the image to see the song sheet and extra details.

Between Barnes Common and Putney is an older district of fine houses, new blocks of flats and villas with spacious gardens, the principal ones being situated in Upper Richmond Road leading to Putney Station and Wandsworth. Ormonde Court and Belvedere Court on the east side are two very large blocks of flats with spacious courtyards. From a comparatively small village seventy years ago, Putney has developed into a large and busy suburb. Its crowded High Street forms a convenient shopping centre for the large villa districts by which it is surrounded. The former Putney Hippodrome (Shown Right) in Felsham Road is now an Odeon Cinema. Putney Hill, leading up on to Putney Heath, is bordered on both sides by handsome villas. Facing the Heath itself is an exclusive new colony of flats called Manor Fields. It consists of several large blocks standing in private gardens with tennis courts and private carriageways. The estate is set amidst ideal surroundings with entrances in Putney Hill and Putney Heath enclosed by gateways. Exeter House, which also faces Putney Heath, is another select block of flats similar to Manor Fields.

Right - The Putney Hippodrome.

At the foot of Putney Bridge on the east side is the parish church of St Mary, which has a fourteenth-century tower. This was restored when the church was rebuilt in 1836. On the embankment to the west of Putney Bridge are the Star and Garter Hotel and several fine blocks of flats, directly overlooking the grounds of Fulham Palace on the opposite bank of the river. Here also are the headquarters of several of the leading rowing clubs of London. The widening of Putney Bridge by the London County Council was completed in 1933, the work having occupied a period of about three years.

From 'The Face of London' by Harold P. Clunn - 1956

Putney Hippodrome, Felsham Road

Above - The Auditorium of the Putney Hippodrome according to a Programme for the Theatre. However, the same image is used in a programme for the Kilburn Empire so if you can clear this up please Contact me here...

The Theatre was built in 1906, converted to an Odeon Cinema in the early 40s and finally demolished in 1975. The Hippodrome was used as a cinema at various times, and owned by all three of the Major cinema circuits: Gaumont, Odeon, and ABC. In 1973 the theatre, by then in a fairly derelict state, was used for location shooting of the Vincent Price horror film 'Theatre of blood'. This information Courtesy John Grice. Ted Dann says 'I was a Projectionist here for a number of years, and knew it had been owned by the three leading Circuits in turn over a period, but when I joined it in 1942, it was an ODEON then, it had two of the brightest lit amber clocks on each side of the auditorium I have ever seen.'

Above Left - Programme for the Putney Hippodrome - Above Right - Poster for the Putney Hippodrome for May the 13th 1912 - Courtesy Colin Charman whose Grandmother, Little Ena Dayne, was on the Bill for that week.

See also - Britains Hippodrome Theatres on this site here...