Boleyn Cinema
7-11 Barking Road,
London,
E6 1PW
7-11 Barking Road,
London,
E6 1PW
2 people
favorited this theater
Built on the site of the Boleyn Electric Theatre (1910) which was demolished to build a new Odeon Theatre for the Oscar Deutsch chain. It opened on 18th July 1938 with Max Miller in “Thank Evans”. It was designed in a sleek Art Deco style by noted cinema architect Andrew Mather, assisted by Keith P. Roberts and the original seating capacity was for 2,212; 1,418 in the stalls and 794 in the balcony.
During the mid-1960’s it underwent an ill fated ‘modernisation’ which removed most of the auditorium decoration. It continued as the Odeon, East Ham until it was closed by the Rank Organisation on 31st October 1981 with Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty”.
After laying boarded up and un-used for 14 years it was taken over by an independent operator who sub-divided the auditorium into three screens and it re-opened as the Boleyn Cinema in late 1995 screening Bollywood films. The main screen in the former balcony still has its original 794 seating capacity. The two screens located in the rear stalls area each have seating capacities of 270.
Contributed by
KenRoe
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
apparently this is the highest grossing bollywood cinema in the UK
This is a color photo of the Boleyn Cinema.
Here is another vintage photo of the Odeon.
This is the website for this theater.
Another recent photo can be seen here.
Here are new links for the three photos posted on Dec 5, 2005 at 5:11am.
Photo1
Photo2
Photo3
Hi,
From what time do these pictures date? I live very close to this building and can take some pictures, but since there are lots of drunks and weirdos hanging around I don’t want anyone to steal my camera (down here, even worthless things are stolen since who has even worthless things?)!
This building looked so cool as an Odeon and though the structure stands, you wouldn’t bleieve it is the same place!!
The three photos posted in the comment right above yours are from 1949, 1961 and 1971. I think the newest photo linked to on this page is dated March of 2008 so newer photos would be welcome.
This is an April 2003 photo.
Three vintage photographs of the Odeon in 1981:
View link
Foyer
View link
View link