CF100: The main plenum plant machinery in original Odeons tended to be situated between the auditorium splay walls and the external walls of the building (intake and washing one side, extracting on the opposite). The huge fans, plumbing etc. required a void of considerable height and I believe the equipment below the front stalls at OLS was ancillary kit to boost the circulation of air around so much ducting in such a large building (the same auxiliary equipment would have also been necessary in both equally large and larger Odeons elsewhere in the UK). In the early days when big cinemas were often pretty full and the majority of the audience smoked, it would have been obvious that a fairly “industrial” system was required to make the atmosphere bearable. Even in the mid ‘sixties and with the plenum systems still operating in many original Odeons (I worked in Harrogate, Scarborough and Yorks’ examples) the air would be thick enough with smoke for the projection beam to be brightly visible. By the time post war Odeons were being built, technology had moved on and the massive plenum plants had been superseded by more modern systems. Over the years, as new products have come on the market, in Odeon terms, OLS has almost invariably been the recipient of the latest kit. As the first UK Dolby Cinema, the trend clearly continues. The huge, square grilles visible, with difficulty, on either side of the Odeon’s exterior were the intake/extract points for fresh and stale/smoky air respectively and roughly mark the position of the mountings for golden ladies.
The ducting from plenum days, as with all the pipework for the original centralised vacuum system and pipework from the boiler room to the numerous radiators, would simply remain in place until such time as the space was required for something else.
I’m not really qualified to comment on the former Empire as it is no longer a cinema I visit.
The Cineworld ads. do nothing to create either anticipation or sense of occasion – they are crass commercialism. Once you’ve parted with your hard-earned cash you shouldn’t have to sit facing what amounts to a 48 sheet advertising poster like the hoardings on roadsides.
Odeon’s most recent on-screen content as one entered the auditorium prior to the programme starting was a huge capital ‘O’ in the 1998 style of ODEON characters. Behind the letter is a multi-coloured cloud which, from time to time, shoots towards the audience as a myriad flakes of the colours making up the background and a deep rumble is heard. An Odeon friend of mine refers to the effect as “…an explosion in a paint factory”! Eventually the capital letter becomes three dimensional and tumbles forward at which point “Welcome to ODEON Anytown” appears, to be followed by requests to end conversations, switch off mobiles and relax and free your imagination. This intro' was also shown at OLS but here the screen curtains parted and pageants dimmed out as it began. I fully expect a new intro' to appear soon, possibly with a version or mention of the Luxe branding and the comfort, food and drinks it implies.
My first visit to OLS was during 1971 and air conditioning had already replaced the theatre’s incorporated plenum system (whose main intake/outtake grilles were behind the mountings for the golden ladies). I was a member of the audience then and sat towards the front of the stalls. Even before successive refinements and when my hearing was much younger (!) I was never aware of any extraneous noise. Having said that, it was the last of the day’s then continuous performances and I remained in the auditorium for quite some time and was surprised to hear and feel the Tube once the non-sync music ceased. The air con. has always seemed extremely “soft” and never struck me as intrusive even when the theatre has been dark during mornings. The Odeon is cleaned overnight and often used during mornings for press shows, rehearsals of films prior to premieres/special presentations plus, of course, early performances of Bonds, Star Wars films etc. during the first week or so of their runs and, as far as I’m aware, the air conditioning has always been operating. Doubtless the vibration and deep rumbling sets the train noise apart but I’ve just never been aware of it during a performance.
I remember seeing “Ryan’s Daughter” on the ELS’s vast 70mm screen and being taken aback by the “thumpity thump” coming up through the floor while Sarah Miles wandered over the breathtaking sands of the Dingle peninsular and the music on the soundtrack was relatively soft. I wondered at the time what David Lean might have thought!
Improved sound insulation could well have been incorporated in the twinning of ELS’s 1962 auditorium as well as new floor surfaces and the casino below likely has background music and, usually, much chatter and general activity on its side. The odd distant explosions or roars of space craft are probably just taken to be part of the overall noise.
CF100: Not certain exactly of the proximity of Leicester Square underground station to the Odeon but I have often been in the front stalls/orchestra pit area when the cinema has been “dark”, devoid of members of the public and otherwise completely quiet. The unmistakeable sound – and vibration – from the Tube is then quite noticeable and is clearly the sensation caused by a train starting and accelerating, presumably westwards. This leads me to think that it is the platform ends which lie beneath the Odeon. I have never heard any such sound in the same area when a performance has been in progress – including times when only non-sync music was being played as opposed to film sound.
In contrast, the former Empire Leicester Square suffered badly from having a Mecca ballroom below its 1962 superb auditorium and, during quieter films when the live orchestra underneath was playing something up-tempo, this could give rise to numerous complaints and trigger both refunds and complimentary tickets to be issued.
Digressing, the northern portal of the northbound Victoria Line lies beneath the stage of the Victoria Palace Theatre and, having been the V.P.’s assistant manager during the ‘seventies, the sounds in an otherwise silent OLS always remind me of those in the front stalls area at the V.P.
CF100: The original safety curtain is still there as far as I’m aware and, yes, it has always contained asbestos but, certainly on 10th January, it was not punctured in any way. For many years a network of water pipes was attached to the back of it for spraying water onto the stage/fire. A friend who is connected with OLS thought the “iron” would likely just remain out of sight and be more permanently secured in the fly tower. It would be a shame to think of its never being seen again although I don’t think it would be wise to be lowering and raising it at least several times every day. It’s on an iron frame and was installed before the stage house was completed (the case in most proscenium theatres) and the only way it could have been safely removed would have been to part demolish the stage house. Dismantling on sight after removing its sealing grooves which run from stage to just below the lantern on the stage house roof would have had safety implications and would have had to be done before any other auditorium/stage work could have commenced. More £s and more delay, of course.
The screen has always been retractable and screen speakers mounted on trolleys to enable this. The 2D screen was retracted to the very back of the stage thus was never seen at BAFTA awards and the stage shows celebrating, for example, the careers of Julie Andrews and Sean Connery when they appeared on stage following a live musical spectacular. Similarly the orchestra pit floor has always been able to be brought up to stage level to form an apron and create an even deeper stage. Built into the orchestra pit floor is the organ’s “grave” which required yet more excavation – then comes the Tube a little further below!
