First off, a big “Thank you” to Michael and all those who have posted their excellent views from behind the scenes as the Everyman project continues to transform the former Odeon.
Intriguingly, this view shows that not only has 1972’s ill-advised balcony extension disappeared but the 1937 balcony appears to have actually receded by several yards. The original balcony’s forward termination coincided with the end of the completely straight length of the acoustic tiling feature and below the point at which the outer edge of the central band of the feature ends its downward turn through 90 degrees. This would account for the seemingly drastic reduction in capacity.
The orchestra pit rail was replaced by a wall in 1964 and this has not been visible from this vantage point since the 1972 tripling yet, here it is.
There would appear to be some kind of fine structure beyond the new balcony front, sloping screenwards, and I wonder if this will support the “roof” of a slight forward extension of the two auditoria below the balcony
in order to increase the distance between audience and screen while accommodating extra space between rows, larger seats and perhaps slightly larger screens from a longer throw.
There is no sign of any part of the proscenium arch in this view, only part of the number one lighting cove several feet away from the hidden arch. It was ironic that in 1964’s modernisation here, the proscenium arch was lowered by just under two feet when, just six years later, the balcony extension necessitated lifting the image for sighting purposes and consequently having to make the picture smaller.
All will soon be revealed as this art deco gem enters yet another phase in its career. Good luck to Everyman whose confidence and scale of investment will serve to show Reel just what “…returned to its former glory” really means!
Not sure of the extent of the reclining seats. Losing the rear circle’s centre aisle will compensate somewhat for wider seats impact on capacity.
The entire balcony was restepped and leg room increased some years ago (well after 1998)and this reduced the overall capacity by some 300 seats.
CF100 Odeon Leicester Square foyer and circle lounge pre. 1998’s refurbishment and rebranding.
The 1987 refurbishment retained much of 1967’s modernisation scheme but softened the overall treatment of public areas and lent a 1930s flavour to what had been a typical ‘60s blandness.
In 1967, the foyer ceiling gave the impression of broken glass – actually many aluminium “shards” of varying shapes and sizes and set at different angles. These were cleverly lit by a row of Strand Electric pattern 23 profile spotlights housed above the entrance doors in what was a miniature version of the spotlight housing on the front of the circle in the auditorium. The spots were angled slightly upwards and focussed on the reflective ceiling treatment. The result was to throw numerous reflected “pieces” of light around the walls and across the carpet. The spotlights were wired in several circuits (each a different colour) which would continually fade up and down automatically giving a constantly changing effect. The carpeting throughout public areas at this time had an overall pattern of red, blue and yellow angular shapes and foyer walls were covered in a plain, dark wood/wood effect (later covered in a red fabric which resembled suede). In 1987’s revamp, the ‘60s ceiling survived but the spotlights were realigned to illuminate a metallic coat of arms which was mounted above the central sales kiosk between the two sets of doors leading to the stalls. At about this time, the automatic fading of the spotlights was discontinued.
Below the 1967 sales kiosk counter was a floor to counter section of white tiling which was lit pale blue by lights concealed inside the counter fascia. This feature was retained in 1987 but the lighting became pink. 1967’s large island pay box was removed prior to 1987, all tickets now being sold from box office windows to either side of the vestibule between the two sets of entrance doors and at right angles to them.
One of the most striking of 1987’s changes was the new carpeting of both foyer and circle lounge. The new carpet bore a huge art deco design almost the size of the entire foyer floor, featuring sweeping shapes in pink, pastel blue and fawn edged in thin black lines. Both upstairs and down, the beautiful designs were surrounded by a dark blue border with a subtle recurring motif of small strands of pink, pastel blue and fawn and this design was used for all other carpeting of public areas including the auditorium. The custom carpet must have cost a fortune yet was removed just eleven years later in 1998.
1967 gave us a plain, light grey circle lounge ceiling with three large, square areas containing suspended silver coloured metallic strips light from above in a slowly changing sequence of pink, pale blue and yellow. Two of the three lighting features were above the lounge itself while the third was above the central staircase from the foyer and, in this one, the metallic strips gradually became longer towards the centre. These lights were retained in 1987 but the colours were no longer changed and were a steady pale blue.
1987 saw the exterior lightbox lifted to a much higher position enabling daylight to enter the circle lounge through large, plain windows from roughly waist height. The windows spanned the width of the lounge and were fitted with Italian blinds in pale pink which were almost always left in the raised/open position. The windows enabled the lounge lighting to be seen from outside and panoramic views of the square to be enjoyed from within. Perhaps these windows, themselves a throwback to the theatre’s 1937 windows, inspired the bolder all-over glazing we have at present. Two modern licenced bar serving apertures had been created opposite the tops of the staircases in the lounge in 1967 and twenty years later these were replaced by a larger counter and a ‘30s style uplighter at the inner end. The 1967 cloakroom counter between the two sets of doors to the circle became a sales counter/coffee bar in 1987 or thereabouts.
Numerous white downlighters were also set into the ceilings of both these large public areas.
