Jump to content

Odeon Cinema - Flat Street


flyingpig

Recommended Posts

Guest transit

The Odeon Flat Street

Can anyone remember "Herbie" - the white Volkswagon Beetle - on display on the forecourt advertising the film in which it starred? It had the bonnet open revealing a red velvet mouth with a full set of teeth! ( engine was at the back ) An amazing sight to youngsters at the time, causing large crowds. Must have been around 1969 /70 around the time the first "Herbie" film came out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Picture was taken in 1964 notice the ' Double Bill ' of films which was normal at the time unlike today where you usually get just the one feature and a load of ads.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love pictures like this - they tell us so much

Look at the road sign to Newark too !

Fancy being signposted for Newark at that particular part of Sheffield City Centre

Bizarre...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest lesvegas

How much does the woman in white look like 'bet' out of Coronation Street ?

Bjork is on the far left!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember going to see The Sound of Music at the old Odeon on Flat Street, which last time I was in the area had been reincarnated as Mecca Bingo.

It was a full family outing for us - My little gran, mum, sister & myself. Mum had brought a flask of tea and gran rustled up some sandwiches - you wouldn't get past the doors of a modern cinema with your packing up these days!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember going to see The Sound of Music at the old Odeon on Flat Street, which last time I was in the area had been reincarnated as Mecca Bingo.

It was a full family outing for us - My little gran, mum, sister & myself. Mum had brought a flask of tea and gran rustled up some sandwiches - you wouldn't get past the doors of a modern cinema with your packing up these days!

I think that was the only film I ever saw at The Odeon.

Wasn't The Odean the shortest lived cinema in Sheffield?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest tsavo

I think it was. There was a large Mural in the Foyer by Joe Scarborough who worked as a doorman there. He offered to sell me a painting in the 60s, but as it wasn't a seascape I passed on that. If only....! :unsure: :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Couple more of the Odeon first one taken in 1957.

second seems to be around 1971.

They showed some top class films there :)

Pictures from Mawgrims World

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that was the only film I ever saw at The Odeon.

Wasn't The Odean the shortest lived cinema in Sheffield?

According to The Cinemas of Sheffield website The Olympia Electric Palace,

Bramhall Lane lasted as a cinema for 3 weeks. So this may hold the record as shortest lived.

This was back in 1911 mind!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick answer....yes. What an end for a great cinema.

Sorry to drag this back to the top again, been away for a while...

I saw Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Sound of Music and Oliver (I think) in the Odeon.

Last time I walked past the top door a fat bouncer was having a *** outside and you could hear 3 and 9 the Siegfried Line booming out from inside...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Odeon became The Top Rank Club in (I'm sure) 1971 (as I worked there!). If I recall there was a day when a huge crane arrived and removed the projectors and equipment that was sold to a company in India. The place thrived every day after the change but I've no idea of what happened to it after 1973 as I moved away. Those were the days (as they say!)

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest plain talker

I think it was. There was a large Mural in the Foyer by Joe Scarborough who worked as a doorman there. He offered to sell me a painting in the 60s, but as it wasn't a seascape I passed on that. If only....! :unsure::unsure:

hi, tsavo, coming in a bit late here, but you may be mixing up the two "Odeons" in the city centre (three if you count the one that now occupies the former fiesta building.)

The Odeon which had/ has the Joe Scarborough Mural is the red scaffolding -and-glass monstrosity, sited in Barkers Pool, on the site of the old Gaumont, (next to Coles/ John Lewis) It's now some sort of nightclub, IIRC.

The Odeon referred to here, (Pictures above) is the one down on Flat Street, opposite the old Central GPO.

I STR it was only in operation as a cinema for approx nine years, I am not sure if the other Odeon in Barkers Pool was as short-lived as a cinema?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely right, Plain Talker, the mural was at the "Barkers Pool Odeon"! Joe Scarborough was, of course, a doorman at the "Original Odeon in Flat Street sometime in the mid 60s.

PS. Welcome to SH!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest tsavo

The Odeon, Flat St. -

Although work on building the Odeon commenced in 1939, the outbreak of war soon delayed this for the duration. It would be 16 years later that building would restart. The Odeon finally on 16th july, 1956. The original pre-war design was changed and externally, a rustic brick facing applied. The foyer was of an unusual design rising to half the building's height with a huge advertising display above the canopy.