I agree with Terry that if a representation of the design on the safety curtain is used instead of at least one pair of proper curtains then the ship, or should I say flagship, really will have been spoilt by saving a ha'porth o' tar. The beautifully lit and sweeping curtains of the Odeon have always been part of the charm and glamour allegedly being so lovingly recreated and to do without them altogether would be criminal.
CF100: At least the Odeon’s refurbishment has given us no end of things to discuss!
On my last visit to what was then the Empire Leicester Square, the lighting colours in the IMAX auditorium included the secondary colours of magenta, cyan and amber, given what you say about the primary colours (RGB) which produce the secondary hues as well as a “tinted” white, I assume these appear during the fading of one primary and rising of another i.e. as red begins to fade and blue begins to rise, magenta appears – first as a bright cerise while red remains the stronger and finally as more of a violet/purple as blue overpowers the dying red. Principally the mixing and blending of RGB was at the heart of what Holophane was doing in the ‘thirties so little has really changed chromatically only in the light source. Blues brighter than primary were often used particularly in larger cinemas and green was often replaced by amber or pink while primary red, in my experience, was almost always retained. Such combo’s, whilst unable to produce the number of colours available to RGB installations could nevertheless be most eye-catching. OLS used Primary Red, Bright Blue and Medium Amber in their 3 x 6 2k Strand Electric Fresnel lanterns both before and after the 1968 modernisation. Ten years later, the 2k lanterns gave way to 1k profile spots and some of the “fireworks” were lost. Profiles were not the way to illuminate the Odeon’s expanse of curtain and it was necessary to add a light frost gel to the filters which further lessened the reflected brilliance but at least got rid of the appearance of a bunch of sharp edged balloons projected onto the curtains.
The blue lighting in darker auditoriums is even more an Odeon than a Dolby policy and has been in new/refurbished Odeons since 1998.
I’m told Odeon like to mask the image properly and with adjustable masking “…wherever space permits”. Given how small some of the cinemas in multiplexes can be these days, the space proviso makes at least some sense.
As far as I’m aware, the 1937 coving from one cove forward of the balcony remains to confound many who, after the 1968 modernisation were sufficiently shocked by the transformation to say that all traces of the original décor had been swept away! Only the coving between the balcony and the proscenium arch was removed and I for one preferred the plainer forward ceiling and splay walls. Many of the same people said the golden ladies had been “plastered over” which was equally inaccurate.
As you say, what a Christmas present for us to unwrap! “Stan and Ollie” is due to open in the UK around the 10th January so the 20th December performance at OLS will be a real preview.
Odeon Leicester Square opens 20th December 2018 with “Stan and Ollie” at 17.45 and “The Favourite” at 21.00.
Sounds like a “soft” opening, something of a trial run before, I suspect, something much bigger comes in for the Christmas holidays. A well considered price range in my opinion with ticket prices reflecting both type of chair and position in the house.
So good to see the stages of progress from your much appreciated photo’s CF100, thank you.
Notice the signage on the tower has illuminated characters whereas the old signs had only silver outlining of the letters emphasised by the blue halo on the black granite behind. The 1998 signs looked attractive to my eyes but the new ones are altogether brighter.
All the signage is physically new although, as has been said, the design is not – the 1998 rebranded and vertically enhanced characters spelling ODEON are retained, the style with “razor blade” shaped ‘O’s having been considered one of the most successful devices to come out of the rebranding according to one of Odeon Cinemas Ltd.’s directors.
The main reason for the sign replacement was to rid the façade of conventional neon and replace it with the LED equivalent (same applies to the considerable amount of former neon outlining of the whole frontage – some of whose tubing was literally dangling from broken brackets at the beginning of this year!) The main ODEON sign atop the glass box will have an entirely different mounting to that which formerly stood on the edge of the balcony – and gave me a tiny electric shock when I leant over and touched the steel backing to the initial 'O’ in 1999!
LED is widely replacing conventional neon these days and in the case of the Odeon Theatre will replicate the silver outline of the name signs and, where appropriate, also the blue halo backlighting of the signs.
The Royal Albert Hall is neither a cinema nor a theatre and I wish the Royal Film Performance and Royal Variety Performance had stayed where they looked at their best i.e. the Odeon Leicester Square and Palladium Theatre respectively. Although the latter is once again staged mainly at the 2,000+seat Palladium, the R.F.P. is unlikely ever to return to an 800 seat West End cinema – even one as top notch as OLS. It’s just plain greed, albeit on the Charities part, against which inferior presentation is likely considered a price worth paying.
“Mary Poppins Returns” would be a great opener for OLS and, in any event, booking will be opening any day now so our curiosity should soon be satisfied.
CF100: Tantalisingly, the stage end is being kept under wraps!
The oft changed curtains have always been part of the Odeon’s charm which the Company say they are keen to preserve and I can’t imagine why having at least one set/track would be a problem. There is sufficient wing space for centre-opening tabs to clear the arch completely and effectively disappear if a longer track were being used – thus no compromise on the widest image possible. For some years now, OLS has been the only Odeon to retain operative tabs – in all other Odeons tabs have either been removed, motors isolated or new builds not having tabs at all. Given the number of occasions when people are presented on the OLS stage, it would seem a retrograde step for such presentations to take place before a naked screen. One thing the Odeon has lost is the “pageant box” which has been an intrinsic part of the balcony front since the theatre was built. The lanterns inside the box and mainly focussed on the tabs have been changed over the years as stage lighting technology has evolved. The lighting has never been as striking since 1998 when the three colour circuit arrangement allowing the mixing and blending of three basic gel colours (usually 6 x red, 6 x blue and 6 x amber but there were sometimes exceptions to the colours used, most commonly when amber would be replaced by pink)was combined into one circuit of 18 profile spot lanterns and therefore restricted to one colour. Guess LED stage lighting could reintroduce the spectacular effects but any lighting of the tabs is going to be more local i.e. replicating footlights or overhead batten (both of which the Odeon has always had but not used for some years. I just hope they don’t go for the unimaginative “Christmas tree” cycle where the LEDs pedal through the predictable red/green/blue/magenta/cyan/amber ever changing scheme as across the square in the Cineworld at the Empire Leicester Square carve up.
Moveable masking – another closely guarded secret! I certainly hope OLS will retain the capability of correctly framing whatever ratio the feature film is presented in. Not to do so would surely be the proverbial ha'porth o' tar when so much money has been spent.