I would have liked the 1987 scheme – including the auditorium, perhaps minus the splay walls' neon – to have lasted longer as, overall, I think it suited the Odeon well whereas 1998’s changes owe much to the multiplex era and this theatre is no multiplex! We must await the results of what is going to be the most radical refurbishment yet, in 2018.
A canopy/balcony is planned to run the entire width of the façade at OLS at the same level and depth as the 1998 balcony which also currently carries the theatre’s main name sign but is now bereft of the mission statement, “FANATICAL ABOUT FILM”.
The apertures in the floor of the circle lounge to either side of the walkway leading to the present exterior balcony will be filled in, ending the double-height illusion and restoring the foyer and first floor lounge to completely separate spaces.
The installation of reclining seats and extra leg room will significantly reduce the overall capacity by several hundred.
It is planned the nine month transformation will be completed in time for the Odeon to host the 2018 London Film Festival. The theatre has become the showcase for the principle films during the Festival since the closure of Odeon West End.
CF100 The coloured reflector lamps were tungsten and widely available in a number of colours and wattages. They were mostly Edison Screw and “widened out” to a flatter crown. The glass from base to the lamp’s widest point was internally silvered to provide the reflection while the crown appeared to have been dipped in a clear, coloured paint. Branches of Ryness and many electrical shops used to sell them.
The lamps were far less expensive than the simplest stage lantern so were ideal for installations where a large number of lighting units were required. Many cinemas, built or modernised in the ‘sixties, used them where, like Marble Arch, curtain fabric was used for the upper parts of side walls as well as for screen curtains.
Odeon Haymarket lit their two festoon curtains well, emphasising the 3D element of the cable-operated, rising curtains. Conventional footlights shone upwards while reflector lamps shone down the curtains providing some very eye-catching effects as the top and bottom of every fold in the festoon reflected contrasting colours. Think of a mackerel sky where a sunset’s afterglow lights the clouds orange or pink with the sky a deep blue beyond.
There was no room above the screen between the two festoons to use batten lighting (effectively inverted footlights).
The drawbacks of using reflector lamps were that they were available in a limited range of colours – typically red, green, blue and amber whereas stage lighting units can be filtered almost any colour/tint imaginable. With prolonged use, the colour coating reflector lamps could crack and leak white light which would impair the flood of colour.
CF100, Your mention of the YouTube items prompted me to watch them again, not having seen them for some time, and they’re fascinating – especially the creation of the double-height foyer spaces and additional glazing. Rather like watching a beloved friend undergoing a major operation!
In 1998 the Odeon closed from 13th April to 4th August for the works – nearly four months.
I could describe the foyer prior to 1998 in detail if you would be interested – could even cure insomnia for some on this site as well!!
Lionel, I’m flattered that my site name should be so bold and striking in your response! Perhaps ought to have been blue though!
I too miss the Odeon Marble Arch in its first configuration. I was at the premiere of “Hello Dolly!” in the late ‘60s and a sustained round of applause erupted at the end of the spectacular and colourful musical as the cast list rolled and the enormous curtains billowed to a close. Also saw the '89 restoration screening of “Lawrence” there after Rank had surprisingly replaced the D150 screen with one which was less deeply curved. As you may well know, David Lean watched the restored film first in 70mm at Odeon Leicester Square and soon saw it again at Marble Arch before it opened to the public. He thought it looked brilliant at OLS but, seeing it again so soon afterwards at M/Arch, felt the desert horizons to be unacceptedly distorted and wanted the theatres switched. OLS’s commitments precluded this so Rank’s investment, so late in the day for regular 70mm., was something of a very expensive compromise. I believe other, reissued 70mm. films (including the blown up “Gone With The Wind”) followed “Lawrence” in something of a big screen season which was, regrettably, not very widely advertised.
Minutiae – As the only “stage” lighting at the 1960s Odeon Marble Arch was a three colour circuit trough with red, green and amber reflector lamps immediately above the curtain line, only the upper folds were effectively lit with the bulk of the plain fawn curtains being left dark. Rank Leisure Services Chairman, John Davis, noticed the relative gloom and requested something be done to brighten things up. The result was six Rank Strand pattern 324 2k Fresnel spot lanterns being obtained from a “recently closed Odeon” with three being mounted on each of two ledges built onto the sides of the balcony front. These lanterns were filtered with colour gels matching the lamps around the edge of the ceiling and their operation coordinated with the result that the curtains glowed beautifully thereafter.
My own best 70mm. presentation ever was “Ryan’s Daughter” at the 1962 Empire Leicester Square.
CF100, Closure for the 1998 refurbishment/rebranding/reconstruction of façade was much shorter, somewhere in the region of two to three months if memory serves. Biggest job then was the creation of the double-height foyer with its additional glazing and raising of the circle lounge ceiling with its new fibre optic lighting coves.
In the auditorium, changes were more superficial apart from further fibre optic installation in the existing coves and the halos around the replicated golden ladies.
A wider, more central stalls entrance replaced the former sales kiosk and separate entrances to each side of it. The new stalls entrance necessitated the provision of a carpeted baffle wall to prevent light and sound penetrating the stalls from the foyer and Square.
I will shortly be able to more accurately define the 1998 closure period which was followed by the run of “Armageddon” in blow-up 70mm.
