Archives: Greenock man shared stories of town's cinema ghost

Former Greenock newsagent Bill Murray, 73, had known about the ghost for many years but only started thinking of it again after he posted footage of Greenock that he filmed in 1959 on YouTube.

The spirit made regular appearances following a brutal murder and once scared a nightwatchman so much he fled home screaming and quit his job.

It was believed the ghost dated back to 1920 when there was a shooting at the paydesk of the former Kings Theatre in the centre of Greenock.

The building later became the Odeon cinema and it was in the 1950s, after the public had gone home for the night, that the ghost became most active.

One of the first sightings was made by a nightwatchman while work was under way to turn the theatre into the cinema.

Bill Murray shared stories of the cinema ghost in 2009. (Image: Newsquest) The former gallery and boxes were being removed, along with most of the stage, to make way for more seats.

Bill told the Tele: “A nightwatchman was installed and he had gone into what was the auditorium with his torch.

“He saw this ghost appear where the boxes had been. He was so terrified he ran out of the place and ran home.

“He abandoned his duties and said he would never go back. He got the fright of his life.”

Bill also recalled an usherette who was a customer of his in the early 1970s telling him more about the tale.

He said: “She told me that before they closed up at night you could often hear crying from the dressing rooms.

“She spoke to the manager and he said ‘don’t worry, it is the ghost, most of us have heard it and we ignore it now’.”