The flying ladies…I gather there was some debate earlier in the year about whether much plainer/flatter splay walls would be more conducive to the sophisticated sound system achieving its optimum effect. The 1998 replica ladies were to a degree three dimensional. I don’t know what the outcome was.
There is much for us to “wait and see” still; I hope we’re not disappointed.
CF100: My understanding is that the auditorium walls and ceiling will be charcoal but this has not been officially confirmed to my knowledge.
The renderings give the impression that the replicated flying ladies will be the same colour as the splay walls on which they’re mounted and, possibly, more simplistic than the original golden figures or their 1998 identical recreations.
The top corners of the proscenium arch should be visible from the new back row of the stalls so any image contained within the arch ought to be fully visible.
CF100: Just to clarify, the maximum visible screen width at OLS for many years has actually been 47' within the 52' wide proscenium arch.
Whilst there will no longer be the need for a second (3D silver) screen which was previously flown on its frame when not in use – making good use of the Odeon’s fly tower – I understand the new screen frame will be capable of moving closer to, or further from, the proscenium arch.
There will be no problems with the view from the new back row of the stalls as this will be only slightly beneath the balcony overhang and well forward of its predecessor. Most of the former rear stalls space has now been separated from the auditorium and used to provide significant additional toilet provision and greater counter space for concessions etc.
“Lawrence of Arabia” was the first public run of a 70mm. film at the Odeon. “West Side Story” was the first film shown here in the format at the 1962 Royal Film Performance before immediately transferring to the Astoria, Charing Cross Road for its run, thus making way for “Lawrence” at OLS.
70mm. came late to OLS (“South Pacific” in 70mm. Todd-AO was already into its fourth year at the Dominion, Tottenham Court Road) as the cinema was better known for showcasing films due to go out on Rank’s regular weekly release pattern.
Rank had no shortage of West End “Roadshow” venues to accommodate the longer runs of selected “special” films, in both 35mm. and 70mm., the Dominion, Astoria, Metropole and the then new Odeon Haymarket were all geared for such seasons. Within a few years, the new Odeons at Marble Arch and St. Martin’s Lane would be added to the list enabling Rank to fully exploit what was then the West End’s exclusivity in the exhibition of potentially extremely successful films. More important London suburban cinemas and a handful of provincial city centre roadshow cinemas would usually be next in the pecking order before, eventually, “local” cinemas would finally show such films – months and sometimes years after their West End opening.
The centrepiece of this photo', or a near-identical one, forms the cover illustration of Allen Eyle’s excellent and definitive book, “Odeon Cinemas 2: From J. Arthur Rank to the Multiplex”.
Would be the perfect showcase to launch “Mary Poppins” at Christmas although 2019 is beginning to look more likely for the Odeon as year-end looms ever closer.
Fascinating to see these revealing shots of the Odeon’s transformation in progress.
The period of closure has already overtaken the time it took to build the theatre by two months and there is clearly much work still to do.
The lettering across the glass entrance doors of OLS was part of the 1998 rebranding and the new style of blue lettering adopted by Odeon Cinemas actually read “ODEON LEICESTER SQUARE EUROPE’S LARGEST CINEMA”. The word “largest” was replaced by “Premier” very early this century when, presumably, someone remembered Le Grand Rex cinema in Paris.
By the 1960s, a festoon curtain had been installed. In pale mauve satin and lit be three colour circuit footlights filtered red, amber and blue, the rising curtain made for extremely attractive presentation.
The 1968 Odeon had to be somewhat lightweight as the Regal/Odeon it replaced had begun to sink during deep excavations next door when the sorting office behind Stockton’s main Post Office was being enlarged. This accounts for the single storey nature of most of the building – extensive though its footprint remained.
With a licenced bar, cloakroom and twin-window advance booking office, the facilities were very good. Despite its large screen, even the 70mm. image could appear relatively small from the most expensive seats in the raised area we called the circle but which, in fact, was a very long way from the screen.
When on exclusive runs with product like “Oliver!”, “Funny Girl”, “Battle of Britain” “Hello Dolly!” and revivals of films like “The King and I” and “King of Kings”, the Odeon could be very profitable but when sharing the general Rank release with Odeons in Darlington, Middlesbrough and West Hartlepool, it took a very special film, like the Bonds and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” for us to make much profit.
Hindsight is wonderful but perhaps this was not the right location for a roadshow cinema especially at a time when big, potentially long-running films best suited to the policy were rapidly declining in number.
Bernard Goldthorpe was a lovely man and an enterprising manager of both old and new Odeons in Stockton. His enforced absence from his beloved cinema due to ill health in 1970 effectively gave me my first cinema as full-time manager and I still have cherished memories of my time running the Odeon in such a friendly town.
The “new” Odeon was constructed for what the industry saw as a very low cost for the time (£120,000 I believe) and at least part of the expense was affrayed by the Post Office having to make substantial compensatory payments when the old theatre had to be demolished.
It may not look quite as it did in its full-time cinema days but what a magnificent restoration with so many original features restored and many enhanced. Curtains, so often conspicuous by their absence in so-called restorations and countless multiplexes, add an exquisite touch and are no doubt useful for stage presentations. I hope they’re also used for opening and closing film shows thereby demonstrating their touch of magic and sense of occasion to such events.
Film presentation at the Forum was always of a high standard – how good that the cinema’s special atmosphere can once again be created to make shows extra special.
Odeon Derby is now to be transformed to become the latest in the Company’s increasing number of Odeon Luxe complexes. All recliner seating, increased legroom and an expanded range of both hot and cold snacks and a licenced bar are promised. The larger seats will each have an attached small table so guests will be able to enjoy their refreshments while watching their choice of film. The latest and best picture and sound technology will be harnessed to optimise the entertainment experience on offer. Seating capacities will be reduced across all screens.
I have now been treated to a tour of the Everyman and enjoyed two films in Screen One. Earlier this week I was shown around the ground floor former shop unit, Odeon managers' office/changing room and adjacent former strong room. The combined space is being transformed into a Spielburgers Restaurant. The kitchen and servery/bar are complete and tangerine velvet banquet seating (currently covered in polythene)lines the walls awaiting carpeting and, presumably further seating and tables. Tests are being carried out overnight to ensure the building’s electricity supply can safely cope with the kitchen’s additional requirements before final fitting out and opening.
