Odeon West Hartlepool

81-89 Raby Road,
Hartlepool, TS26

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Odeon Theatres Ltd., Rank Organisation, Thompson's Enterprises Ltd.

Architects: Thomas Ridley Milburn, William Milburn

Styles: Art Deco

Previous Names: Majestic Cinema

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News About This Theater

Interior on opening

This Art Deco style building has two very attractive bass relief panels on the façade over the entrance. Located close to town centre at the corner of Raby Road and York Road, it was built for independent operators, opening on 27th July 1936 as the Majestic Cinema. It was equipped with a British Thomson-Houston(BTH) sound system. On 22nd November 1943 it was taken over by the Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd. On 2nd April 1945 it was re-named Odeon. It was closed by the Rank Organisation as the Odeon Cinema on 24th October 1981.

It was converted into a bingo club. From the mid-1990’s it became Ceasar’s Palace nightclub and Jo Pools bars and they were closed in around 2002. The building remained, closed and un-used and was destroyed by a massive fire on early-morning 6th October 2024.

In 1992 the Odeon was designated a Grade II Listed building by English Heritage.

Contributed by James Nielsen

Recent comments (view all 28 comments)

jen750
jen750 on October 6, 2009 at 12:04 pm

I took some photographs of the Odeon today and it’s still in a very sorry state. A friend of mine recently commented that when Caesars Palace was open there was three inches of pigeon excrement on the window ledge of the kitchen where food was being prepared. How did the health department not notice it?

jbn6773
jbn6773 on March 2, 2010 at 10:03 am

Recently, an engineer from Hartlepool Borough Council has visited the Odeon to carry out an external inspection following reports that part of a wall was showing signs of bulging and loose bricks. Whilst no action has been taken to date, the owners have been advised. The building is still a priority on the council ‘grot-spot’ list of buildings, however problems on agreeing a price have so far put off any offers to redevelop the site. Over 28 years since it ended its cinema life, its deterioration is becoming more evident.

jbn6773
jbn6773 on March 25, 2010 at 4:56 pm

The footpath along the facade of the Odeon has recently been closed off with barriers running the full length of the building and also behind the shops and South west corner (Near fire escape). Further to the post of March 2nd, it appears that some structural problems may be the cause. The exterior walls are showing signs of damp ingress, with mould appearing in various places. Whether the council enforce the owners to carry out remedial repairs will have to be seen.

jbn6773
jbn6773 on June 27, 2010 at 7:34 pm

Hartlepool Borough Council have now boarded off parts of the footpath around the former Odeon building, namely areas at both corners where the large glass tiled windows are located. It has been reported pieces of masonary have been falling, so the council have acted to protect passing members of the public. The owners have been asked to carry out remedial work and find a use for the building. See article below from Hartlepool Mail:
View link

Britannia
Britannia on August 30, 2011 at 1:33 am

As of August 2011, the building’s future is looking increasingly bleak. The owners have had a responsibility to ensure the future of this once ‘majestic" building but have chosen to ignore that custodianship. I do feel that Hartlepool council has to shoulder at lest part of the blame for the disgraceful state of the building. Enforcement orders on maintenence and repairs have been slow in being issued.This has allowed time for decay to set in.Ovne cannot help but think that a bunch of five yerar olds could have done a better job of ensuring the future of this leviathon for future generations…….

Britannia
Britannia on August 30, 2011 at 1:34 am

My apologies for one or two typing errors there….

jbn6773
jbn6773 on September 14, 2011 at 6:19 pm

Hartlepool Council have started emergency repair works to the Odeon, with the Young Street elevation of the building now covered in scaffolding. The council have been forced to act after the owners carried out inadequate work following falling masonry from the windows at top level and the curved windows on the corner of the building. The repairs are expected to cost in the region of £20,000 which the council plans to claim back from its owners. Some of the doorways added to allow fire escape from Joe Pools & Caesars Palace have also been boarded up by the council, as the doors were starting to decay.

terry
terry on June 24, 2016 at 4:27 pm

Image uploaded.

jbn6773
jbn6773 on May 19, 2023 at 4:10 pm

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/politics/council/new-plans-unveiled-to-bulldoze-and-transform-site-of-derelict-hartlepool-cinema-4146563

greywer
greywer on October 6, 2024 at 6:20 am

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24632811.hartlepool-cinema-fire-live-york-road-odeon-blaze-updates/?ref=ebbn&nid=1458&u=5fb864a2ed1948f0ab961a2efdb9a957&date=061024

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