Odeon Cinema, Blackburn, Lancashire
The Theatre Royal, opened in 1818 was rebuilt several times, becoming the Theatre Royal Super Cinema in 1931. It was gutted and reopened as the Cinema Royal in 1938. The cinema closed in 1967 and was demolished for town center redevelopment. The Odeon cinema company was founded in 1930 by Oscar Deutsch. During the 1930s, it grew to become one of the country’s major chains of cinemas. The first five Odeon cinemas opened in 1933, and by 1936 there were 142 across the country. Although each Odeon was unique, the use of a set range of architectural features meant that most of the cinemas were instantly recognisable as an 'Odeon', with their distinctive Modernist style. The slogan, ‘Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation’ (ODEON) was also synonymous with the brand.
