Odeon Panton Street
11-18 Panton Street,
London,
SW1Y 4DP
11-18 Panton Street,
London,
SW1Y 4DP
1 person
favorited this theater
This was Europe’s first four-in-one cinema, and has a location just off Leicester Square in the West End district of central London. It opened on 12th January 1969 with Jack MacGowran in “Wonderwall” playing in all four screens. The following day, “Wonderwall” remained in one screen, while “Les Biches”, “The Sinning Urge” and “Who Saw Him Die” opened in the other three screens. It was built for the Compton Group who operated several porn cinemas and had their own distribution company; Compton Cameo Films. They built several more Cinecenta cinemas in major cities in England, which like the Cinecenta Panton Street played mostly independent and foreign art house films.
Nigel Farrington of the architectural firm Cassidy, Farrington and Dennys was the architect of this complex which had seating in the four screens; 138, 154, 150 and 145. The policy was to play off-beat and Art House foreign films.
Compton were eventually taken over by Star Cinemas and mainstream programming was started at the Cinecenta. Star Cinemas were taken over by Classic Cinemas and they in turn were taken over by the Cannon Cinemas group who re-named the complex Cannon Panton Street.
Further takovers and name changes continued; MGM, ABC Cinemas and currently Odeon Theatres, who currently programme the cinemas with foreign and art house movies.
Contributed by
KenRoe
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
Thanks for adding this one. Easily the most uncomfortable complex in the West End – with really bad leg room. Went and paid full price under duress to see pictures such as Naked by Mike Leigh and recently Stander because this was the only place they were playing. Odeon should be much more flexible with pricing here.
Said this becaue it is beneath a block of flats, conversion for other use would be rather difficult and because we love cinemas we’re kind of glad it has survived.
A 2004 photograph of the Odeon Panton Street, in London’s West End:
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This is another photo of the Odeon Panton Street.
A 2007 shot of the Odeon:–
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God, this little place is a really rotten place to see a movie, it’s so bad, there is almost a charm to it. The screens are tiny, even the ones at the swiss centre seemed bigger (despite being smaller) as there was a feeling of space. At Panton Street, the seats are buched togethyer and the ceilings are low. I saw Running on Empty, Men Don’t Leave and Three Colours Red there among others.
Here is a May 2002 photo.
A really horrible place.