OLS is unique in having both white and silver screens to provide the best possible screen surface for both 2D and 3D product. The screen speakers are mounted on wheeled trolleys and are thus common to both screens; the 2D screen frame can be wheeled to the rear stage area when the 3D screen and frame are in use as these are both stored in the theatre’s fly tower above the stage and are simply lowered into position when required. Any movement of the screen forward of the proscenium arch would, of course, preclude the facility.
The legend, “FANATICAL ABOUT FILM” has been removed from the canopy fascia of Odeon Leicester Square and both the wording and its somewhat skeletal font – one of two created/adopted as part of the 1998 rebranding of the circuit – is being replaced by a less formal looking style of lettering in physical and online advertising, letterheads and buildings signage. This was an aspect of the recent “refreshing” of the circuit’s branding.
Everyman now lease the former Odeon and intend removing the false ceiling in the circle lounge to reveal the frieze seen above, in the hope it can be cleaned/repaired and be visible to the public for the first time since 1964.
The spectacular screen curtains lasted until the erection of a CinemaScope screen frame in the early ‘fifties.
The pit rail was replaced by a solid wall of the same height during the 1964 modernisation.
“Dunkirk” looks and sounds terrific at Odeon Leicester Square. More 70mm presentations planned (though not necessarily at OLS apart from premiere) including “Murder On The Orient Express”
Everyman are to buy the lease from Reel, they will take over in August and a genuine restoration/refurbishment is planned this time from September to December.
Everyman’s plans for the erstwhile Odeon are mouth-watering. A restaurant and bar will be provided along with reseating, recarpeting and new toilets/rest rooms. Detailed research has enabled new front doors to be made which will replicate the ‘30s originals and at least the largest auditorium will have opulent stage drapes and appropriate lighting.
Judging by what Everyman have achieved with acquired former Odeons at places like Esher and Muswell Hill, there is much to look forward to. Even the contentious and dilapidated Odeon sign high on the façade will have a new lease of life as the central ‘E’ will be restored with red LED lighting as the initial of the new name to complement a white name sign mounted on the canopy edge.
Tickets will be more expensive than Reel and we will get what we pay for, a Blossom Street cinema we can once again be proud of.
CF100, The “drop wall” subdivision of most Odeons, and many other circuits' halls, was indeed poor. The “minis” thereby created in the rear stalls area were usually less than ideal and such conversions in the busier Odeons where the balcony was extended forward to maximise capacity seriously compromised the architectural integrity of what became Screen One. This and those situations where the roof of one or both minis protruded beyond the balcony front was disastrous for original schemes. York’s balcony extension caused the splay wall decorative grille work to be removed and replaced by ugly “functional” air conditioning units at a higher level and the additional barriers and exit signs forward, insisted on by the local council, meant the actual picture size had to be reduced in order to be seen from all seats. Barnet’s larger minis gave those upstairs in Screen One the impression they were watching the film over a cliff top. Sadly, many more examples of both and other conversion problems like the acoustic effect of leaving the front stalls as a void and creating a large emptiness between audience and image.
The very expensive twinning and tripling of both Odeon and ABC “key” city centre cinemas was, by contrast, very successful in creating two or three relatively spacious and very comfortable, totally separate modern cinemas which had ambience and atmosphere of their own. This costly standard of conversion work could not be carried out “across the board” due to both the enormous expense and, in many cases, spatial constraints.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and even including 70mm. facilities in the “key” location conversions was done at the same time as fewer and fewer films were being made in the format. Further subdivision of all Odeons where extra screens could be shoehorned in, made sense to accountants and, undeniably offered more choice to the cinemagoer while, unfortunately, spreading the impression that cinemas were getting smaller and “just not the same anymore”. It was all an uncomfortable transition towards building our own multiplexes as choice simply had to be offered when the number of cinema buildings had dwindled.
Cjbx11,
Agree with your every word. I’ve been familiar with several original Odeons since the early ‘fifties and personally found them superior internally to some of the more ornate Glen ABC auditoriums – most of which I liked but always felt they were in second place.
The whole thing is subjective and there’s no right or wrong in our personal impressions.
I came to Granadas relatively late and found Kingston, Bedford and Harrow very impressive while Tooting felt decidedly overdone. The more ornate the interior schemes, the more difficult to maintain they were and the sooner they appeared dusty and dowdy.
Odeon’s sweeping, streamlined moderne interiors with, usually, wide rectangular prosceniums, spectacular curtains and much concealed lighting were my ideal cinemas and the house style was never better exemplified, in my opinion, than at Leicester Square, Scarborough and York.
Ian, As you say, the Studios are running now. I can’t imagine much work can have been carried out during the two days the miniplex disappeared from the Odeon website. Having said that, the five screens were fairly recently refurbished when the name changed from Mezzanine and Costa became involved. It’s also possible, but unlikely, that the Studios were removed from the website in error.
The plot thickens…
The Odeon Studios (former Mezzanine “miniplex”) alongside the Odeon Theatre, are currently absent from Odeon Cinemas website while the Odeon itself is listed and showing “Wonder Woman”.