The modest 144 capacity in Screen 1, the Odeon’s balcony, will be increased to just shy of 200 when the rearmost echelons in front of the projection ports are built up to ensure there are no viewing restrictions from Everyman’s signature seating. As it stands, Screen 1 at York has the Company’s largest screen and, given the vast space, the smallest capacity!
An example of Everyman’s investment and attention to detail, where many companies might consider it an unnecessary cost, is in the 1972 “mini” cinemas in the former rear stalls. Intent on providing every seat with a perfect view of the screen, it was decided to excavate below the previously sloping stalls floor and provide each row with a level of its own. The excavation has allowed generous steps down towards the screens, a consequence is that by the time the screen is reached, the space is noticeably heightened. The screens in the two “minis” will shortly be moved slightly further from the seating; at present, the front rows of these cinemas are not sold as the upwards angle of viewing is considered to be potentially uncomfortable.
During Reel’s unfortunate tenure, more than one person told me they found the little cinema in the former shop unit’s stockroom to be claustrophobic and with a “smell of hot metal”. A digital projector had been suspended from the ceiling above the heads of the audience and didn’t help matters in a space similar in height to many homes. Everyman took all appropriate steps to explore a
wall cavity between the room and the first floor servery and a projector for Screen 4 is now accommodated therein and the beam now comes from a port in the cinema’s rear wall as, ideally, it ought. At a stroke, and with the help of the new seating, this small cinema becomes so much improved and seems a tad more spacious.
Just another small touch in a brilliantly thought through and incredibly detailed scheme. Everyman are to be congratulated on their conception, scale of investment and sheer faith in York and the City’s finest cinema. The ingenuity of the contracted design, technical and construction teams must also be appreciated. The building (of which I like to think I know every brick!) really has returned to its former glory this time – and more besides.
I hope all York will go along, be warmly and genuinely welcomed, regaled and entertained in surroundings of which Mr Deutsch would most certainly have approved.
Your sanity is safe! “Aladdin” was just one of several Disney films which were preceded by a short stage show at the Odeon Leicester Square. “The Lion King”, “Pocahontas” and “Mulan” also had their “pre-shows”. They may have been short but they were very spectacular – fully costumed with much additional lighting temporarily installed especially. One youngster in my party for “Aladdin” was completely mesmerised when Aladdin and his companion flew over the stage and orchestra pit on the magic carpet as clouds of dry ice billowed upwards from the pit to be vividly illuminated by extra stage lighting therein. The shows not only had music from the films they preceded but from other Disney titles. A spectacular finale was accompanied by music and songs from “Beauty and the Beast”.
A spot bar was suspended from the ceiling over the front stalls to provide lighting effects from above for each of the shows. For the “Pocahontas” pre-show, the Odeon’s house curtains were replaced by maroon velvet curtains while a silver slash curtain replaced the screen curtains to provide a glittering background.
For “Mulan” the Disney characters were replaced by members of the Chinese State Circus in a breathtaking series of spectacular acrobatic feats. Also for “Mulan”, a gauze bearing the title in large, glittering letters was lowered in front of the house curtains just prior to the stage show starting. The Odeon curtains parted behind the gauze as a lighting cue rendered it almost invisible before it was flown to reveal the colourful company on stage.
For obvious reasons, the screen frame remained in its usual position throughout these pre-shows but, for occasions like awards ceremonies, the frame can be wheeled to the back wall and the screen speakers wheeled
out of the way on their mobile mountings. Live shows with sets would be tricky to mount due to the relatively shallow stage and number of dressing rooms but vocal artists, bands/orchestras and comedians could all be very well presented at the theatre as stars such as David Essex and Bill Cosby have been in the past.
Update: The “…fine structure,,,sloping screenwards” is actually a flight of stairs leading down to the former front stalls exit (copied exactly on the other side of the auditorium). From the bottom of these stairs, the proscenium arch can be seen behind the present screen; black masking curtains hang from the house tabs track and effectively seal off the Odeon stage area.
The two cinemas in the old rear stalls remain the same size but I believe the screens are positioned slightly forward of their 1972 position.
The former front stalls area is now carpeted in mid grey and a platform/stage is planned in front of the suspended screen to facilitate interviews/Q + A sessions and performance.
The Odeon proscenium arch is hidden behind the screen frame which is positioned level with the first concealed lighting trough forward of the pros. Because of the type of seating used in the auditoria, two echelons are unused between Screen One’s current back row and the rear wall/projection portholes as sightlines would be restricted. I’m told the capacity of 144 will likely be increased once the two echelons have been increased in height up.
Black curtains hang within the proscenium arch which can be seen by using the stairs at either side of the screen which lead to the former front stalls exits.
When the screen is blank, Screen One is quite dark and shadowy but I believe Everyman plan some kind of lighting feature here. The ground floor tiny screen which Reel put in is dismantled and will be replaced by “Spielburgers” restaurant.
The car park is yet to open and is full of skips which suggests a work still in progress to some extent.
The main foyer and circle lounge are nothing short of sumptuous, seating everywhere is very comfortable and plentiful and the numerous staff members could not be more welcoming and helpful.
Cjbx11,
I suspect the first floor level tiny cinema, which Reel “shoehorned” into what was originally a stockroom for the shop unit on the ground floor below, could well have been dismantled in order to provide the new restaurant in the circle lounge with a baking/prepping space.
The reduction in capacity in Screen 1 is not as drastic as it first appears. The 1972 extension of the balcony has been removed and it would appear from comparing photographs that even 1937’s balcony has been foreshortened, therefore the space available for seating is now also much reduced. This means the sighting problems due to obstructions will have gone. The desire for a larger screen in front of the proscenium arch is
possibly down to two factors. Firstly, the reduced seating area provides the same viewing position as the original rear circle where seating was at its farthest from the screen and from where the big screen did appear relatively small (the throw from projector to screen was 110' in Odeon days) – whereas today’s cinemagoers are accustomed to screens appearing somewhat larger.
Secondly, the proscenium arch was reduced in height by almost 2' during 1964’s modernisation scheme and this would limit the possible size of the new screen were it to be positioned within the arch as, ideally, it should be.
Given the misguided 1972 extension to the balcony is now history, could it be that the space in the old front stalls area may yet still become additional capacity for screen 1 with access possibly at ground floor level as at Muswell Hill? 144 seats must inevitably limit potential viability when Bond, Star Wars and other hugely popular blockbusters are programmed.
