History
The Bradford Odeon, previously known as The New Victoria Theatre
The New Victoria Theatre in Princes Way, Bradford was built by William Illingworth on the site of William Whittaker's Brewery which closed in 1928. The Theatre was built as a vast ciné-variety Theatre with 3,318 seats on three levels, Stalls, Circle and Balcony, and opened on Monday the 22nd of September 1930. The Theatre had a very large stage with a proscenium opening of 50 foot and a depth of 45 foot, and a moving platform which could deliver an entire orchestra from the back of the stage to the front, and the orchestra pit itself included a Wurlitzer pipe organ on a rising platform. The Theatre also had twelve Dressing Rooms and was capable of staging very large live productions quite apart from its use as a Cinema. The New Victoria also incorporated two flats for management, a restaurant seating over 200 people, and a large and elegant ballroom.
In 1950 the Theatre had a change of name to Gaumont and in 1954 it was fitted for CinemaScope, the first of its kind in Bradford.
In 1969 the Theatre was renamed the Odeon Film Centre when it was subdivided into two large Cinemas, built in the former Circles, and a 1,000 seat Bingo Hall in the former Stalls.
In 1997 the Bingo Hall closed down and the three Cinemas followed suit in 2000 leaving the vast building unoccupied and under threat of demolition. It is now well underway into its restoration.
The main room has now been put back into its natural state and the 2 rooms have now finally become one again, showing the beauty of the original theatre features.
(image taken from google)
The Bradford Odeon, previously known as The New Victoria Theatre
The New Victoria Theatre in Princes Way, Bradford was built by William Illingworth on the site of William Whittaker's Brewery which closed in 1928. The Theatre was built as a vast ciné-variety Theatre with 3,318 seats on three levels, Stalls, Circle and Balcony, and opened on Monday the 22nd of September 1930. The Theatre had a very large stage with a proscenium opening of 50 foot and a depth of 45 foot, and a moving platform which could deliver an entire orchestra from the back of the stage to the front, and the orchestra pit itself included a Wurlitzer pipe organ on a rising platform. The Theatre also had twelve Dressing Rooms and was capable of staging very large live productions quite apart from its use as a Cinema. The New Victoria also incorporated two flats for management, a restaurant seating over 200 people, and a large and elegant ballroom.
In 1950 the Theatre had a change of name to Gaumont and in 1954 it was fitted for CinemaScope, the first of its kind in Bradford.
In 1969 the Theatre was renamed the Odeon Film Centre when it was subdivided into two large Cinemas, built in the former Circles, and a 1,000 seat Bingo Hall in the former Stalls.
In 1997 the Bingo Hall closed down and the three Cinemas followed suit in 2000 leaving the vast building unoccupied and under threat of demolition. It is now well underway into its restoration.
The main room has now been put back into its natural state and the 2 rooms have now finally become one again, showing the beauty of the original theatre features.
(image taken from google)