This may indicate that the refurbishment of the five screen complex is already underway and, once complete and the screens open again, work on the Odeon could well follow.
CF100, I know exactly what you mean – my own breath will be metaphorically held until I’m able to see the results of what, given the budget parameters, is clearly going to be very fundamental work.
Unless a new screen frame is positioned level with the proscenium arch and the curtains and historical safety curtain dispensed with and unused respectively, there is little scope for a larger image and not just because of the “top corner”/low rear stalls ceiling restrictions. The image size at present is a large one and comfortably commensurate with the dimensions of the auditorium, to my mind. I watched “Nicholas and Alexandra” from the back row of the circle and the, admittedly blown up to 70mm, image looked great. The Odeon is a very large cinema but not a cathedralic Gaumont State, Green’s Playhouse Glasgow, Odeon Blackpool or New Victoria Bradford or London, all of which shrank the image considerably from distant seats.
The current OLS arrangement of having two screens, facilitated by its stage and flying space, has made it something of the ultimate showcase when silver for 3D and white for 2D has precluded any risk of compromise when both industry and public see a film for the first time. If this dual screen arrangement is perpetrated, the proscenium arch is safe and AMC’s reported wish to retain the organ would be another “safeguard”. The stage itself is obviously the perfect platform when actors, directors, producers etc. are presented to the audience prior to premieres and special events. George Coles' Empire Leicester Square had to make do with a specially placed platform for such presentations as the cinema had no stage and this was always a bit “clunky” when celebrities could only walk away into the audience. The Odeon’s huge balcony would, in any case, preclude such a less satisfactory arrangement if the screen frame were to be proud of the arch whereas the Empire Cinema’s stadium configuration allowed the inevitability.
My speculations are just that and many of us will be anticipating just what is to come until the work is completed.
Given the advances in the use of ultra-bright LED luminaires in stage, TV and architectural lighting since the Odeon’s most recent transformation in 1998, I’m personally keenly waiting to see how that technology may impact on the scheme.
The “hair’s breadth” shoehorning of two auditoria into the erstwhile Empire cinema hasn’t worked for me and I’ve left the complex with a headache and a stiff neck for the last time!
A cinema operating friend attended the opening of a multiplex near Sheffield earlier this week and was amazed to find he needed to “hold down” his reclining seat to be able to watch the film and avoid staring at the ceiling. Good cinema designers, a dying breed? Feeding required capacities, dimensions, sound systems, air conditioning etc. into a computer model is clearly no substitute for a dedicated designer and his/her team. The computer has a brain but no heart.
Not having seen the original decorative scheme with my own eyes, photographs suggest I might have found the plasterwork and splay wall treatment (apart from the golden ladies) beyond the balcony front a tad over fussy.
I realize the 1967 scheme was, and remains, controversial but on my first visit to the Odeon in 1971 I was most impressed. As well as eighteen 2K pageant lanterns creating a dazzling display on the new two-tone red velvet house tabs and silver satin screen tabs, the light box on the circle front also contained six profile spots projecting three overlapping spheres of red, amber and blue on each of the, newly plain, splay walls.
The rather psychedelic vertical design painted on the splay walls for the run of “Funny Lady” and later, raised rolling cloud shapes in maroon and pink were, presumably, to overcome the sweeping plainness of the forward side walls which was disliked by so many.
Rank Theatres Ltd. used the design consultancy, Trevor and Mavis Stone Associates for many Odeon modernisations during the ‘sixties and they worked on the auditorium changes for this theatre in 1967. They were known for their dislike of anything considered over ornate and their love of Strand Electric “Cinemoid” 47 Pink colour gel! In 1964, they found York Odeon with maroon velvet screen curtains with gold satin appliqued stripes near the bottom and lit by red/green/blue footlights. They replaced the curtains with plain silver satin ones and the footlights went in favour of nine 2K pageants mounted on the circle front and all filtered 57 Pink. It did look, literally, dazzlingly “up to date” but, once the dust had settled, the projection team restored a three colour circuit scheme to the powerful new lights and thereafter at least the attractive blending and changing of colours was once more possible.
Odeon Leicester Square had always had a light box on the circle front and the pageant lights there escaped the pink treatment and remained as before, six filtered red, six amber and six blue. Alas, less powerful profile spots replaced the pageants in 1987 and in 1998 the lights were rewired to just one circuit, ill-advisably using several different and unsuitable hues resulting in a dingy effect on the new, grey tabs. Thanks to Chief Engineer, Nigel Wolland, a much warmer and attractive effect was later achieved by the introduction of deep pink colour filters.
Soon it will be all change again as the West End’s last remaining super cinema gets the most fundamental and expensive refurbishment of its history, courtesy of Odeon Cinemas' new parent, AMC. The refurbishment promises important elements of restoration as well as reclining seats, more legroom, more toilet provision
and further improvements.
First off, a big “Thank you” to Michael and all those who have posted their excellent views from behind the scenes as the Everyman project continues to transform the former Odeon.