CF100: The main plenum plant machinery in original Odeons tended to be situated between the auditorium splay walls and the external walls of the building (intake and washing one side, extracting on the opposite). The huge fans, plumbing etc. required a void of considerable height and I believe the equipment below the front stalls at OLS was ancillary kit to boost the circulation of air around so much ducting in such a large building (the same auxiliary equipment would have also been necessary in both equally large and larger Odeons elsewhere in the UK). In the early days when big cinemas were often pretty full and the majority of the audience smoked, it would have been obvious that a fairly “industrial” system was required to make the atmosphere bearable. Even in the mid ‘sixties and with the plenum systems still operating in many original Odeons (I worked in Harrogate, Scarborough and Yorks’ examples) the air would be thick enough with smoke for the projection beam to be brightly visible. By the time post war Odeons were being built, technology had moved on and the massive plenum plants had been superseded by more modern systems. Over the years, as new products have come on the market, in Odeon terms, OLS has almost invariably been the recipient of the latest kit. As the first UK Dolby Cinema, the trend clearly continues. The huge, square grilles visible, with difficulty, on either side of the Odeon’s exterior were the intake/extract points for fresh and stale/smoky air respectively and roughly mark the position of the mountings for golden ladies. The ducting from plenum days, as with all the pipework for the original centralised vacuum system and pipework from the boiler room to the numerous radiators, would simply remain in place until such time as the space was required for something else.
I’m not really qualified to comment on the former Empire as it is no longer a cinema I visit.
The Cineworld ads. do nothing to create either anticipation or sense of occasion – they are crass commercialism. Once you’ve parted with your hard-earned cash you shouldn’t have to sit facing what amounts to a 48 sheet advertising poster like the hoardings on roadsides.
Odeon’s most recent on-screen content as one entered the auditorium prior to the programme starting was a huge capital ‘O’ in the 1998 style of ODEON characters. Behind the letter is a multi-coloured cloud which, from time to time, shoots towards the audience as a myriad flakes of the colours making up the background and a deep rumble is heard. An Odeon friend of mine refers to the effect as “…an explosion in a paint factory”! Eventually the capital letter becomes three dimensional and tumbles forward at which point “Welcome to ODEON Anytown” appears, to be followed by requests to end conversations, switch off mobiles and relax and free your imagination. This intro' was also shown at OLS but here the screen curtains parted and pageants dimmed out as it began. I fully expect a new intro' to appear soon, possibly with a version or mention of the Luxe branding and the comfort, food and drinks it implies.
My first visit to OLS was during 1971 and air conditioning had already replaced the theatre’s incorporated plenum system (whose main intake/outtake grilles were behind the mountings for the golden ladies). I was a member of the audience then and sat towards the front of the stalls. Even before successive refinements and when my hearing was much younger (!) I was never aware of any extraneous noise. Having said that, it was the last of the day’s then continuous performances and I remained in the auditorium for quite some time and was surprised to hear and feel the Tube once the non-sync music ceased. The air con. has always seemed extremely “soft” and never struck me as intrusive even when the theatre has been dark during mornings. The Odeon is cleaned overnight and often used during mornings for press shows, rehearsals of films prior to premieres/special presentations plus, of course, early performances of Bonds, Star Wars films etc. during the first week or so of their runs and, as far as I’m aware, the air conditioning has always been operating. Doubtless the vibration and deep rumbling sets the train noise apart but I’ve just never been aware of it during a performance. I remember seeing “Ryan’s Daughter” on the ELS’s vast 70mm screen and being taken aback by the “thumpity thump” coming up through the floor while Sarah Miles wandered over the breathtaking sands of the Dingle peninsular and the music on the soundtrack was relatively soft. I wondered at the time what David Lean might have thought! Improved sound insulation could well have been incorporated in the twinning of ELS’s 1962 auditorium as well as new floor surfaces and the casino below likely has background music and, usually, much chatter and general activity on its side. The odd distant explosions or roars of space craft are probably just taken to be part of the overall noise.
CF100: Not certain exactly of the proximity of Leicester Square underground station to the Odeon but I have often been in the front stalls/orchestra pit area when the cinema has been “dark”, devoid of members of the public and otherwise completely quiet. The unmistakeable sound – and vibration – from the Tube is then quite noticeable and is clearly the sensation caused by a train starting and accelerating, presumably westwards. This leads me to think that it is the platform ends which lie beneath the Odeon. I have never heard any such sound in the same area when a performance has been in progress – including times when only non-sync music was being played as opposed to film sound.
In contrast, the former Empire Leicester Square suffered badly from having a Mecca ballroom below its 1962 superb auditorium and, during quieter films when the live orchestra underneath was playing something up-tempo, this could give rise to numerous complaints and trigger both refunds and complimentary tickets to be issued.
Digressing, the northern portal of the northbound Victoria Line lies beneath the stage of the Victoria Palace Theatre and, having been the V.P.’s assistant manager during the ‘seventies, the sounds in an otherwise silent OLS always remind me of those in the front stalls area at the V.P.
CF100: The original safety curtain is still there as far as I’m aware and, yes, it has always contained asbestos but, certainly on 10th January, it was not punctured in any way. For many years a network of water pipes was attached to the back of it for spraying water onto the stage/fire. A friend who is connected with OLS thought the “iron” would likely just remain out of sight and be more permanently secured in the fly tower. It would be a shame to think of its never being seen again although I don’t think it would be wise to be lowering and raising it at least several times every day. It’s on an iron frame and was installed before the stage house was completed (the case in most proscenium theatres) and the only way it could have been safely removed would have been to part demolish the stage house. Dismantling on sight after removing its sealing grooves which run from stage to just below the lantern on the stage house roof would have had safety implications and would have had to be done before any other auditorium/stage work could have commenced. More £s and more delay, of course.
The screen has always been retractable and screen speakers mounted on trolleys to enable this. The 2D screen was retracted to the very back of the stage thus was never seen at BAFTA awards and the stage shows celebrating, for example, the careers of Julie Andrews and Sean Connery when they appeared on stage following a live musical spectacular. Similarly the orchestra pit floor has always been able to be brought up to stage level to form an apron and create an even deeper stage. Built into the orchestra pit floor is the organ’s “grave” which required yet more excavation – then comes the Tube a little further below! I agree with Terry that if a representation of the design on the safety curtain is used instead of at least one pair of proper curtains then the ship, or should I say flagship, really will have been spoilt by saving a ha'porth o' tar. The beautifully lit and sweeping curtains of the Odeon have always been part of the charm and glamour allegedly being so lovingly recreated and to do without them altogether would be criminal.
