Odeon/Classic Cinema
A photo of the property during it's time as an Odeon, which lasted 30 years.
The cinema opened as an Odeon on 2nd September 1937 with a showing of 'It's a Grand Old World,' featuring Sandy Powell. Built as one of the original Odeon's in the chain began by Oscar Deutsch, it had seating provided for 1084 in the stalls and 476 in the circle. The building boasts a stunning Moderne style exterior which includes a rare projectionist's walkway, most of which is deterioriated today. After thirty years of use, the cinema was taken over by the Classic Cinemas chain in 1967, but only for nine years, and shut in 1976 with a final showing of Kenneth Williams in 'Carry On Behind.' Part of the reason for the cinema's closure relates to it's less than prime location in Morecambe as it away from the tourist going centre.
The building has been occupied with lower level companies every since, including DIY and furniture shops. The current owner is Homemakers 1st Shop. With the building not being listed, the interior has been allowed to deteriorate above the shop, sealed off by drop down ceilings. Nevertheless, the current user stores stock in almost every room upstairs, including the circle.
It was pouring with rain on our visit, so there was no point getting a wet long exposure. Here is a photo of the building with it's second most recent owner.
I had been eyeing up this theatre for around a year, after street view searching for some '50s offices' supposedly vacant, I passed this and planned to have a closer look later on. Outside the building is up there with my favourite looking cinemas, with it's curving green and white tiles and typical Odeon tower. With the occupants in the lower floors, it definitely wasn't going to be simple going and also not for the day time. Finally a couple months ago, me and @The Excursionists went to inspect and although difficult, it went more or less to plan with our finding of an entry after a while aimlessly stumbling around a spider infested loft space. Although the night in question wouldn't be our successful visit, it left us with a lot of promise, as clearly no-one had entered some sections for years.
This month we returned with much more anticipation as well as @little_ boy_explores who couldn't resist a cinema as such, despite his 7am job interview the following day. Everything went swimmingly, and soon enough we had found ourselves in the circle. Although it was full of what seemed like random items, the ceiling details were nice as well as the gold circles on the soundproof walls that joined the hall to the projector space.
Looking up to the top of the cinema from the lower levels. Nowadays, this would be the shop floor.
Today, the front of the stage is blocked by a fibreglass wall, and no seats remain.
Closeup of the huge light fittings.
The doors in the cinema were one of the most interesting parts left, personally. These would take the visitor into the top level of the foyer.
These details at the back of the hall are original and kept well over the years.
Ashtrays and carpet.
We didn't expect to see any remnants of the stage at all, but moving bits of the fibre glass apart reveals what is still intact today. I wonder if the gold side details have been saved in the shop below.
In full.
Now.
We had our highest hopes for the projector room, hoping that the store was unable to get there, or might have just sealed it off since it closed as a cinema. It was disappointing to say the least that there was minimal items inside of old, but the architecture was quite nice with the light fittings, and an old electrical circuit at the side.
An old photo showing the projector room. The left wall circuit is exactly the same today.
More modern photos of the projectors changing over time.
How it appears today. You might start to see a theme of these boxes.
The electrical circuit.
A plaque at the top of the circuit, showing it's heritage.
Various features around the projector room.
To be continued.
A photo of the property during it's time as an Odeon, which lasted 30 years.
The cinema opened as an Odeon on 2nd September 1937 with a showing of 'It's a Grand Old World,' featuring Sandy Powell. Built as one of the original Odeon's in the chain began by Oscar Deutsch, it had seating provided for 1084 in the stalls and 476 in the circle. The building boasts a stunning Moderne style exterior which includes a rare projectionist's walkway, most of which is deterioriated today. After thirty years of use, the cinema was taken over by the Classic Cinemas chain in 1967, but only for nine years, and shut in 1976 with a final showing of Kenneth Williams in 'Carry On Behind.' Part of the reason for the cinema's closure relates to it's less than prime location in Morecambe as it away from the tourist going centre.
The building has been occupied with lower level companies every since, including DIY and furniture shops. The current owner is Homemakers 1st Shop. With the building not being listed, the interior has been allowed to deteriorate above the shop, sealed off by drop down ceilings. Nevertheless, the current user stores stock in almost every room upstairs, including the circle.
It was pouring with rain on our visit, so there was no point getting a wet long exposure. Here is a photo of the building with it's second most recent owner.
I had been eyeing up this theatre for around a year, after street view searching for some '50s offices' supposedly vacant, I passed this and planned to have a closer look later on. Outside the building is up there with my favourite looking cinemas, with it's curving green and white tiles and typical Odeon tower. With the occupants in the lower floors, it definitely wasn't going to be simple going and also not for the day time. Finally a couple months ago, me and @The Excursionists went to inspect and although difficult, it went more or less to plan with our finding of an entry after a while aimlessly stumbling around a spider infested loft space. Although the night in question wouldn't be our successful visit, it left us with a lot of promise, as clearly no-one had entered some sections for years.
This month we returned with much more anticipation as well as @little_ boy_explores who couldn't resist a cinema as such, despite his 7am job interview the following day. Everything went swimmingly, and soon enough we had found ourselves in the circle. Although it was full of what seemed like random items, the ceiling details were nice as well as the gold circles on the soundproof walls that joined the hall to the projector space.
Looking up to the top of the cinema from the lower levels. Nowadays, this would be the shop floor.
Today, the front of the stage is blocked by a fibreglass wall, and no seats remain.
Closeup of the huge light fittings.
The doors in the cinema were one of the most interesting parts left, personally. These would take the visitor into the top level of the foyer.
These details at the back of the hall are original and kept well over the years.
Ashtrays and carpet.
We didn't expect to see any remnants of the stage at all, but moving bits of the fibre glass apart reveals what is still intact today. I wonder if the gold side details have been saved in the shop below.
In full.
Now.
We had our highest hopes for the projector room, hoping that the store was unable to get there, or might have just sealed it off since it closed as a cinema. It was disappointing to say the least that there was minimal items inside of old, but the architecture was quite nice with the light fittings, and an old electrical circuit at the side.
An old photo showing the projector room. The left wall circuit is exactly the same today.
More modern photos of the projectors changing over time.
How it appears today. You might start to see a theme of these boxes.
The electrical circuit.
A plaque at the top of the circuit, showing it's heritage.
Various features around the projector room.
To be continued.
