Odeon Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough, Cleveland, England

87 - 103 Corporation Road

, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, England, United Kingdom TS1 1NA

(map)

Status:	Closed/Demolished
Screens:	Multiplex (4 Screen)
Style:	Art Deco

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	1761
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	W. Calder Robson, Harry W. Weedon
Firm:	Harry W. Weedon Partnership

The Odeon was built for and operated by Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Theatres Ltd chain. It opened on 25th February 1939 with George Formby in "It's in the Air".

Designed by Harry Weedon who was assisted by W. Calder Robson, the facade was dominated by a square tower over the entrance which was clad in black tiles. The auditorium block ran parallel to the street at right-angles to the entrance. Decoration within the auditorium consisted of a scalloped edge canopy above the proscenium opening and an ornate ventilation grille in the ceiling. The projection box was located above the seating in the rear of the balcony. Seating was provided for 1,034 in the stalls and 727 in the balcony and it was the largest cinema on Teesside.

The auditorium was converted into a triple screen cinema from 29th September 1974 with 720 seats in the former balcony and two screens seating 110 each in the rear stalls area. In 1989 a fourth screen seating 254 was created in the former front stalls area.

The Odeon was re-furbished in 1999, but sadly closed on 24th June 2001 (a new 11 screen- 2,564 seat UGC Multiplex opened 22nd June on St. John's Street). In November 2001 the former Odeon re-opened as a 1,000 capacity Jumpin' Jaks nightclub, with the sub-divisions removed but only the stalls being used.

Jumpin' Jaks closed in 2005 and in January 2006, plans were put forward to demolish the former Odeon and build a 27 storey high-rise block of residential units on the site. The Odeon was demolished in July 2006.

Contributed by KenRoe

YOUR COMMENTS

Three vintage photographs of the Odeon Middlesbrough:
September 1949:
http://www.mawgrim.sathosting.net/cavalcade/middlesbrough2.jpg
A full view of the Odeon in August 1956
http://www.mawgrim.sathosting.net/cavalcade/middlesbrough.jpg
A close-up of the main entrance in December 1970:
http://www.mawgrim.sathosting.net/cavalcade/middlesbrough1.jpg

posted by KenRoe on Feb 4, 2006 at 7:05am

A vintage photograph of the Odeon Middlesbrough in 1939, soon after opening:
http://photobucket.com/albums/y191/KenR-UK/?action=view¤t=OdeonMiddlesbro.jpg

posted by KenRoe on Feb 5, 2006 at 1:56am

A recent photo of the Odeon as Jumpin' Jaks here:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/95751912/

posted by Ian on Feb 5, 2006 at 3:18am

recently taken photos inside the building, during demolition stripping out works..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbn6773/

posted by jbn6773 on Jun 15, 2006 at 1:08pm

Part of Middlesbrough Town Centre was cordoned off today, when part
of the former Odeon Cinema (Jumpin Jaks) collapsed during demolition
works. The auditorium wall on Fry Street came down at around 10.30am
taking with it scaffolding, this fell onto the street below,
damaging cars. Luckily no-one was injured and work was stopped until
the Health & Safety executive surveyed the site. Corporation Road &
Fry Street remain fenced off and will not re-open until Wednesday
Evening to allow emergency demolition work to remove the remainder
of Fry Street and the Corporation Road Auditorium walls and
scaffolding. It appears the wall gave way when work to remove the
auditorium ceiling and roof from inside the building by bulldozer
was in progress. An article from the Evening Gazette can be seen
at:
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/news/tm_objectid=17365243%
26method=full%26siteid=109975%26headline=wall%2dfalls%2din%2dtown%
2dcentre-name_page.html

I have also posted some photos taken tonight at :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbn6773/

posted by jbn6773 on Jul 11, 2006 at 11:53am

re try the gazette link

posted by jbn6773 on Jul 11, 2006 at 11:56am

Another shot whilst still a cinema here:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2243729269/

posted by Ian on Feb 5, 2008 at 7:42am

The cinemas on Teesside ranked in size as follows:-

1) ABC (Globe) Stockton:2429 seats (the circle alone seated 1188).

2) Hippodrome Middlesbrough (a GB house):2296 seats

3) Odeon(Regal)Stockton:2082 seats

4) ABC (Elite) Middlesbrough:1843 seats

5) Odeon Middlesbrough: 1761 seats

Therefore, the Odeon Middlesbrough ranked 5th largest when using seating capacity as the yardstick as opposed to the size of the sites. The 2 ABC's and the Hippodrome,having deep stages (with fly towers),most probably were still the 3 largest buildings by site size.

The Odeons Stockton and Middlebrough had shallow stages and no flies, although the original Odeon Stockton did 'muscle in' with live shows in the 1960's along with the ABC (Globe) and the Essoldo/Hippodrome Stockton.

Strange that 3 Stockton cinemas had frequent live shows and yet the cinemas in neighbouring (and larger) Middlesbrough did not.

posted by Terry Charnock on Mar 16, 2009 at 1:57pm

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