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Kingstanding Odeon

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
This cinema deserves a thread of its own being one of the best surviving Odeons. Background information is here http://www.modernistbritain.co.uk/post/building/Odeon+Cinema+Kingstanding/

And to start this thread off what better way than to show some of the youngsters who went there in the 1930s. The Odeon Children’s Circle ready for a day trip to Castle Brom Aerodrome. Image dated July 1937. Viv.

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THE ODEON KINGSTANDING
Located in Kingstanding, a district near Sutton Coldfield to the north of Birmingham, the Odeon stands on a prominent site at the intersection of several roads. The Odeon opened on 22nd July 1935 with Gary Cooper in "Lives of a Bengal Lancer". The exterior of the building is considered to be a quintessential Art Deco ‘Odeon’ style. There are rounded corners a central bay which is covered with cream faiance tiles and a slender vertical fin-tower, which originally had letters on top, horizontally spelling out ‘CINEMA’.

Seating was provided in a semi-stadium plan, with the circle having virtually no overhang to the stalls. There were 968 seats in the stalls and 324 in the circle. The ceiling had square Art Deco style light fittings, but was otherwise plain, as were the side-walls apart from a few decorative grilles.

The Odeon closed on 1st December 1962 with the 1955 film; Audie Murphy in "To Hell and Back". It was converted into a Top Rank Bingo Club, which today is a Mecca Bingo Club.

The Odeon is a Grade II Listed building
 

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I have the following images first is the opening ceremony (?)- no date, they had been stuck in an album and I cannot see the writing on the back, I also have your second and third interior shots then two of the exterior more modern, well 1976 .
 

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That reminds me - in the 1970's there used to be a regular Army careers event, tanks, armoured vehicle and guns - it used to park all around the front and I am sure it was there for the week.
It stopped and the rumour was that they didn't put track protecters on the tanks and ripped up the tarmac !!
 
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