Odeon Dudley

Dudley, West Midlands, England

22 Castle Hill

, Dudley, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom DY1 4QQ

(map)

Status:	Closed
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Art Deco

Function:	Church
Seats:	1876
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Budge Reid, Harry W. Weedon
Firm:	Harry W. Weedon Partnership

The Odeon Theatre was built for and operated by Oscar Deutsch's chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd. It opened on 28th July 1937 with Merle Oberon in "Beloved Enemy". Designed by architect Harry Weedon who was assisted by Budge Reid from the architectural firm Harry Weedon Partnership.

It is designed in an Art Deco design typical of Odeon Theatres being built at that time. The auditorium was illuminated by deeply curved plaster troughs which cross the ceiling and extend onto the sidewalls, each one containing concealed lighting. Seating was provided for 1,234 in the stalls and 642 in the balcony.

The Odeon led an uneventful life, becoming part of the Rank Organisation when J. Arthur Rank took over Odeon Theatre's.

It closed on 22nd February 1975 with Ron Moody in "Oliver" and the Rank release films were transfered to the Plaza Cinema across the road.

The Odeon was sold to the International Bible Students Association. By 1977 it was in use as a church. The current occupants Jehovah's Witnesses carried out a major refurbishment of the building which they now use as an Assembly Hall.

In October 2000, the former Odeon was designated a Grade II Listed building by English Heritage.

Contributed by KenRoe

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Two exterior photographs of the Odeon Dudley taken in October 1949:
http://www.mawgrim.sathosting.net/cavalcade/dudley2.jpg
http://www.mawgrim.sathosting.net/cavalcade/dudley3.jpg

A close up view taken in 1969:
http://www.mawgrim.sathosting.net/cavalcade/dudley.jpg

posted by KenRoe on Jan 11, 2006 at 6:05am

Heres another view, showing how little the building has changed, taken around 1991 when I was a manager at the nearby UCI multiplex
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/70178526/in/set-1113147/

posted by woody on Jan 11, 2006 at 7:10am

Ken Roe - Thanks for adding these cinemas. This Odeon looks like a great venue. The exterior Art Deco design is fine in its understatement. Churches are great tenants for old cinema treasures. Ironic that in the old days, movie theaters were a target for many Christian denominations!

posted by M Horner on Jan 11, 2006 at 8:01pm

Here is an October 1965 photograph I took while I was the Assistant Manager of the Odeon. "The Guns of Navarone" was the film playing that week:
http://photobucket.com/albums/y191/KenR-UK/?action=view¤t=OdeonDudley.jpg

posted by KenRoe on Jan 22, 2006 at 4:12am

hi
i am researching my family history, and i have found out that my great grandfather george albert richardson was the manager of an odeon cinema in the birmingham area around the 1930's i would love to see it but i am having troble fing out which one i suspect it may be dudley does anyone know how i might find out for sure . many thanks

posted by bluejuice on Feb 18, 2006 at 9:08am

Another shot of the exterior, this time from 1995:-

http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/339681349/

posted by Ian on Dec 31, 2006 at 11:03pm

A photograph from October 2007:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22743973@N08/2201563309/

posted by KenRoe on Jan 22, 2008 at 3:36pm

Here is a photo that could be from 1965.

posted by Lost Memory on Dec 5, 2008 at 9:25am

This is a 2008 photo.

posted by Lost Memory on Jan 1, 2009 at 1:42pm

A 2008 close-up view can be seen here.

posted by Lost Memory on Jan 13, 2009 at 10:40am

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