Interesting. I saw Mamma Mia part 2 there – perhaps not the best choice of movie for the Imax experience – but was aware (sat centrally in the back on the last full row) that the bottom corners of the screen could not be seen unless the seat was completely upright. And this was in a near empty auditorium (there were 12 of us watching the film), with no-one sat in front of me.
Unlike L_S_F I am not a connoisseur of big screens – this was the first Imax I have experienced for years – so have little to compare it with. All I can report is that the image was very sharp, and the sound excellent (apart from Brosnan’s singing, but that is another story).
My Hemel cinema memories were at the Odeon on Marlowes which had a massive curved screen – but that was decades ago!
Back then film & developing costs were high. Now I wish I had done more, a lot more, but I had no concept of the scale of the losses that would materialise – particularly in the West End and major cities.
No disrespect was intended from my post – I am hugely appreciative of CF100’s updates (particularly the links to the plans) of the OLS.
BUT, I am also aware of the lazy journalism around, and the fact that this site is the pre-eminent source of cinema history in the UK (if not worldwide), and felt the need to contest the impression that the OLS was the last “super” in which to see a movie.
Indeed it is contestable that the OLS is still in its original form. The cinema has been turned down on at least two occasions for listing because of the myriad of alterations over the years. It will be interesting to see if the Empire (former Carlton and built in conjunction with Paramount) Haymarket, which contains more original features than the OLS (despite sub-division), is successful in the current listing application.
Part of the problem lies with the lack of a succinct definition of the term “super cinema”. We know more-or-less what we mean, but is largely a marketing term, and we now perm any three of the four elements that Terry enumerates. The term itself precedes the 1930’s by around a decade. There is a good case to make that Frank Tugwell’s Futurist at Scarborough, recently shamefully demolished, was the first (opened 27th June 1921), closely followed by Brightons Regent Theatre. Both by any definition were “super cinemas” and were referred as that at the time.
Following there were (amongst many others) the Piccadilly Manchester (1922); the Pavilion Shepherds Bush (1923); the Kensington/Odeon (1926); and the Davis Croydon (1928). It is possible to argue that the “super” peaked in 1930/1 as generally (notable exceptions) the later 1930’s super cinemas tended to be smaller and less luxurious. The 1937 Birmingham Paramount for example was a pale imitation of the Manchester (1930), Newcastle (1931) and Leeds (1932) namesakes, and few matched the four London Astorias (1929/30).
The Rio Dalston by F E Bromige was referred to as a minature “super” and IMO is probably the best place in 2018 London to get the “super” experience. I hope to be proved wrong, but with the reclining seats (why do people need to lie down to watch a film?) I suspect the OLS will look even less like a “super” when it reopens. And I hate the fact that it will prosaically be known as screen 1.
I fully realise that I am a dinosaur who fondly remembers the days of stalls and balcony luxury cinemas (Gaumont Manchester aged around 5), with screen tabs, separate performances, masking and all the other extras which have been junked in most venues. I do find it depressing that the only – I think – place you can now regularly view a film authentically in a large “super” is at the Plaza Stockport which is grade 2* listed.
Incidentally the OLS’s claim to be the largest in Europe was palpably wrong as the Futurist, with 2,155 seats, was operating mainly as a cinema at the time. The fact that at least 1,500 of those seats were rarely occupied for a film did not make it smaller that the OLS!
Erm, I would take issue with “ It is the last “super cinema” still essentially in its original form operated as a cinema in the UK!”
Granted stage entertainments take priority over film at such venues as the Plaza Stockport, but the Rex Berkhamsted; Odyssey (Odeon) St Albans; Rio Dalston; Curzon Mayfair; Picture House Hebden Bridge; Tyneside Newcastle; Picture House Campbeltown; and probably several others can lay claim to being a super-cinema still operating “essentially in its original form”. There is life outside London!
Demolition now sadly well underway – costing £4.2 million – just shy of the Futurists Centenary. Had this money been put into refurbishing the venue the town would have a world-class iconic seafront attraction, but Scarborough Borough Council are an utter disgrace. Some photos of the remains coming down here:–
And another more devasting one:–
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-45570791
Some exterior photos of the Empire from August 2018 here:–
EMPIRE
EMPIRE
EMPIRE
EMPIRE
Some photos taken in August 2018 here:–
EXTERIOR
FOYER
STAGE
AUDITORIUM SIDE VIEW
AUDITORIUM FROM STAGE
Some images of the transformed Storyhouse, taken in August 2018
OLD EXTERIOR
NEW EXTERIOR
ODEON AUDITORIUM
NEW THEATRE AUDITORIUM
STAGE
Some photos from August 2018 here:–
EXTERIOR
AUDITORIUM TOWARDS STAGE
ROOF VOID
AUDITORIUM FROM STAGE
BALLROOM
Photos of the Odeon, taken in August 2018 can be seen here:–
EXTERIOR
SCREEN 2
OLD STAIRS
SCREEN 5
NEW FOYER
A few photos from August 2018 here:–
EXTERIOR
REAR STALLS
VIEW FROM BALCONY
STAGE FROM FRONT STALLS
SPLAY WALL DETAIL FROM BALCONY
Interesting. I saw Mamma Mia part 2 there – perhaps not the best choice of movie for the Imax experience – but was aware (sat centrally in the back on the last full row) that the bottom corners of the screen could not be seen unless the seat was completely upright. And this was in a near empty auditorium (there were 12 of us watching the film), with no-one sat in front of me.
Unlike L_S_F I am not a connoisseur of big screens – this was the first Imax I have experienced for years – so have little to compare it with. All I can report is that the image was very sharp, and the sound excellent (apart from Brosnan’s singing, but that is another story).
