Odeon Cinemas: Marble Arch.

If you have visited this cinema and would like to say a few words about it to be posted here, please e-mail me.

Not much to look at from the outside, but yes, I certainly had a thing for this cinema. A once huge, fabulous cinema is now a... five in one. Oh dear. Screen one seats just 254... oh dear.

One day I will awake from the nightmare to see this theatre restored to the beautiful 'picture palace' it once was, with that gorgeous curved screen. I used to sit in the balcony and literally take in the view.

I would especially like to hear from anyone who remembers this cinema before they chopped it up.

This from CC: 'John wrote that the Odeon Marble Arch replaced the Regal Marble Arch. Is he sure that's true? If so when did it change its name? 
 
I remember going to the original Odeon throughout the 1950's and it was always known as that and just a few days ago a friend came across the Cinema listings in the West End for 1948 and the Odeon Marble Arch was advertised.
 
Is he getting it mixed up with the Regal Harrow Road? This was an ABC Cinema, which was situated just by Edgware Rd/Harrow Rd. It is now part of the site of the Metropole Hotel.'

'The site was first occupied by the Regal, opening in 1928. A 100 foot high facade was constructed in Portland Stone. The auditorium was a riot of romanesque motifs and faux-decor, owing much to the atmospheric style of the USA. Structured in traditional circle and stalls, the cinema was a notable addition to the West End.

The cinema was renamed Odeon in 1945 and continued as a first-run house. However by the early 1960s its interior was decidedly faded and neglected. Film-runs had by this point declined to minor circuit pictures or even dubbed foreign films: insufficient to fill its large house.

The response to this situation was to demolish the cinema and rebuild an ultra modern cinema capable of playing the new widescreen formats in more contemporary surrounds, thus the Odeon was demolished in 1964 to make way for Odeon Marble Arch (1967-1997).

Conversion (1997 to present day). In 1997, the cinema was converted into a 5 screen multiplex, within the existing space. The circle was split into two inter-locked screens; rear stalls similarly, with the front stalls now utilising the original screen, albeit somewhat reduced in size to allow for the adjusted sightlines from a much smaller auditorium.

The cinema remains open to this day, although no longer used for showcase presentations.'

Source: Wikipedia.

This from John: 'I used to always try to go to the Odeon Marble Arch for 70mm films, as the screen was so large, and in its earlier days had quite a deep curve (trying to emulate Cinerama).

I was very disappointed when the theatre became a multi-screen. Don't forget that this cinema building replaced the original Regal Marble Arch.'

This from Richie Long: 'I have such fond memories of this place! When I was 16, I desperately wanted to see Aliens in 70mm there,and because I looked about 12, I got dressed up in my confirmation suit which was 180% acrylic and went there spouting all sorts of nonsense at the desk about how I had been at the stock exchange all morning and lost zillions and needed to get away from it all.

The thrill of getting in and seeing that film in that huge auditorium with that sound, far out weighed the fact that I was sweating like Gary Glitter on Sesame Street in my hideous blue suit.

Its making into a five screen is as tragic as the recent loss of the Bond stage at Pinewood.'

This from Bob Skinner: 'Yes I remember it well when it was ‘A Barn.’ What a fantastic place.  

Luckily my work in the 70’s took me there almost daily as I was the print manager for Hemdale Film Distributors and we played almost all of our films in this cinema. The Chief was Alan Beatty, the Second Michael Wernnot, (query spelling) and they had 2 other projectionists by the names of Fred and Terry.

Alan eventually gave it up and retired to Telford, Michael took over the Chief position at Odeon Haymarket, Fred moved to Odeon West End (or as I know it the Leicester Square Theatre), and Terry left and went to live in Ashford.  

Wonderful screen, the D150 was superb when we saw CE3K as was HELLO DOLLY.'

'Wasn’t we all devastated going multi-screen? But had it not gone to Multi it would have closed and we would have lost another cinema, in it’s last few years it was taking something like £3000 a month, although STARGATE did manage £22000 in its first week.

I’ve been in Screen 1 which of course looks a little like the old place, and a few days ago I saw WAR OF WORLDS in one of the smaller screens, but I could have been anywhere.

Ah! The old place was just superb, the D150 screen, projection box in the stalls, and everyone in the film industry who used to visit always sat in front of the box as the screen was upright, and from the circle the scope screen would look as if it was falling away at the sides, I was lucky enough to be working for Hemdale Film Dist (yes, met David Hemmings several times as he was co Managing Director), and we put most of our films into the OMA, be they first or second run West End. We had a Sunday premiere there of HUGO THE HIPPO with under privileged kids being the audience – Robert Morley, Diana Dors and loads of stars were there. I was also Hemdale’s print manager so had to rehearse the prints with the Chief Projectionist - in fact I was up there so much I started to drop in when they were rehearsing other renters films. One day they were running one of the new Bond films and I was made welcome, given a mug of coffee, a doughnut, and the print manager from United Artists was told to be quiet and not comment on ‘HIS’ film – all good light-hearted banter which is sadly lacking today.

Sorry, Chris, I could go on and on about this cinema. I got to know all the staff, was made welcome each time I walked in, sat with the projection boys in their rest room at lunchtime, went into the box for the first show and watched them start up sitting at one of the portholes just waiting for that shaft of brilliant light to hit that big screen, yes, and the hairs on back of neck always stood up - For anyone who doesn’t know the place they wouldn’t understand would they?

Still, at least we still have it and it’s not been demolished and an office block put up – if I get into Screen 1 I just look at the front side wall, the screen, close my eyes and remember.'

This from David Slack: 'The Odeon Marble Arch cinema was built to accommodate the Dimension-150, (D150), process, hence the huge 75 ft wide screen. It opened with the first of only two true D150 films, 'The Bible-In The Beginning'. 'Patton - Lust for Glory' was the second film. Of course other 70mm films were shown too.'

This from Anders: 'I saw Robocop on special preview there. I then saw the remake of Star Wars after the chop-up. I complained to the manager about the sound.'

www.odeon.co.uk