CF100: At least the Odeon’s refurbishment has given us no end of things to discuss! On my last visit to what was then the Empire Leicester Square, the lighting colours in the IMAX auditorium included the secondary colours of magenta, cyan and amber, given what you say about the primary colours (RGB) which produce the secondary hues as well as a “tinted” white, I assume these appear during the fading of one primary and rising of another i.e. as red begins to fade and blue begins to rise, magenta appears – first as a bright cerise while red remains the stronger and finally as more of a violet/purple as blue overpowers the dying red. Principally the mixing and blending of RGB was at the heart of what Holophane was doing in the ‘thirties so little has really changed chromatically only in the light source. Blues brighter than primary were often used particularly in larger cinemas and green was often replaced by amber or pink while primary red, in my experience, was almost always retained. Such combo’s, whilst unable to produce the number of colours available to RGB installations could nevertheless be most eye-catching. OLS used Primary Red, Bright Blue and Medium Amber in their 3 x 6 2k Strand Electric Fresnel lanterns both before and after the 1968 modernisation. Ten years later, the 2k lanterns gave way to 1k profile spots and some of the “fireworks” were lost. Profiles were not the way to illuminate the Odeon’s expanse of curtain and it was necessary to add a light frost gel to the filters which further lessened the reflected brilliance but at least got rid of the appearance of a bunch of sharp edged balloons projected onto the curtains.
The blue lighting in darker auditoriums is even more an Odeon than a Dolby policy and has been in new/refurbished Odeons since 1998.
I’m told Odeon like to mask the image properly and with adjustable masking “…wherever space permits”. Given how small some of the cinemas in multiplexes can be these days, the space proviso makes at least some sense.
As far as I’m aware, the 1937 coving from one cove forward of the balcony remains to confound many who, after the 1968 modernisation were sufficiently shocked by the transformation to say that all traces of the original décor had been swept away! Only the coving between the balcony and the proscenium arch was removed and I for one preferred the plainer forward ceiling and splay walls. Many of the same people said the golden ladies had been “plastered over” which was equally inaccurate.
As you say, what a Christmas present for us to unwrap! “Stan and Ollie” is due to open in the UK around the 10th January so the 20th December performance at OLS will be a real preview.
Odeon Leicester Square opens 20th December 2018 with “Stan and Ollie” at 17.45 and “The Favourite” at 21.00.
Sounds like a “soft” opening, something of a trial run before, I suspect, something much bigger comes in for the Christmas holidays. A well considered price range in my opinion with ticket prices reflecting both type of chair and position in the house.
So good to see the stages of progress from your much appreciated photo’s CF100, thank you. Notice the signage on the tower has illuminated characters whereas the old signs had only silver outlining of the letters emphasised by the blue halo on the black granite behind. The 1998 signs looked attractive to my eyes but the new ones are altogether brighter.
All the signage is physically new although, as has been said, the design is not – the 1998 rebranded and vertically enhanced characters spelling ODEON are retained, the style with “razor blade” shaped ‘O’s having been considered one of the most successful devices to come out of the rebranding according to one of Odeon Cinemas Ltd.’s directors. The main reason for the sign replacement was to rid the façade of conventional neon and replace it with the LED equivalent (same applies to the considerable amount of former neon outlining of the whole frontage – some of whose tubing was literally dangling from broken brackets at the beginning of this year!) The main ODEON sign atop the glass box will have an entirely different mounting to that which formerly stood on the edge of the balcony – and gave me a tiny electric shock when I leant over and touched the steel backing to the initial 'O’ in 1999! LED is widely replacing conventional neon these days and in the case of the Odeon Theatre will replicate the silver outline of the name signs and, where appropriate, also the blue halo backlighting of the signs.
The Royal Albert Hall is neither a cinema nor a theatre and I wish the Royal Film Performance and Royal Variety Performance had stayed where they looked at their best i.e. the Odeon Leicester Square and Palladium Theatre respectively. Although the latter is once again staged mainly at the 2,000+seat Palladium, the R.F.P. is unlikely ever to return to an 800 seat West End cinema – even one as top notch as OLS. It’s just plain greed, albeit on the Charities part, against which inferior presentation is likely considered a price worth paying.
“Mary Poppins Returns” would be a great opener for OLS and, in any event, booking will be opening any day now so our curiosity should soon be satisfied.
CF100: Tantalisingly, the stage end is being kept under wraps! The oft changed curtains have always been part of the Odeon’s charm which the Company say they are keen to preserve and I can’t imagine why having at least one set/track would be a problem. There is sufficient wing space for centre-opening tabs to clear the arch completely and effectively disappear if a longer track were being used – thus no compromise on the widest image possible. For some years now, OLS has been the only Odeon to retain operative tabs – in all other Odeons tabs have either been removed, motors isolated or new builds not having tabs at all. Given the number of occasions when people are presented on the OLS stage, it would seem a retrograde step for such presentations to take place before a naked screen. One thing the Odeon has lost is the “pageant box” which has been an intrinsic part of the balcony front since the theatre was built. The lanterns inside the box and mainly focussed on the tabs have been changed over the years as stage lighting technology has evolved. The lighting has never been as striking since 1998 when the three colour circuit arrangement allowing the mixing and blending of three basic gel colours (usually 6 x red, 6 x blue and 6 x amber but there were sometimes exceptions to the colours used, most commonly when amber would be replaced by pink)was combined into one circuit of 18 profile spot lanterns and therefore restricted to one colour. Guess LED stage lighting could reintroduce the spectacular effects but any lighting of the tabs is going to be more local i.e. replicating footlights or overhead batten (both of which the Odeon has always had but not used for some years. I just hope they don’t go for the unimaginative “Christmas tree” cycle where the LEDs pedal through the predictable red/green/blue/magenta/cyan/amber ever changing scheme as across the square in the Cineworld at the Empire Leicester Square carve up.
Moveable masking – another closely guarded secret! I certainly hope OLS will retain the capability of correctly framing whatever ratio the feature film is presented in. Not to do so would surely be the proverbial ha'porth o' tar when so much money has been spent.
