This cinema originally opened in 1888 as the Alhambra Opera House and Music Hall, designed by the architect Frank Matchum. It was renamed the Palladium Theatre in 1911. In April 1935 it was taken over by Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Theatres Ltd, and renamed the Odeon Cinema. A new facade in Art Deco style was designed by Andrew Mather. The new name only lasted two years however, as with the opening of a new Odeon cinema on West Street, it reverted back to the Palladium. It closed in 1956, and the building was demolished in 1963.
The Odeon cinema chain was founded in 1930 by Oscar Deutsch. During the 1930s, it grew to become one of the country’s major circuits of cinemas, alongside Gaumont and Associated British Cinemas. The first five Odeon cinemas opened in 1933, and by 1936 there were 142 across the country.
Odeon was a style-leader in cinema design, with extensive use of German inspired, highly streamlined, Modernist design. Deutsch was a pioneer in the use of architectural design and set out to create a readily-recognisable corporate image for the company’s cinemas. Although each Odeon was unique, the use of a range of architectural devices meant that most of the cinemas were instantly recognisable as Odeons, with their distinctive Modernist style. The slogan, ‘Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation’ was also synonymous with the brand.
The principal architects for Odeon were Harry Weedon, Cecil Clavering, and Robert Bullivant, although some cinemas in the chain were designed by other architects. In 1935 Odeon commissioned John Maltby to photograph the exteriors and interiors of their cinemas, and the resulting collection of images are now held by the Historic England Archive.
This is part of the Collection: MAL02 John Maltby
© Historic England Archive
Photographer: Maltby, John
Art Deco, Cinema, Leisure And Recreation
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