Odeon Leeds

I was the Chief Technician at the Odeon Leeds for its last 13 years. A sad day when it closed, especially since business was good and the screens packed. We closed not because of poor returns, we were one of the most profitable cinemas on the circuit, but simply because an offer was made for the site and the company took it. On hindsite, they admit to a major mistake, pulling out of the fastest growing city in the UK, where city centre apartments are booming, where they owned a massive site that was rent free and lease free. We still filled the thousand seats in screen one on a regular basis, in fact we used to count the EMPTY seats and if there was 400 we’d call the film a flop! Odeon 1 boasted 1000 seats, 48 foot screen and digital sound one engineer commented was superior to the Odeon Leicester Square – with the most powerful amps available and every channel bi-amped, something that isn’t done now even in multiplexes due to the cost. We had first rate presentation, with 3 different coloured footlights on the tabs, and two pairs of pageants on the side walls, all with separate dimmers. I have great memories showing blockbuster movies to one packed house after the next, not to mention all of the world premieres we presented for the Leeds Film Festival. I have many pictures of the interior if anyone is interested.

And an interior shot of Odeon 1 – the largest screen after tripling :–

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The conversion of the cinema into a primark superstore is now almost complete. The interior was completly gutted and a totally new reinforced concrete structure has been built within the “skin” of the brick and stone facade, which they cleaned and preserved, however without the awning there is little to tell you that this was once a cinema. Another step down the road to high street anywhere for Leeds.

Primark are proabaly cursing themselves as the Allders department store opposite the theatre closed down shortly after building work started, they could have moved into this far more cheaply than effectively building a whole new store and destroying a Leeds landmark. Incidentally the chain that owns the new 13 screen multiplex that crushed the odeon merged with a larger chain recently – such consolidation is a sign that even the big multiplexs aren’t having a easy time in the current climate.

The interior demolition was completed in January 2004 – nothing now remains, other that the side offices and bare four walls of this once grand cine-theatre.

A developer / tenent is still being sought for the space.