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Gallery- June/July 2005

LOUGHBOROUGH CINEMAS Part two

by Mervyn Gould

Important Note:

All text and photographs herein are copyright to Mervyn Gould. Permission is hereby granted to the Mercia Cinema Society only to use this compilation as a web-site monthly gallery. No-one else may use any item without the express permission of the copyright holder.

(Some photos & images will resolve to a larger screen size when clicked)

Based on Loughborough's stage & screen available from the society.

LOUGHBOROUGH Cinemas – Part 2

ODEON THEATRE

At the same time that the New Empire was being built, on the other side of the town centre another 30s super-cinema was rising on a site that had held the old General Post Office.

Oscar Deutsch, a Birmingham businessman, wanted to build a chain of cinemas, with one in the High Street of every town of 25,000 in the country, economically, and quickly. The sweeping art deco lines of the Odeon interiors were practical as well as stylish and sophisticated —they were cheap to construct, easy to maintain, and did not harbour dust. Deutsch did not favour the enormous size of some schemes. Though the largest purpose-built Odeon was Blackpool (just over 3,000), and the smallest Stafford (about 980), the majority of his auditoria seated between 1400 and 1800, with Loughborough neatly in the middle of this. They provided luxury and comfort in tasteful surroundings for a building cost of about £20 per seat (independent operators budgeted on £10 per seat). For the Loughborough seating capacity of 1,625 without the cost of land, the cost per seat was £18.76.

For the first few years of the circuit, each building was owned by a separate company—here the Odeon (Loughborough) Ltd. The standard Directors for these companies were Deutsch, Frederick Bates, a former oil company executive, and W.G. Elcock, a Chartered Accountant. Sometimes the builder would take shares in the firm in part payment, or a local business man invest and so become a Director. Certainly part of Harry Weedon’s architectural fees were paid in company stock.

The Odeon at Loughborough was built at an estimated — or rather published — cost of £50,000 (the same figure as quoted for the town’s New Empire) for the then rapidly expanding chain of Oscar Deutsch, and it held 1,625 seated patrons (1,029 in the stalls and 596 in the circle). Architecturally, the Loughborough Odeon is very similar to the same practice’s Tower, West Bromwich (1935), built for an independent exhibitor (W.H. Onions — an occasional business associate of Deutsch), but later bought by ABC; and the Odeon, Boston (1937) with 1,592 seats. It was so like the latter, indeed, that the printing block of the architect’s impression of the Loughborough facade was re-used at Boston both in the local newspaper pre-publicity and even on the title page of the opening performance’s Souvenir Brochure.

Loughborough Odeon was one of twenty-eight purpose-designed and built Odeons opened in 1936. It was designed by one of Harry Weedon’s assistants — (Arthur J. Price who was the un-named assistant architect thanked on the stage by Deutsch during the opening ceremony), and the contract price —i.e. the building cost without the land, or outfitting — was £30,485.

The current Lemyngton Street along the left side of the auditorium did not exist, being simply a narrow passage, so the brickwork, advertising panel, and decorative window grilles are remarkable instead of being the usual stock brick and iron utilitarian window bars of many other cinemas —including locally, the New Empire. It may have been known by the architect that shortly buildings were to be demolished and a bus lay-by created there. Certainly the other flank wall of the building, facing on to the cinema’s car park, is of common stock brick.

During the 30s Robert Bullivant was the Chief Assistant for Harry Weedon, later becoming Head of the practice. No mean cinema architect himself (locally, he designed the Leicester Odeon) he recalls the design process of an Odeon in those days:

Having been given the location of the site, and the required seating capacity, we could begin to design the Cinema around the form and dimensions of the auditorium. Our first task was to satisfy a complex check list of setting-out dimensions for the seating, the rake of the stalls floor, the height and width of the Circle Steppings, the length and angle of projection throw. Next came an Acoustic Survey to establish whether any abnormalities in the form of the auditorium could be compensated by surface treatment. Having established the size and form of the auditorium, with its minimal Stage at one end and complex Projection Suite at the other, the next priority was to comply with the Home Office and Local Regulations for Licensed premises. When these basic principles had been satisfied, the various ancillary accommodation became the next priority. This would involve a compromise between the technical requirements of the Air Conditioning Plant, the Electrical Installation, the Staff accommodation and the Foyers and Toilets to which the public would have access. When plans at Stalls and Circle level and the Longitudinal Section had been worked out in some detail, the main form of the Cinema had almost established itself. We tried to resist attempts to obscure the form which had been established.

There was little choice in the selection of fabrics because Carpets and Seats were ordered in bulk through a subsidiary Company named Decorative Crafts Ltd. Similarly, Settees, Lighting Fittings, Ash Trays, Clocks and Exit Signs were all ordered in bulk and left little scope for individual design.