My Hemel cinema memories were at the Odeon on Marlowes which had a massive curved screen – but that was decades ago!
Some recent photos of the Odeon Imax Swiss Cottage here:–
EXTERIOR
IMAX SCREEN
IMAX LOGO IN AUDITORIUM
Some images from August 2018, operating as the Gala Club:–
FACADE
REAR – STAGE
AUDITORIUM – SPLAY WALL
UNDER BALCONY PLASTERWORK
AUDITORIUM FROM STAGE
Back then film & developing costs were high. Now I wish I had done more, a lot more, but I had no concept of the scale of the losses that would materialise – particularly in the West End and major cities.
I like the fact that the flags are now named, making it easier to identify the theatres. Not noticed any problems yet.
Some photos from July 2018 here:–
EXTERIOR
BALCONY FOYER
SCREENS 1-2 ENTRANCE
SCREEN 3
MECCA BINGO
No disrespect was intended from my post – I am hugely appreciative of CF100’s updates (particularly the links to the plans) of the OLS.
BUT, I am also aware of the lazy journalism around, and the fact that this site is the pre-eminent source of cinema history in the UK (if not worldwide), and felt the need to contest the impression that the OLS was the last “super” in which to see a movie.
Indeed it is contestable that the OLS is still in its original form. The cinema has been turned down on at least two occasions for listing because of the myriad of alterations over the years. It will be interesting to see if the Empire (former Carlton and built in conjunction with Paramount) Haymarket, which contains more original features than the OLS (despite sub-division), is successful in the current listing application.
Part of the problem lies with the lack of a succinct definition of the term “super cinema”. We know more-or-less what we mean, but is largely a marketing term, and we now perm any three of the four elements that Terry enumerates. The term itself precedes the 1930’s by around a decade. There is a good case to make that Frank Tugwell’s Futurist at Scarborough, recently shamefully demolished, was the first (opened 27th June 1921), closely followed by Brightons Regent Theatre. Both by any definition were “super cinemas” and were referred as that at the time.
Following there were (amongst many others) the Piccadilly Manchester (1922); the Pavilion Shepherds Bush (1923); the Kensington/Odeon (1926); and the Davis Croydon (1928). It is possible to argue that the “super” peaked in 1930/1 as generally (notable exceptions) the later 1930’s super cinemas tended to be smaller and less luxurious. The 1937 Birmingham Paramount for example was a pale imitation of the Manchester (1930), Newcastle (1931) and Leeds (1932) namesakes, and few matched the four London Astorias (1929/30).
The Rio Dalston by F E Bromige was referred to as a minature “super” and IMO is probably the best place in 2018 London to get the “super” experience. I hope to be proved wrong, but with the reclining seats (why do people need to lie down to watch a film?) I suspect the OLS will look even less like a “super” when it reopens. And I hate the fact that it will prosaically be known as screen 1.
I fully realise that I am a dinosaur who fondly remembers the days of stalls and balcony luxury cinemas (Gaumont Manchester aged around 5), with screen tabs, separate performances, masking and all the other extras which have been junked in most venues. I do find it depressing that the only – I think – place you can now regularly view a film authentically in a large “super” is at the Plaza Stockport which is grade 2* listed.
Incidentally the OLS’s claim to be the largest in Europe was palpably wrong as the Futurist, with 2,155 seats, was operating mainly as a cinema at the time. The fact that at least 1,500 of those seats were rarely occupied for a film did not make it smaller that the OLS!
Erm, I would take issue with “ It is the last “super cinema” still essentially in its original form operated as a cinema in the UK!”
Granted stage entertainments take priority over film at such venues as the Plaza Stockport, but the Rex Berkhamsted; Odyssey (Odeon) St Albans; Rio Dalston; Curzon Mayfair; Picture House Hebden Bridge; Tyneside Newcastle; Picture House Campbeltown; and probably several others can lay claim to being a super-cinema still operating “essentially in its original form”. There is life outside London!
Hyperbole is not helpful.
Some photos taken in July 2018 here:–
EXTERIOR
INNER STALLS FOYER
PROSCENIUM & STAGE
AUDITORIUM FROM STAGE
BALCONY
Three photos of the Savoy taken in July 2018
SAVOY FACADE
SAVOY FACADE
SAVOY REAR
A new car park is nearing completion at the side of the Kinema, and groundworks have begun for the third screen. Images of Kinema Too from July 2018:–
KINEMA TOO EXTERIOR
KINEMA TOO AUDITORIUM
Demolition now sadly well underway – costing £4.2 million – just shy of the Futurists Centenary. Had this money been put into refurbishing the venue the town would have a world-class iconic seafront attraction, but Scarborough Borough Council are an utter disgrace. Some photos of the remains coming down here:–
FUTURIST THEATRE
FUTURIST THEATRE
FUTURIST THEATRE
FUTURIST THEATRE
FUTURIST THEATRE
Some images of the Century taken in 2018:–
NEW FOYER
STAGE & SCREEN
REAR AUDITORIUM
TRAILER WHEELS
AUDITORIUM FROM STAGE
A photo from June 2018 here:–
SCALA THEATRE FACADE
Lovely survivor which has now been on bingo for longer than it showed films. Photos from June 2018.
GRAND EXTERIOR
GRAND AUDITORIUM
Eight years since I was last in Nuneaton and little – other than increased vandalism – seems to have happened at the Ritz. Photos from June 2018
RITZ THEATRE
RITZ THEATRE
A photo of screen 18 from 2013 (not sure if the numbering has changed):–
PRINTWORKS AUDITORIUM
Photo from 2018 of the remaining foyer block and shops parade:–
REGENT FACADE