The flying ladies…I gather there was some debate earlier in the year about whether much plainer/flatter splay walls would be more conducive to the sophisticated sound system achieving its optimum effect. The 1998 replica ladies were to a degree three dimensional. I don’t know what the outcome was.
There is much for us to “wait and see” still; I hope we’re not disappointed.
FAO
CF100: My understanding is that the auditorium walls and ceiling will be charcoal but this has not been officially confirmed to my knowledge.
The renderings give the impression that the replicated flying ladies will be the same colour as the splay walls on which they’re mounted and, possibly, more simplistic than the original golden figures or their 1998 identical recreations.
The top corners of the proscenium arch should be visible from the new back row of the stalls so any image contained within the arch ought to be fully visible.
CF100: Just to clarify, the maximum visible screen width at OLS for many years has actually been 47' within the 52' wide proscenium arch.
Whilst there will no longer be the need for a second (3D silver) screen which was previously flown on its frame when not in use – making good use of the Odeon’s fly tower – I understand the new screen frame will be capable of moving closer to, or further from, the proscenium arch.
There will be no problems with the view from the new back row of the stalls as this will be only slightly beneath the balcony overhang and well forward of its predecessor. Most of the former rear stalls space has now been separated from the auditorium and used to provide significant additional toilet provision and greater counter space for concessions etc.
“Lawrence of Arabia” was the first public run of a 70mm. film at the Odeon. “West Side Story” was the first film shown here in the format at the 1962 Royal Film Performance before immediately transferring to the Astoria, Charing Cross Road for its run, thus making way for “Lawrence” at OLS.
70mm. came late to OLS (“South Pacific” in 70mm. Todd-AO was already into its fourth year at the Dominion, Tottenham Court Road) as the cinema was better known for showcasing films due to go out on Rank’s regular weekly release pattern.
Rank had no shortage of West End “Roadshow” venues to accommodate the longer runs of selected “special” films, in both 35mm. and 70mm., the Dominion, Astoria, Metropole and the then new Odeon Haymarket were all geared for such seasons. Within a few years, the new Odeons at Marble Arch and St. Martin’s Lane would be added to the list enabling Rank to fully exploit what was then the West End’s exclusivity in the exhibition of potentially extremely successful films. More important London suburban cinemas and a handful of provincial city centre roadshow cinemas would usually be next in the pecking order before, eventually, “local” cinemas would finally show such films – months and sometimes years after their West End opening.
The centrepiece of this photo', or a near-identical one, forms the cover illustration of Allen Eyle’s excellent and definitive book, “Odeon Cinemas 2: From J. Arthur Rank to the Multiplex”.
Would be the perfect showcase to launch “Mary Poppins” at Christmas although 2019 is beginning to look more likely for the Odeon as year-end looms ever closer.
Fascinating to see these revealing shots of the Odeon’s transformation in progress.
The period of closure has already overtaken the time it took to build the theatre by two months and there is clearly much work still to do.
The lettering across the glass entrance doors of OLS was part of the 1998 rebranding and the new style of blue lettering adopted by Odeon Cinemas actually read “ODEON LEICESTER SQUARE EUROPE’S LARGEST CINEMA”. The word “largest” was replaced by “Premier” very early this century when, presumably, someone remembered Le Grand Rex cinema in Paris.
By the 1960s, a festoon curtain had been installed. In pale mauve satin and lit be three colour circuit footlights filtered red, amber and blue, the rising curtain made for extremely attractive presentation.
The 1968 Odeon had to be somewhat lightweight as the Regal/Odeon it replaced had begun to sink during deep excavations next door when the sorting office behind Stockton’s main Post Office was being enlarged. This accounts for the single storey nature of most of the building – extensive though its footprint remained.
With a licenced bar, cloakroom and twin-window advance booking office, the facilities were very good. Despite its large screen, even the 70mm. image could appear relatively small from the most expensive seats in the raised area we called the circle but which, in fact, was a very long way from the screen.
When on exclusive runs with product like “Oliver!”, “Funny Girl”, “Battle of Britain” “Hello Dolly!” and revivals of films like “The King and I” and “King of Kings”, the Odeon could be very profitable but when sharing the general Rank release with Odeons in Darlington, Middlesbrough and West Hartlepool, it took a very special film, like the Bonds and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” for us to make much profit.
Hindsight is wonderful but perhaps this was not the right location for a roadshow cinema especially at a time when big, potentially long-running films best suited to the policy were rapidly declining in number.
Bernard Goldthorpe was a lovely man and an enterprising manager of both old and new Odeons in Stockton. His enforced absence from his beloved cinema due to ill health in 1970 effectively gave me my first cinema as full-time manager and I still have cherished memories of my time running the Odeon in such a friendly town.
The “new” Odeon was constructed for what the industry saw as a very low cost for the time (£120,000 I believe) and at least part of the expense was affrayed by the Post Office having to make substantial compensatory payments when the old theatre had to be demolished.
It may not look quite as it did in its full-time cinema days but what a magnificent restoration with so many original features restored and many enhanced. Curtains, so often conspicuous by their absence in so-called restorations and countless multiplexes, add an exquisite touch and are no doubt useful for stage presentations. I hope they’re also used for opening and closing film shows thereby demonstrating their touch of magic and sense of occasion to such events. Film presentation at the Forum was always of a high standard – how good that the cinema’s special atmosphere can once again be created to make shows extra special.
Odeon Derby is now to be transformed to become the latest in the Company’s increasing number of Odeon Luxe complexes. All recliner seating, increased legroom and an expanded range of both hot and cold snacks and a licenced bar are promised. The larger seats will each have an attached small table so guests will be able to enjoy their refreshments while watching their choice of film. The latest and best picture and sound technology will be harnessed to optimise the entertainment experience on offer. Seating capacities will be reduced across all screens.
I have now been treated to a tour of the Everyman and enjoyed two films in Screen One. Earlier this week I was shown around the ground floor former shop unit, Odeon managers' office/changing room and adjacent former strong room. The combined space is being transformed into a Spielburgers Restaurant. The kitchen and servery/bar are complete and tangerine velvet banquet seating (currently covered in polythene)lines the walls awaiting carpeting and, presumably further seating and tables. Tests are being carried out overnight to ensure the building’s electricity supply can safely cope with the kitchen’s additional requirements before final fitting out and opening.