Intriguingly, this view shows that not only has 1972’s ill-advised balcony extension disappeared but the 1937 balcony appears to have actually receded by several yards. The original balcony’s forward termination coincided with the end of the completely straight length of the acoustic tiling feature and below the point at which the outer edge of the central band of the feature ends its downward turn through 90 degrees. This would account for the seemingly drastic reduction in capacity.
The orchestra pit rail was replaced by a wall in 1964 and this has not been visible from this vantage point since the 1972 tripling yet, here it is.
There would appear to be some kind of fine structure beyond the new balcony front, sloping screenwards, and I wonder if this will support the “roof” of a slight forward extension of the two auditoria below the balcony in order to increase the distance between audience and screen while accommodating extra space between rows, larger seats and perhaps slightly larger screens from a longer throw.
There is no sign of any part of the proscenium arch in this view, only part of the number one lighting cove several feet away from the hidden arch. It was ironic that in 1964’s modernisation here, the proscenium arch was lowered by just under two feet when, just six years later, the balcony extension necessitated lifting the image for sighting purposes and consequently having to make the picture smaller.
All will soon be revealed as this art deco gem enters yet another phase in its career. Good luck to Everyman whose confidence and scale of investment will serve to show Reel just what “…returned to its former glory” really means!
CF100,
Not sure of the extent of the reclining seats. Losing the rear circle’s centre aisle will compensate somewhat for wider seats impact on capacity. The entire balcony was restepped and leg room increased some years ago (well after 1998)and this reduced the overall capacity by some 300 seats.
CF100 Odeon Leicester Square foyer and circle lounge pre. 1998’s refurbishment and rebranding.
The 1987 refurbishment retained much of 1967’s modernisation scheme but softened the overall treatment of public areas and lent a 1930s flavour to what had been a typical ‘60s blandness.
In 1967, the foyer ceiling gave the impression of broken glass – actually many aluminium “shards” of varying shapes and sizes and set at different angles. These were cleverly lit by a row of Strand Electric pattern 23 profile spotlights housed above the entrance doors in what was a miniature version of the spotlight housing on the front of the circle in the auditorium. The spots were angled slightly upwards and focussed on the reflective ceiling treatment. The result was to throw numerous reflected “pieces” of light around the walls and across the carpet. The spotlights were wired in several circuits (each a different colour) which would continually fade up and down automatically giving a constantly changing effect. The carpeting throughout public areas at this time had an overall pattern of red, blue and yellow angular shapes and foyer walls were covered in a plain, dark wood/wood effect (later covered in a red fabric which resembled suede). In 1987’s revamp, the ‘60s ceiling survived but the spotlights were realigned to illuminate a metallic coat of arms which was mounted above the central sales kiosk between the two sets of doors leading to the stalls. At about this time, the automatic fading of the spotlights was discontinued.
Below the 1967 sales kiosk counter was a floor to counter section of white tiling which was lit pale blue by lights concealed inside the counter fascia. This feature was retained in 1987 but the lighting became pink. 1967’s large island pay box was removed prior to 1987, all tickets now being sold from box office windows to either side of the vestibule between the two sets of entrance doors and at right angles to them.
One of the most striking of 1987’s changes was the new carpeting of both foyer and circle lounge. The new carpet bore a huge art deco design almost the size of the entire foyer floor, featuring sweeping shapes in pink, pastel blue and fawn edged in thin black lines. Both upstairs and down, the beautiful designs were surrounded by a dark blue border with a subtle recurring motif of small strands of pink, pastel blue and fawn and this design was used for all other carpeting of public areas including the auditorium. The custom carpet must have cost a fortune yet was removed just eleven years later in 1998.
1967 gave us a plain, light grey circle lounge ceiling with three large, square areas containing suspended silver coloured metallic strips light from above in a slowly changing sequence of pink, pale blue and yellow. Two of the three lighting features were above the lounge itself while the third was above the central staircase from the foyer and, in this one, the metallic strips gradually became longer towards the centre. These lights were retained in 1987 but the colours were no longer changed and were a steady pale blue.
1987 saw the exterior lightbox lifted to a much higher position enabling daylight to enter the circle lounge through large, plain windows from roughly waist height. The windows spanned the width of the lounge and were fitted with Italian blinds in pale pink which were almost always left in the raised/open position. The windows enabled the lounge lighting to be seen from outside and panoramic views of the square to be enjoyed from within. Perhaps these windows, themselves a throwback to the theatre’s 1937 windows, inspired the bolder all-over glazing we have at present. Two modern licenced bar serving apertures had been created opposite the tops of the staircases in the lounge in 1967 and twenty years later these were replaced by a larger counter and a ‘30s style uplighter at the inner end. The 1967 cloakroom counter between the two sets of doors to the circle became a sales counter/coffee bar in 1987 or thereabouts.
Numerous white downlighters were also set into the ceilings of both these large public areas.
I would have liked the 1987 scheme – including the auditorium, perhaps minus the splay walls' neon – to have lasted longer as, overall, I think it suited the Odeon well whereas 1998’s changes owe much to the multiplex era and this theatre is no multiplex! We must await the results of what is going to be the most radical refurbishment yet, in 2018.
A canopy/balcony is planned to run the entire width of the façade at OLS at the same level and depth as the 1998 balcony which also currently carries the theatre’s main name sign but is now bereft of the mission statement, “FANATICAL ABOUT FILM”.