Internally, the auditorium was unusually wide and a continuous coving linked the walls and ceiling. Seating was provided for 2340 patrons with 816 circle seats.

Projection equipment was installed for the 70mm film format. Among these long running large screen presentations were, South Pacific*, Cleapatra** and The Sound of Music.***

The Odeon closed for film presentations on the 5th June, 1971. It still remains a bingo hall.

* IMDB review for South Pacific: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052225/

** IMDB review for Cleopatra: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056937/

*** IMDB review for The Sound of Music: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Odeon, Flat St. -

Although work on building the Odeon commenced in 1939, the outbreak of war soon delayed this for the duration. It would be 16 years later that building would restart. The Odeon finally on 16th july, 1956. The original pre-war design was changed and externally, a rustic brick facing applied. The foyer was of an unusual design rising to half the building's height with a huge advertising display above the canopy.

Internally, the auditorium was unusually wide and a continuous coving linked the walls and ceiling. Seating was provided for 2340 patrons with 816 circle seats.

Projection equipment was installed for the 70mm film format. Among these long running large screen presentations were, South Pacific*, Cleapatra** and The Sound of Music.***

The Odeon closed for film presentations on the 5th June, 1971. It still remains a bingo hall.

* IMDB review for South Pacific: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052225/

** IMDB review for Cleopatra: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056937/

*** IMDB review for The Sound of Music: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/

The former Odeon Cinema.Photo taken from the circle showing the wide proscenium arch.The circle has now been shut off from the rest of the building with a false ceiling placed just above stalls level to give a more compact space for the bingo players!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest abcman

The former Odeon Cinema.Photo taken from the circle showing the wide proscenium arch.The circle has now been shut off from the rest of the building with a false ceiling placed just above stalls level to give a more compact space for the bingo players!

On Sunday 3rd October 2010 it will be exactly 45 years since 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC' started its 16 month run at the Sheffield Flat Street Odeon.

Where HAVE all those years gone.

Here is a photo of the old projection room at the Odeon (taken on 11th Nov.2010) where all those great films were shown.My last visit to this projection room was 41 years ago when the film 'Oliver' was being shown.It was quite a nostalgic visit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On Sunday 3rd October 2010 it will be exactly 45 years since 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC' started its 16 month run at the Sheffield Flat Street Odeon.

Where HAVE all those years gone.

It doesn't seem possible, does it Ab ??? Where indeed did 45 years go ??

It seems like only yesterday that I first saw it at the Odeon. I can remember the front of house displays, the programme sellers,etc,etc.

If you're a fan, you may like to treat yourself to the new 45th Anniversary "Sound of Music" Gift Box from Amazon.

This is due out next month (in the USA) and as well as the movie on Blu-Ray, you also get a repro of the original Souvenir Brochure (which I still have anyway!), several doccumentaries, postcards, a full colour hard-back book and a musical box that plays "My Favourite Things"

Go on - spoil yourself !

Just for the record, the other films showing in Sheffield that week were:

"Darling" - at the A.B.C

"What's New Pussycat?" - at the Gaumont

...and a double bill at the Classic

By the way, next Sunday - October 10th is the 45th Anniversary of the Sheffield Premiere of the other big musical of that year - "My Fair Lady".

It ran at the A.B.C. for 12 weeks, until January 1st, 1966.

Everyone expected this movie to be the one that did the business that "Sound of Music" ended up doing, and Jack Warner was more than a little miffed when it didn't!

It was still a big, popular hit though and made a lot of money for Warners.

But 20th Century Fox made a whole heap more !

MY F L SH AD0001.bmp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest abcman

It doesn't seem possible, does it Ab ??? Where indeed did 45 years go ??

It seems like only yesterday that I first saw it at the Odeon. I can remember the front of house displays, the programme sellers,etc,etc.

If you're a fan, you may like to treat yourself to the new 45th Anniversary "Sound of Music" Gift Box from Amazon.