The modest 144 capacity in Screen 1, the Odeon’s balcony, will be increased to just shy of 200 when the rearmost echelons in front of the projection ports are built up to ensure there are no viewing restrictions from Everyman’s signature seating. As it stands, Screen 1 at York has the Company’s largest screen and, given the vast space, the smallest capacity!
An example of Everyman’s investment and attention to detail, where many companies might consider it an unnecessary cost, is in the 1972 “mini” cinemas in the former rear stalls. Intent on providing every seat with a perfect view of the screen, it was decided to excavate below the previously sloping stalls floor and provide each row with a level of its own. The excavation has allowed generous steps down towards the screens, a consequence is that by the time the screen is reached, the space is noticeably heightened. The screens in the two “minis” will shortly be moved slightly further from the seating; at present, the front rows of these cinemas are not sold as the upwards angle of viewing is considered to be potentially uncomfortable.
During Reel’s unfortunate tenure, more than one person told me they found the little cinema in the former shop unit’s stockroom to be claustrophobic and with a “smell of hot metal”. A digital projector had been suspended from the ceiling above the heads of the audience and didn’t help matters in a space similar in height to many homes. Everyman took all appropriate steps to explore a wall cavity between the room and the first floor servery and a projector for Screen 4 is now accommodated therein and the beam now comes from a port in the cinema’s rear wall as, ideally, it ought. At a stroke, and with the help of the new seating, this small cinema becomes so much improved and seems a tad more spacious.
Just another small touch in a brilliantly thought through and incredibly detailed scheme. Everyman are to be congratulated on their conception, scale of investment and sheer faith in York and the City’s finest cinema. The ingenuity of the contracted design, technical and construction teams must also be appreciated. The building (of which I like to think I know every brick!) really has returned to its former glory this time – and more besides.
I hope all York will go along, be warmly and genuinely welcomed, regaled and entertained in surroundings of which Mr Deutsch would most certainly have approved.
James
Zappomatic,
Your sanity is safe! “Aladdin” was just one of several Disney films which were preceded by a short stage show at the Odeon Leicester Square. “The Lion King”, “Pocahontas” and “Mulan” also had their “pre-shows”. They may have been short but they were very spectacular – fully costumed with much additional lighting temporarily installed especially. One youngster in my party for “Aladdin” was completely mesmerised when Aladdin and his companion flew over the stage and orchestra pit on the magic carpet as clouds of dry ice billowed upwards from the pit to be vividly illuminated by extra stage lighting therein. The shows not only had music from the films they preceded but from other Disney titles. A spectacular finale was accompanied by music and songs from “Beauty and the Beast”.
A spot bar was suspended from the ceiling over the front stalls to provide lighting effects from above for each of the shows. For the “Pocahontas” pre-show, the Odeon’s house curtains were replaced by maroon velvet curtains while a silver slash curtain replaced the screen curtains to provide a glittering background.
For “Mulan” the Disney characters were replaced by members of the Chinese State Circus in a breathtaking series of spectacular acrobatic feats. Also for “Mulan”, a gauze bearing the title in large, glittering letters was lowered in front of the house curtains just prior to the stage show starting. The Odeon curtains parted behind the gauze as a lighting cue rendered it almost invisible before it was flown to reveal the colourful company on stage.
For obvious reasons, the screen frame remained in its usual position throughout these pre-shows but, for occasions like awards ceremonies, the frame can be wheeled to the back wall and the screen speakers wheeled out of the way on their mobile mountings. Live shows with sets would be tricky to mount due to the relatively shallow stage and number of dressing rooms but vocal artists, bands/orchestras and comedians could all be very well presented at the theatre as stars such as David Essex and Bill Cosby have been in the past.
Update: The “…fine structure,,,sloping screenwards” is actually a flight of stairs leading down to the former front stalls exit (copied exactly on the other side of the auditorium). From the bottom of these stairs, the proscenium arch can be seen behind the present screen; black masking curtains hang from the house tabs track and effectively seal off the Odeon stage area.
The two cinemas in the old rear stalls remain the same size but I believe the screens are positioned slightly forward of their 1972 position.
The former front stalls area is now carpeted in mid grey and a platform/stage is planned in front of the suspended screen to facilitate interviews/Q + A sessions and performance.
The Odeon proscenium arch is hidden behind the screen frame which is positioned level with the first concealed lighting trough forward of the pros. Because of the type of seating used in the auditoria, two echelons are unused between Screen One’s current back row and the rear wall/projection portholes as sightlines would be restricted. I’m told the capacity of 144 will likely be increased once the two echelons have been increased in height up. Black curtains hang within the proscenium arch which can be seen by using the stairs at either side of the screen which lead to the former front stalls exits.
When the screen is blank, Screen One is quite dark and shadowy but I believe Everyman plan some kind of lighting feature here. The ground floor tiny screen which Reel put in is dismantled and will be replaced by “Spielburgers” restaurant.
The car park is yet to open and is full of skips which suggests a work still in progress to some extent.
The main foyer and circle lounge are nothing short of sumptuous, seating everywhere is very comfortable and plentiful and the numerous staff members could not be more welcoming and helpful.
Cjbx11, I suspect the first floor level tiny cinema, which Reel “shoehorned” into what was originally a stockroom for the shop unit on the ground floor below, could well have been dismantled in order to provide the new restaurant in the circle lounge with a baking/prepping space.
The reduction in capacity in Screen 1 is not as drastic as it first appears. The 1972 extension of the balcony has been removed and it would appear from comparing photographs that even 1937’s balcony has been foreshortened, therefore the space available for seating is now also much reduced. This means the sighting problems due to obstructions will have gone. The desire for a larger screen in front of the proscenium arch is possibly down to two factors. Firstly, the reduced seating area provides the same viewing position as the original rear circle where seating was at its farthest from the screen and from where the big screen did appear relatively small (the throw from projector to screen was 110' in Odeon days) – whereas today’s cinemagoers are accustomed to screens appearing somewhat larger. Secondly, the proscenium arch was reduced in height by almost 2' during 1964’s modernisation scheme and this would limit the possible size of the new screen were it to be positioned within the arch as, ideally, it should be.
Given the misguided 1972 extension to the balcony is now history, could it be that the space in the old front stalls area may yet still become additional capacity for screen 1 with access possibly at ground floor level as at Muswell Hill? 144 seats must inevitably limit potential viability when Bond, Star Wars and other hugely popular blockbusters are programmed.