ABC Southgate

Southgate, London, England

174 Bowes Road

, Southgate, London, England, United Kingdom N11 2JG

(map)

Status:	Closed
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Art Deco

Function:	Church
Seats:	1870
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Major W.J. King
Firm:	Unknown

Built and designed by Major W.J. King as one of several Ritz Cinemas planned for a small chain, the project was sold to Associated British Cinemas (ABC) prior to completion. It opened as the Ritz Cinema on 21st December 1933 with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in "The Narrow Corner" and John Wayne in "His Private Secretary".

Styled in a rather plain Art Deco style, the auditorium ran parallel to the main Bowes Road (which today is part of the North Circular Road around London) and was hidden from view by a parade of shops. Inside the auditorium, the main features were a central dome in the ceiling and abstract decorative designs on the splay walls each side of the proscenium. The Ritz was equipped with a Compton 3Manual/10Rank theatre organ which was opened by Alex Taylor. Additional facilities included a cafe and a large car park.

It was re-named ABC from 1969 and in April 1970 it was fitted out as a 'Luxury Lounge' cinema with new spacious seating and carpeting in the stalls area which now contained 588 seats, while the balcony became un-used.

The ABC closed on 16th February 1974 with Brigitte Bardot in "The Legend of Frenchie King" (Les Petroleuses) and Leslie Phillips in "Not Now Darling". It lay empty for a while and was then purchased by Jehovah's Witnesses who now use it as an Assembly Hall. It has been well maintained and restored to near original condition.

Contributed by KenRoe

YOUR COMMENTS

Up until the late nineties the building still had bakelite telephones, they may still be there now.
There is a small baptismal pool near the screen that is beleived to be for an organ originally.Does anyone know if this is credible;I'm not sure if the cinema is too new to have had an organ.

posted by markthemod on Aug 22, 2006 at 11:45pm

The balcony and main auditorium is now fully seated.In complete traditional rows.Unfortuanatly I don't know the seating capicity.

posted by markthemod on Aug 22, 2006 at 11:56pm

markthemod...As I mentioned in the opening description, the Ritz Cinema was equipped with a Compton 3Manual/10Rank organ. It would have been located in the orchestra pit, most likely where the baptismal pool is now located?

posted by KenRoe on Aug 23, 2006 at 12:21am

A photograph I took of the ABC Southgate in October 2004:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/222780394/

posted by KenRoe on Aug 23, 2006 at 12:45am

According to mu Mum there was also a cinema in `Bourne End` near Winchgate junction just before Southgate circus, she suspects it was "The Queens" cinema & she thinks it closed in the mid 60`s.

posted by a73uk on Jul 29, 2009 at 12:53pm

It could be the Queen's Hall, Palmers Green. It is not listed on Cinema Treasures at the moment. The only cinema I know of on The Bourne, is the Odeon Southgate, on this site as its last name, the Capitol Cinema.

posted by KenRoe on Jul 29, 2009 at 1:52pm

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