Like all the houses of the circuit the Loughborough Odeon was built and equipped using as far as possible British labour and equipment. Whereas Associated British cinemas and many independent used the two main American sound systems —Western Electric or RCA, Odeons used British Thomson Houston (B.T.H. of Rugby projectors and sound heads. In fact B.T-H. sound had been developed on German practice by Deutsch’s Technical Chief Sidney Swingler collaboration with B.T.H. at their laboratories. It was used in collaboration with the B.T-H. projectors, the mechanisms of which were built in Coventry. Later B.T-H. produced their SUPA’s (Single Unit Projection Assembly). Along these technical lines, the Loughborough Echo of 1 November 1936 added, presumably from a press release:

The new luxury Odeon Theatre, which has been erected on an important site in Baxtergate, and which will be opened on November 21^st embodies all the latest principles of cinema construction.

Heating and ventilation have been provided by a comprehensive installation ensuring a constant supply washed cool air in summer and washed warm air in winter without draught⁶. A highly scientific system of acoustic correction has been installed, ensuring sound reproduction.

The faience tiles on the front, like the New Empire, were Hathernware from the local still-operating (beside the Midland Railway two miles North of the town) originally called the Hathern Station Brick & Terra Cotta Company. The copy of the Echo quoted above also reported under sub-heading ‘Luxury and Comfort’ that:

...following the practice adopted all Odeon Theatres, every seat is of the high quality and ease, the difference in the price of admission being only veined by the position of the seat in the theatre itself.

The architect’s design has been faithfully carried out in glazed faience, the base being in black and green, and the upper portion being in a pleasant mottled colouring. The faience has been manufactured and erected by Hathernware, Ltd., of Loughborough, who are specialists in the production of attractive cinema fronts, and have executed “Odeon” contracts in many parts of the country.

When CinemaScope came in 1953, the existing width of the Loughborough Odeon’s proscenium arch fitted the new ratio, but the new wide screen had to be brought forward from the original position against the back wall to allow for sightlines to the side stalls. In so doing the screen tabs were put out of use, but the control buttons in the projection box, and the motor on stage, were used for the variable masking of the new screen frame. It also meant that stage concerts were no longer possible as there was only two or three feet between the masking of the screen frame and the house tabs.

The Loughborough Odeon was one of more than 40 Rank Organisation cinemas sold to the Classic Cinema chain in December 1967. Bingo was tried under the name of the Vogue Social Club from the 22nd Dec 67, but by March ’69 a reversion to film was announced. By July 1972, however, a plan was promulgated — which fortunately was not carried out — to demolish the building and replace it with offices.

The enlarged Classic group did not live up to the promise of the original circuit, and some of the cinemas were sold off in the ’70s, the remainder forming part of Laurie Marsh’s Tigon group, which we have met earlier with the Curzon. The end for the Loughborough Classic came on 12^th January 1974, with the final film being Assault. It then became a Mecca Bingo Club.

When Classic gave up the former Odeon, the Classic name was transferred to the Essoldo (formerly New Empire). The Loughborough Odeon was more fortunate than most, even those that remained in cinema hands, in that when Mecca decided to sell, it was bought in 1977 by the locally-based businessman, Mr James Thomas, who has maintained the building immaculately as the present Beacon Bingo operation. Many of the original lighting fittings and ornamental grilles are still in situ, and staircases leading from the balcony ends down to the stalls have been very sympathetically installed. The closing of three of the five foyer entrance doors has been done with an eye to the facade decor. Even the original 1936 Pride lighting control board is still (though unused) in situ in the projection box, though the projectors and sound equipment have long gone.

It seems appropriate that the Odeon, built for public entertainment, still entertains many hundreds of local people weekly, who all get pleasure from the building, and each others’ company.

	The 1936 facade		The 1936 interior
	As Beacon Bingo		Side wall with giant "dabber"
	Another view of the side wall		Contemporary view
	Contemporary view

STANFORD Hall THEATRE

This is an unusually lavish private theatre built by the then owner of Stanford Hall — Sir Julien Cahn, who was a millionaire furniture retailer with some business interests in cinemas, and two consuming personal interests — conjuring and cricket.

In 1938 the former stable block of the hall was totally rebuilt in 1937/8. The cellar of the replacement building housed the Cahn family air raid shelter complete with air-conditioning and emergency generating plant: above that the stalls-only theatre: and filling the skyline above the auditorium ceiling and beside the fly-tower were (and are!) 12 bedrooms for a visiting cricket team and umpire.

The theatre was designed by Cecil Masey, one of the foremost Super Cinema/Theatre architects of his day. He had trained in Bertie Crewe’s office working on the large theatres and music halls that Crewe designed before the First World War, and in the early 30s had worked for Sydney Bernstein on the creation on the Granada circuit, including the famous Tooting Granada. At Stanford, the interior design was by J. E. Redding & Smith; and the safety curtain and various interior mural works by Beatrice MacDermott.

