Odeon Leicester Square
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Odeon Leicester Square while having showings of Casino Royale

The Odeon Leicester Square is a cinema which occupies the centre of the eastern side of Leicester Square, London, dominating the Square with its huge black polished granite facade and 120 feet (37 m) high tower displaying its name. Blue neon outlines the exterior of the building at night, making a dramatic presence on the West End. It was built to be the flagship of Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Cinema Circuit and still holds that position to-day. Considered by many to be the most famous cinema in Europe, it hosts numerous European and World film premieres including the annual Royal Film Performance. It is arguably also the most expensive cinema in the world, with tickets for ordinary showings costing GBP13.50 for Stalls, GBP14.50 for Rear Circle and GBP19.00 for Royal Circle however before 2pm Stalls are GBP9.00, Rear Circle is GBP10.00 and GBP14.00 for Royal Circle. Ticket Prices for the Mezzanine Next door are GBP7.50 before 2pm and then GBP9.50 After. Leicester Square Doesnt offer Student Discounts.

Technical Specifications

The Odeon is the largest single screen cinema in the United Kingdom and one of the few with its circle and stalls remaining intact. The cinema is fully equipped to show films in 35mm, 70mm and Digital on a large screen, as well as extensive stage facilities for the occasional live show.

The cinema still has an operating Compton organ, its console lit from within by coloured lighting, and safety curtain detailed in 1930s art-deco motifs.

Two sets of tabs (curtains) are also installed and used for most performances. It houses all major digital sound systems: SDDS, Dolby Digital and DTS. It had the United Kingdom's first wide-screen installed in 1953, and more recently, was the first to have a digital projector installed in 1999.

Seating is approximately 1700 — reduced from nearly 2000 to make way for greater leg-room — with a large circle bar and even 'Royal Retiring Room' for visiting monarchs. Seating is divided between the Royal Circle, Rear Circle and Stalls.

History

The Odeon was built in 1937 on the site of the Alhambra Theatre, a large music hall dating from the 1850s.

Until 1967, the interior was a magnificent art-deco auditorium, with a ribbed ceiling, concealing stripped lighting. Two bas relief sculpture of naked nymphs were positioned on the side walls, as if leaping towards the screen. All the seats were covered in a faux-leopard skin material. A rather misguided modernisation in 1967 destroyed much of this grandeur, although since the 1980s, restoration programmes have restored much of this detail, including the figures, seating pattern and much of the ribbed effect on the ceiling.

The first wide-screen ever installed in Great Britain was fitted in 1953, with the British debut of Cinemascope following soon after with the quasi-biblical epic, The Robe.

The theatre's Chief Engineer, Nigel Wolland, was awarded an MBE for services to the film industry in 2007.¹

Odeon Mezzanine

Tucked next door is the Odeon Mezzanine, containing five much smaller screens, each seating between 50-60 patrons. The site of this "miniplex" was once an alleyway running alongside the main house, until development in 1988 turned into one of London's first mini-plex cinemas.

References

• Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950, John Earl and Michael Sell pp. 128 (Theatres Trust, 2000) ISBN 0-7136-5688-3

Coordinates: 51°30′38″N 0°7′45″W / 51.51056, -0.12917

Odeon Marble Arch for a former large cinema also located in London's West End

External links

• Alhambra Theatre History Archive Material, Information, and Images on the Alhambra Theatre, Leicester Square.

• Leicester Square Webcam - Close up of the Odeon Cinema for film premieres.
• http://www.cinema-organs.org.uk