Odeon Marble Arch
The Odeon Marble Arch is a cinema located opposite Marble Arch monument at the top of Park Lane, with it's main entrance on Edgeware Road, London.
Regal Marble Arch (1928-1964)
The site was first occupied by the Regal openning in 1928. A 100 feet high facade was contructed in Portland Stone. The auditorium was a riot of roman-esque motifs and faux-decor, owing much to the atmospheric style of the USA. Structured in traditional circle and stalls, the cinema was a notable addition to the West-End.
The cinema was re-named Odeon in 1945 and continued as a first-run house. However by the early 1960s it's interior was decidedly faded and neglected. Film-runs had by this point declined to minor circuit pictures or even dubbed foreign films: insufficient to fill it's large house.
The response to this situation was to demolish the cinema and rebuild an ultra modern cinema capable of playing the new widescreen formats in more contemporary surrounds, thus the Odeon was demolished in 1964 to make way for...
Odeon Marble Arch (1967-1997)
Openning in 1967, the Odeon was the largest cinema constructed in the post-war years. The screen, measuring 75 feet by 30 feet, with a depth of curvature of 17 feet, was the largest in the country. Projection was level, beaming from the rear of the stalls, allowing for an even image.
The cinema was constructed to showcase films in the various 70mm processes, as well as conventional 35mm films, allowing for considerable spectable. Presentations included: Far from the Madding Crowd, A Bridge Too Far, Aliens, Die Hard, Return of the Jedi, Lawrence of Arabia and many more.
Seating was 1360 in total, split between spaciously raked circle (front and rear) and stalls (stepped towards the rear). Sight-lines were excellent throughout.
The auditorium was a cavernous space, with textured panelling on both side-walls, with curtained backing. Variable lighting was installed in the outer rim of the ceiling to play different coloured schemes over the walls during intermissions. A single set of tabs (curtains) revealed the immense screen.
Foyer areas were reached via escalator from a ground floor box office.
A somewhat flatter screen was installed following the revival of Lawrence of Arabia to allow for a less distored view of the desert skylines.
Digital sound was installed in the 1990s, including ceiling speakers.
A special screening in 1997 of Richard Attenborough's Gandhi in 70mm an six-track magnetic sound marked the end of the Odeon as a single-screen cinema.
Conversion
In 1997, the cinema was converted into a 5 screen multiplex, within the existing space. The circle was split into two inter-locked screens; rear stalls similarly, with the front stalls now utilising the original screen, albeit somewhat reduced in size to allow for the adjusted sightlines from a much smaller auditorium.
The cinema remains open to this day, although no longer used for showcase presentations.
The Odeon Leceicster Sqaure now remains the only large circle/stalls cinema left in operation in London.
External links
For a complete list of films shown in 70mm: http://www.in70mm.com/library/70mm_in/london.htm