Cannon Doncaster

Cleveland Street and College Road,
Doncaster, DN1

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Associated British Cinemas Ltd., Cannon Cinemas

Architects: C. 'Jack' Foster, Alan Morgan

Firms: Morgan & Branch

Previous Names: ABC, Movie World

Nearby Theaters

ABC Cinema Doncaster

The ABC was built by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) as a replacement for their Picture House Cinema which had opened in 1914. It opened on 18th May 1967 with Omar Sharif in “Doctor Zhivago” presented in 70mm. It is situated in the middle of the town centre just 5 minutes walk away from Doncaster interchange. Designed with 1,277 seats arranged in a stadium plan by the architectural firm Morgan & Branch, with input by architects C. ‘Jack’ Foster & Alan Morgan. It was decorated in a modern 1960’s style.

Closed in January 1981 for conversion into a triple screen it re-opened on 9th April 1981 with seating in the 3-screens for 477, 201 and 135.

The Cannon Group took control in the mid-1980’s and it was re-named Cannon and it closed on 18th June 1992, screening its opening film “Doctor Zhivago”.

The building has stood empty and unused since then, but in 2007, it was bought by Movie World for just £150,000. It is reputedly being re-modeled with extra screens added, however by 2009, only a clean-up of the interior has been achieved. The building sits empty and unused in 2018.

Contributed by Danny Broome, Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 20 comments)

mike2001
mike2001 on March 21, 2009 at 3:25 pm

wow, remember the photo, ( posted by kenroe,)from an edition af abc film review magazine. many thanks for posting this.

mike2001
mike2001 on June 12, 2009 at 4:03 pm

it may be of interest. This year ( 2009 ) marks the 40th anniversary of the release of, “KES,” Kes was given it’s World Premiere at ABC Doncaster ( later cannon, ) It was quite an evening, one i shall never forget,

mike2001
mike2001 on June 21, 2009 at 9:56 am

An amendment about KES. Although filmed in 1969, KES was only given private press screenings that year. The World Premiere was,on Wednesday March 25th 1970, at ABC DONCASTER, with cast, crew, film studio executives & the Mayors of both Doncaster & Barnsley attending, along with members of the public, who could buy tickets to the event.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore on September 25, 2011 at 2:07 pm

Have load a view from the stage end. just before the grand opening

mike2001
mike2001 on January 23, 2014 at 11:38 am

The area in which the Cinema is situated has now been bought by a property developer, no news as yet on any plans for the cinema though.

yorksdave
yorksdave on August 23, 2016 at 3:06 pm

The property developer is St Modwen, although they have bought the Waterdale area including the cinema, there are as yet no details what they plan to do with it http://www.stmodwen.co.uk/uploads/documents/Waterdale%20Shopping%20Centre.pdf

ritzman
ritzman on August 24, 2016 at 12:16 pm

If it’s the same developer (St. Modwen) that is also supposed to be redeveloping Farnborough (Hampshire) town centre then don’t expect anything to happen anytime soon.

yorksdave
yorksdave on March 1, 2018 at 5:38 pm

I Recently contacted the developer (February 2018) that owns the ABC/Cannon, I asked them of their plans, I received no reply.

yorksdave
yorksdave on July 18, 2018 at 6:54 am

It seems less likely that the cinema will ever reopen, with the news today of a new cinema in the Cultural and Civic Quarter area of Waterdale http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/new-cinema-complex

yorksdave
yorksdave on May 31, 2019 at 4:37 am

Another town centre cinema planned for Doncaster’s Frenchgate Shopping Mall, makes the re-opening of the ABC/Cannon even less likely. https://www.frenchgateshopping.co.uk/whats-on/news/new-cinema-approved-for-frenchgate

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