Odeon North Watford

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Taken on: May 5, 2022

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1937 was the year Eugene Mollo decided to bring his concept of cinema interiors to a more modern approach. The Odeon North Watford and Gaumont Carshalton were two of the first cinemas included, above is an interior photograph of the Odeon auditorium and screen curtains designed by Mollo. Both of these new cinemas had followed a controversial article written by Mollo in January 1937 entitled ‘Conception of Cinema Interiors’ which stated that lighting up the cinema interior by hanging a sort of roundabout of twisted metal and glass is not aesthetically desirable. The Odeon North Watford opened its doors on 27th November 1937 focusing attention towards the screen with all lighting concealed. Of course such a statement made publicly must have upset some lighting manufactures such as Pride Ltd of Clapham who specialised in making what Mollo disliked. However, the tide was turning with others following Mollo’s lead into the boom year of 1938.

Ron Knee