This is due out next month (in the USA) and as well as the movie on Blu-Ray, you also get a repro of the original Souvenir Brochure (which I still have anyway!), several doccumentaries, postcards, a full colour hard-back book and a musical box that plays "My Favourite Things"

Go on - spoil yourself !

Just for the record, the other films showing in Sheffield that week were:

"Darling" - at the A.B.C

"What's New Pussycat?" - at the Gaumont

...and a double bill at the Classic

By the way, next Sunday - October 10th is the 45th Anniversary of the Sheffield Premiere of the other big musical of that year - "My Fair Lady".

It ran at the A.B.C. for 12 weeks, until January 1st, 1965.

Everyone expected this movie to be the one that did the business that "Sound of Music" ended up doing, and Jack Warner was more than a little miffed when it didn't!

It was still a big, popular hit though and made a lot of money for Warners.

But 20th Century Fox made a whole heap more !

MY F L SH AD0001.bmp

Hi S24

You beat me to it. My next posting was going to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the opening of 'My Fair Lady' at the ABC Cinema,Angel Street,Sheffield.

I remember going to see it there on December 27th 1965 (Matinee) I had already seen 'The Sound Of Music' in August 1965 at The Brighton Regent on a wet afternoon and fell in love with it. I subsequently saw it many times at the Sheffield Odeon then in Doncaster,Rotherham,London,the Gaumont in Sheffield (after twinning) at least twice,Mexborough (my local at the time) and elsewhere as when I was a cinema manager with ABC, it seemed to turn up with regularity at holiday times so I would sneak in to watch my favourite bits.(things!) I have spent many holidays in and around Salzburg so have seen the original locations many times - I not only fell in love with the film but also the country of Austria. The new DVD sounds like a 'must have'. I too have both the original British film brochure and the American one which is a slightly expanded version. In 1976 I went to the London Palladium to see Julie Andrews live in concert and it still remains my most magical evening in the theatre.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My next posting was going to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the opening of 'My Fair Lady' at the ABC Cinema,Angel Street,Sheffield.

Did they show "My Fair Lady" in

"Hhartford, Hhereford and Hhampshire"?

Where, unlike in Sheffield on 16 February 1962,

"Hhurricanes Hhardly Hhappen"

lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi S24

You beat me to it. My next posting was going to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the opening of 'My Fair Lady' at the ABC Cinema,Angel Street,Sheffield.

I remember going to see it there on December 27th 1965 (Matinee) I had already seen 'The Sound Of Music' in August 1965 at The Brighton Regent on a wet afternoon and fell in love with it. I subsequently saw it many times at the Sheffield Odeon then in Doncaster,Rotherham,London,the Gaumont in Sheffield (after twinning) at least twice,Mexborough (my local at the time) and elsewhere as when I was a cinema manager with ABC, it seemed to turn up with regularity at holiday times so I would sneak in to watch my favourite bits.(things!) I have spent many holidays in and around Salzburg so have seen the original locations many times - I not only fell in love with the film but also the country of Austria. The new DVD sounds like a 'must have'. I too have both the original British film brochure and the American one which is a slightly expanded version. In 1976 I went to the London Palladium to see Julie Andrews live in concert and it still remains my most magical evening in the theatre.

Sorry I pinched your next posting Ab...... we went to see "My Fair Lady" at the first opportunity - Sunday, 10th October,1965. After all, we had been waiting eight years to see it.

The original Broadway cast LP had been played many times in our house since the show opened in 1956. Indeed, I don't think there were many households in the Western World that didn't have a copy of that album!

We weren't disappointed. Loved the film then, and still do.

I don't think I shall be bothering with the projected remake...do you?

I was lucky enough to see Julie Andrews in the late 80's. This was at the Royal Festival Hall, where she did a Christmas concert with Andre Previn and the LSO.

They did most of the stuff from their RCA Christmas album and it was magical.

She still had her voice then, and was in great form.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did they show "My Fair Lady" in

"Hhartford, Hhereford and Hhampshire"?

Where, unlike in Sheffield on 16 February 1962,

"Hhurricanes Hhardly Hhappen"

lol

I'm sure they did Dave.......and I think they showed it on that Plain, down in Spain too !lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...