Announcing the improvements to the house and grounds, the Loughborough Echo of August 19th 1938 says of the theatre:

The theatre, erected at a cost of many thousands of pounds, is one of the most remarkable in this country. Its lighting, furnishing, and general appointments are delightful in every respect. The fittings are modern in the extreme. There are some 28,000 watts of spotlighting alone, the bulbs being operated by electromagnets from a finger controlled switchboard by which almost any colour-scheme can be devised. The depth of colouring is all controlled and it is possible for the lighting to seep through so slowly that changes in the colouring are almost imperceptible. Mr J.A. Cheasham, who is resident engineer at the Hall, showed our reporter the sliding screen which can be brought into operation by pressing a button at the switchboard. It is an entirely unique feature for any cinema in England, he said. The screen is covered with paintings depicting famous Greek legends, executed over a period of two months by a woman artist. Greek legends, too, are depicted upon the inside walls of the theatre, which stands above the underground bomb-proof shelter. The theatre is unique, too, inasmuch as it can be closed up so as to become absolutely gas-tight in the event of an air-raid, there being sufficient air contained to permit several hundreds of persons to stay there for two days. The ventilation system is of the most modern type, warm air being sucked in and withdrawn through the floor of the theatre. The whole air in it can be changed in the space of nine minutes. There are 960 lights skilfully and artistically placed in the auditorium, which seats 360. The equipment for the presentation of films is of the latest, the sound apparatus being Gaumont British Duosonic. There is a variety of delicate tapestries which form the curtains, silks of many hues being “changed” to almost colour by the clever spotlighting, while a variety of amazing patterns can be thrown on those curtains by the Brenograph, the only one of its kind in the country Sir Julien a clever illusionist, and entertains many house-parties with the latest illusions, while famous artists have also visited the theatre to give performances, one of these being Mr. Reginald Foort, the B.B.C. organist.

It is understandable that the reporter should be overwhelmed, with the wonders of the Blackburn Starling remote control lighting board, the 2-manual Wurlitzer from the Madeleine Theatre Paris, and the decor — even though he did not realize that the “woman artist” had a few years before executed murals in the First-Class public rooms aboard the Queen Mary.

Without being too technical, the Blackburn Starling stage lighting control board meant that low voltage wire could be run to control the heavy power dimmer circuit, thus the lighting operator could be placed at a small board in a position where he could see the effects from the audience point of view (here, from behind the stage left Splay Wall grille. The Radio City Music Hall of New York had a similar arrangement, as from 1944, did the London Palladium. Fred Bentham of Strand Electric had built this latter as a Demonstration Theatre exhibit, based on a Compton Organ console; BUT at the time of Stanford Hall’s opening in 1938, no other British theatre had a remote board.

Stanford Hall Theatre was, and is, more than a wealthy man’s toy. It was a fully equipped professional theatre, lavish by the standards of the time. Equipment only to be found in the vast Super Cinema-Theatre rather than the run-of-the-mill provincial tour date was installed. Counterweight flying in the Stage tower, the Blackburn Starling remote control lighting board—the first theatre installation; a two-manual six-rank WurliTzer from La Madeleine Paris on a pit lift, with phantom piano and perforated roll auto player; a bioscope box with G.B. mechanisms, spot and Brenograph Master; and fanciful cove house lighting with lit fountain effects on flicker trip mercury switches all gave a sense of those more spacious days. made a miniature, but spectacular and complete cinema/theatre.

The decorated safety curtain and murals (even though now in need of renovation) still enhance Masey’s well-proportioned auditorium, with the sparkle from the cove lighting showing how effective a source this can be — now abandoned in commercial auditoria as too labour and power-intensive.

For cinema shows Sir Julien and his guests occupied the back row, for theatre the front; because of Sir Julien’s size and consideration for his guests these rows have slightly wider seats -- making one less chair in each half row than the rest in the rake.

Sir Julien died in 1944, and the estate was sold to become the Co-operative College, who kept the theatre going. When Loughborough Theatre Royal closed in 1952, the Midland Theatre Company took their monthly production to Stanford Hall instead, and after they became resident at the Belgrade Coventry, Lincoln Rep. took it into their tour schedule, with a young Fraser Disney as A.S.M. – later the General Manager of the Skegness Arcadia and who ended his career as Technical Manager of the Brighton Dome.

When economics stopped the pro’s touring, the local amateurs put on their shows there, but eventually retired the Blackburn Starling in favour of a Rank Strand AMC.

The estate now belongs to Raynesway Developments, and the theatre was refused a licence in 2003 because of the state of the wiring (the intake and switch-room is all original Crewe Blackburn Starling equipment and installation, as well), so now is closed.

	The exterior. Note the dock door and the cricketer bedrooms above		Interior in lavish Deco style
	The unique stage lighting control made by Blackburn starling. It controlled electro-mechanical dimmers in the basement.		A close-up of one of the machines.
	A programme from the Gould Theatre Collection.		Cast list
	A view of the remarkable box.The double arc lamphouse device in the foreground is a Brenograph (or Scenograph) which is the 1930's equivalent of disco effect lighting. It has been rotated out of the way of the port so that a followspot can be used.		Box in colour by John Knight - original lamps before PPT fitted Peerless Magnarcs
	A black & white photo of the safety curtain showing the elaborate mural.		A view of the organ console located on a pit lift, note the Safety Curtain behind. Photo by John Knight

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