The apertures in the floor of the circle lounge to either side of the walkway leading to the present exterior balcony will be filled in, ending the double-height illusion and restoring the foyer and first floor lounge to completely separate spaces.
The installation of reclining seats and extra leg room will significantly reduce the overall capacity by several hundred.
It is planned the nine month transformation will be completed in time for the Odeon to host the 2018 London Film Festival. The theatre has become the showcase for the principle films during the Festival since the closure of Odeon West End.
CF100 The coloured reflector lamps were tungsten and widely available in a number of colours and wattages. They were mostly Edison Screw and “widened out” to a flatter crown. The glass from base to the lamp’s widest point was internally silvered to provide the reflection while the crown appeared to have been dipped in a clear, coloured paint. Branches of Ryness and many electrical shops used to sell them. The lamps were far less expensive than the simplest stage lantern so were ideal for installations where a large number of lighting units were required. Many cinemas, built or modernised in the ‘sixties, used them where, like Marble Arch, curtain fabric was used for the upper parts of side walls as well as for screen curtains. Odeon Haymarket lit their two festoon curtains well, emphasising the 3D element of the cable-operated, rising curtains. Conventional footlights shone upwards while reflector lamps shone down the curtains providing some very eye-catching effects as the top and bottom of every fold in the festoon reflected contrasting colours. Think of a mackerel sky where a sunset’s afterglow lights the clouds orange or pink with the sky a deep blue beyond. There was no room above the screen between the two festoons to use batten lighting (effectively inverted footlights).
The drawbacks of using reflector lamps were that they were available in a limited range of colours – typically red, green, blue and amber whereas stage lighting units can be filtered almost any colour/tint imaginable. With prolonged use, the colour coating reflector lamps could crack and leak white light which would impair the flood of colour.
OLS foyer and circle lounge pre. 1998 to follow.
FanaticalAboutFilm.
CF100, Your mention of the YouTube items prompted me to watch them again, not having seen them for some time, and they’re fascinating – especially the creation of the double-height foyer spaces and additional glazing. Rather like watching a beloved friend undergoing a major operation!
In 1998 the Odeon closed from 13th April to 4th August for the works – nearly four months.
I could describe the foyer prior to 1998 in detail if you would be interested – could even cure insomnia for some on this site as well!!
Lionel, I’m flattered that my site name should be so bold and striking in your response! Perhaps ought to have been blue though!
I too miss the Odeon Marble Arch in its first configuration. I was at the premiere of “Hello Dolly!” in the late ‘60s and a sustained round of applause erupted at the end of the spectacular and colourful musical as the cast list rolled and the enormous curtains billowed to a close. Also saw the '89 restoration screening of “Lawrence” there after Rank had surprisingly replaced the D150 screen with one which was less deeply curved. As you may well know, David Lean watched the restored film first in 70mm at Odeon Leicester Square and soon saw it again at Marble Arch before it opened to the public. He thought it looked brilliant at OLS but, seeing it again so soon afterwards at M/Arch, felt the desert horizons to be unacceptedly distorted and wanted the theatres switched. OLS’s commitments precluded this so Rank’s investment, so late in the day for regular 70mm., was something of a very expensive compromise. I believe other, reissued 70mm. films (including the blown up “Gone With The Wind”) followed “Lawrence” in something of a big screen season which was, regrettably, not very widely advertised.
Minutiae – As the only “stage” lighting at the 1960s Odeon Marble Arch was a three colour circuit trough with red, green and amber reflector lamps immediately above the curtain line, only the upper folds were effectively lit with the bulk of the plain fawn curtains being left dark. Rank Leisure Services Chairman, John Davis, noticed the relative gloom and requested something be done to brighten things up. The result was six Rank Strand pattern 324 2k Fresnel spot lanterns being obtained from a “recently closed Odeon” with three being mounted on each of two ledges built onto the sides of the balcony front. These lanterns were filtered with colour gels matching the lamps around the edge of the ceiling and their operation coordinated with the result that the curtains glowed beautifully thereafter.
My own best 70mm. presentation ever was “Ryan’s Daughter” at the 1962 Empire Leicester Square.
CF100, Closure for the 1998 refurbishment/rebranding/reconstruction of façade was much shorter, somewhere in the region of two to three months if memory serves. Biggest job then was the creation of the double-height foyer with its additional glazing and raising of the circle lounge ceiling with its new fibre optic lighting coves. In the auditorium, changes were more superficial apart from further fibre optic installation in the existing coves and the halos around the replicated golden ladies. A wider, more central stalls entrance replaced the former sales kiosk and separate entrances to each side of it. The new stalls entrance necessitated the provision of a carpeted baffle wall to prevent light and sound penetrating the stalls from the foyer and Square.
I will shortly be able to more accurately define the 1998 closure period which was followed by the run of “Armageddon” in blow-up 70mm.
Lionel, A friend of mine saw “Murder on the Orient Express” in 70mm. at OLS last night and tells me it looked and sounded “…absolutely superb”.
Odeon Leicester Square will close after Christmas for nine months to enable major works.
