Odeon Cinema, Gold Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire
Originally the Victoria Hall, the building became the Victoria Picture House in 1920, then an Odeon Cinema in 1936. It is seen here advertising Eddie Cantor in 'Strike Me Pink'. It closed in 1960, became a bingo hall, and was demolished in 1974 for a shopping center. 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.
