Bill Parker
master brummie
I have just checked. There are 94 companies currently registered now or recently disolved with names beginning "Odeon". There seems to be in many cases two separate companies for each cinema eg Odeon Leicester Square Limited and Odeon Leicester Square Holdings Limited.
For Oscar Deutch to have built up a chain of about 300 cinemas in 10 years, he must have had many different forms of finance for these from outright ownership to outside shareholders to mortages to leases or even just to management contracts for cinemas owned by others.
Hello David, this might help to clear things up a little regarding Oscar Deutsch, I am taking most of this text from "The Dream Palaces of Birmingham" which has quite a large page on him but this is probably the most interesting part.............................
"Oscar had a unique way of financing the construction of his cimemas. Local builders, desparate for work during this difficilu era wouls caccept part payment in shares and in some cases a seat on the board. After complating a section of work, Oscar would borrow money from Eagle Star which he wopuld give to the builder who would then carry on to complete the next section of work. By borrowing more money fron Eagle Star for each section of work, Oscar could have a cinema of his own built wothout actually laying out any of his own money, except a nominal sum. He had ghis own company, Decorative Crafts Ltd, to fit out the cinemas with furnishings and equipment, from which he made a profit."
I think I touched on his ingenious method of financing thse buildings in an earlier post, and as each cinema was a separate limited company they would have had various different investors and directors. In 1939 J Arthur Rank, a flour miller injected further capitol into the circuit. When Oscar dies in 1941 age 48 his wife, Lily, recieved his shares which subssequently passed to J Arthur Rank and there was no further involvement by the Deutsch family. J Arthur Rank also financially aided Gaumont British in 1948 which was going through a tough time.