OLS is unique in having both white and silver screens to provide the best possible screen surface for both 2D and 3D product. The screen speakers are mounted on wheeled trolleys and are thus common to both screens; the 2D screen frame can be wheeled to the rear stage area when the 3D screen and frame are in use as these are both stored in the theatre’s fly tower above the stage and are simply lowered into position when required. Any movement of the screen forward of the proscenium arch would, of course, preclude the facility.
The legend, “FANATICAL ABOUT FILM” has been removed from the canopy fascia of Odeon Leicester Square and both the wording and its somewhat skeletal font – one of two created/adopted as part of the 1998 rebranding of the circuit – is being replaced by a less formal looking style of lettering in physical and online advertising, letterheads and buildings signage. This was an aspect of the recent “refreshing” of the circuit’s branding.
Everyman now lease the former Odeon and intend removing the false ceiling in the circle lounge to reveal the frieze seen above, in the hope it can be cleaned/repaired and be visible to the public for the first time since 1964.
The spectacular screen curtains lasted until the erection of a CinemaScope screen frame in the early ‘fifties. The pit rail was replaced by a solid wall of the same height during the 1964 modernisation.
31/8/2017 The former Odeon in York, now leased to Everyman, is now closed to enable the Company’s refurbishment/restoration work to begin.
“Dunkirk” looks and sounds terrific at Odeon Leicester Square. More 70mm presentations planned (though not necessarily at OLS apart from premiere) including “Murder On The Orient Express”
The premiere was of a short, supporting film of the wedding of Katherine Worsley and the Duke of Kent which had taken place in York Minster.
Everyman are to buy the lease from Reel, they will take over in August and a genuine restoration/refurbishment is planned this time from September to December.
Everyman’s plans for the erstwhile Odeon are mouth-watering. A restaurant and bar will be provided along with reseating, recarpeting and new toilets/rest rooms. Detailed research has enabled new front doors to be made which will replicate the ‘30s originals and at least the largest auditorium will have opulent stage drapes and appropriate lighting.
Judging by what Everyman have achieved with acquired former Odeons at places like Esher and Muswell Hill, there is much to look forward to. Even the contentious and dilapidated Odeon sign high on the façade will have a new lease of life as the central ‘E’ will be restored with red LED lighting as the initial of the new name to complement a white name sign mounted on the canopy edge.
Tickets will be more expensive than Reel and we will get what we pay for, a Blossom Street cinema we can once again be proud of.
CF100, The “drop wall” subdivision of most Odeons, and many other circuits' halls, was indeed poor. The “minis” thereby created in the rear stalls area were usually less than ideal and such conversions in the busier Odeons where the balcony was extended forward to maximise capacity seriously compromised the architectural integrity of what became Screen One. This and those situations where the roof of one or both minis protruded beyond the balcony front was disastrous for original schemes. York’s balcony extension caused the splay wall decorative grille work to be removed and replaced by ugly “functional” air conditioning units at a higher level and the additional barriers and exit signs forward, insisted on by the local council, meant the actual picture size had to be reduced in order to be seen from all seats. Barnet’s larger minis gave those upstairs in Screen One the impression they were watching the film over a cliff top. Sadly, many more examples of both and other conversion problems like the acoustic effect of leaving the front stalls as a void and creating a large emptiness between audience and image.
The very expensive twinning and tripling of both Odeon and ABC “key” city centre cinemas was, by contrast, very successful in creating two or three relatively spacious and very comfortable, totally separate modern cinemas which had ambience and atmosphere of their own. This costly standard of conversion work could not be carried out “across the board” due to both the enormous expense and, in many cases, spatial constraints.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and even including 70mm. facilities in the “key” location conversions was done at the same time as fewer and fewer films were being made in the format. Further subdivision of all Odeons where extra screens could be shoehorned in, made sense to accountants and, undeniably offered more choice to the cinemagoer while, unfortunately, spreading the impression that cinemas were getting smaller and “just not the same anymore”. It was all an uncomfortable transition towards building our own multiplexes as choice simply had to be offered when the number of cinema buildings had dwindled.
Cjbx11, Agree with your every word. I’ve been familiar with several original Odeons since the early ‘fifties and personally found them superior internally to some of the more ornate Glen ABC auditoriums – most of which I liked but always felt they were in second place. The whole thing is subjective and there’s no right or wrong in our personal impressions. I came to Granadas relatively late and found Kingston, Bedford and Harrow very impressive while Tooting felt decidedly overdone. The more ornate the interior schemes, the more difficult to maintain they were and the sooner they appeared dusty and dowdy. Odeon’s sweeping, streamlined moderne interiors with, usually, wide rectangular prosceniums, spectacular curtains and much concealed lighting were my ideal cinemas and the house style was never better exemplified, in my opinion, than at Leicester Square, Scarborough and York.
Ian, As you say, the Studios are running now. I can’t imagine much work can have been carried out during the two days the miniplex disappeared from the Odeon website. Having said that, the five screens were fairly recently refurbished when the name changed from Mezzanine and Costa became involved. It’s also possible, but unlikely, that the Studios were removed from the website in error. The plot thickens…
The Odeon Studios (former Mezzanine “miniplex”) alongside the Odeon Theatre, are currently absent from Odeon Cinemas website while the Odeon itself is listed and showing “Wonder Woman”.
This may indicate that the refurbishment of the five screen complex is already underway and, once complete and the screens open again, work on the Odeon could well follow.
CF100, I know exactly what you mean – my own breath will be metaphorically held until I’m able to see the results of what, given the budget parameters, is clearly going to be very fundamental work. Unless a new screen frame is positioned level with the proscenium arch and the curtains and historical safety curtain dispensed with and unused respectively, there is little scope for a larger image and not just because of the “top corner”/low rear stalls ceiling restrictions. The image size at present is a large one and comfortably commensurate with the dimensions of the auditorium, to my mind. I watched “Nicholas and Alexandra” from the back row of the circle and the, admittedly blown up to 70mm, image looked great. The Odeon is a very large cinema but not a cathedralic Gaumont State, Green’s Playhouse Glasgow, Odeon Blackpool or New Victoria Bradford or London, all of which shrank the image considerably from distant seats. The current OLS arrangement of having two screens, facilitated by its stage and flying space, has made it something of the ultimate showcase when silver for 3D and white for 2D has precluded any risk of compromise when both industry and public see a film for the first time. If this dual screen arrangement is perpetrated, the proscenium arch is safe and AMC’s reported wish to retain the organ would be another “safeguard”. The stage itself is obviously the perfect platform when actors, directors, producers etc. are presented to the audience prior to premieres and special events. George Coles' Empire Leicester Square had to make do with a specially placed platform for such presentations as the cinema had no stage and this was always a bit “clunky” when celebrities could only walk away into the audience. The Odeon’s huge balcony would, in any case, preclude such a less satisfactory arrangement if the screen frame were to be proud of the arch whereas the Empire Cinema’s stadium configuration allowed the inevitability. My speculations are just that and many of us will be anticipating just what is to come until the work is completed.
Given the advances in the use of ultra-bright LED luminaires in stage, TV and architectural lighting since the Odeon’s most recent transformation in 1998, I’m personally keenly waiting to see how that technology may impact on the scheme.
The “hair’s breadth” shoehorning of two auditoria into the erstwhile Empire cinema hasn’t worked for me and I’ve left the complex with a headache and a stiff neck for the last time!
A cinema operating friend attended the opening of a multiplex near Sheffield earlier this week and was amazed to find he needed to “hold down” his reclining seat to be able to watch the film and avoid staring at the ceiling. Good cinema designers, a dying breed? Feeding required capacities, dimensions, sound systems, air conditioning etc. into a computer model is clearly no substitute for a dedicated designer and his/her team. The computer has a brain but no heart.
My favourite cinema of all with the screen masked for 70mm. A great, nostalgic picture and much appreciated.
Not having seen the original decorative scheme with my own eyes, photographs suggest I might have found the plasterwork and splay wall treatment (apart from the golden ladies) beyond the balcony front a tad over fussy. I realize the 1967 scheme was, and remains, controversial but on my first visit to the Odeon in 1971 I was most impressed. As well as eighteen 2K pageant lanterns creating a dazzling display on the new two-tone red velvet house tabs and silver satin screen tabs, the light box on the circle front also contained six profile spots projecting three overlapping spheres of red, amber and blue on each of the, newly plain, splay walls.
The rather psychedelic vertical design painted on the splay walls for the run of “Funny Lady” and later, raised rolling cloud shapes in maroon and pink were, presumably, to overcome the sweeping plainness of the forward side walls which was disliked by so many.
Rank Theatres Ltd. used the design consultancy, Trevor and Mavis Stone Associates for many Odeon modernisations during the ‘sixties and they worked on the auditorium changes for this theatre in 1967. They were known for their dislike of anything considered over ornate and their love of Strand Electric “Cinemoid” 47 Pink colour gel! In 1964, they found York Odeon with maroon velvet screen curtains with gold satin appliqued stripes near the bottom and lit by red/green/blue footlights. They replaced the curtains with plain silver satin ones and the footlights went in favour of nine 2K pageants mounted on the circle front and all filtered 57 Pink. It did look, literally, dazzlingly “up to date” but, once the dust had settled, the projection team restored a three colour circuit scheme to the powerful new lights and thereafter at least the attractive blending and changing of colours was once more possible.
Odeon Leicester Square had always had a light box on the circle front and the pageant lights there escaped the pink treatment and remained as before, six filtered red, six amber and six blue. Alas, less powerful profile spots replaced the pageants in 1987 and in 1998 the lights were rewired to just one circuit, ill-advisably using several different and unsuitable hues resulting in a dingy effect on the new, grey tabs. Thanks to Chief Engineer, Nigel Wolland, a much warmer and attractive effect was later achieved by the introduction of deep pink colour filters.
Soon it will be all change again as the West End’s last remaining super cinema gets the most fundamental and expensive refurbishment of its history, courtesy of Odeon Cinemas' new parent, AMC. The refurbishment promises important elements of restoration as well as reclining seats, more legroom, more toilet provision and further improvements.