ABC Wimbledon
144 The Broadway,
London,
SW19
144 The Broadway,
London,
SW19
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My late mother worked at the ABC Elite in Wimbledon in the fifties. She came to this Country from Ireland and encountered a lot of anti-Irish sentiment. The manager of the ABC Elite, Mr Riddeford,liked the Irish and employed my mother as an Usherette. He then trained her to work in the Box Office. My mother often spoke of the people with whom she worked at the Elite with great fondness – Miss Casey, a relief manager, Mrs. Cohen who ran the kiosk, and Stan the Doorman. My mother made friends with a part time worker, Christine and they remained friends for donkey’s years after they left the Elite.
A set of vintage photographs of the Elite/ABC:
View link
Well im glad im not going crazy. I remember this cinema as a child of the 70,s and yes it was opposite the odeon. They both did well to last as they did considering the close proximity to each other. When i ask people i know if they remember this cinema most cant recall it.
Mind you also growing up in Wimbledon a lot of it has sadly changed up now, like everywhere these days. Still it was a great cinema while it lasted (i too went to see jaws there), oh happy days.
Heres to all those great cinemas that have gone, that gave us so many good times.
Sid Deeks was the Chief Projectionist at the ABC Wimbledon during the early 1960’s. I worked there for a year after being promoted to Junior 2nd projectionist from the ABC Streatham. Here is a link to a few projection rooms ‘Boxes’ I worked in. The Elite’s projection room is among them as you scroll down the page. View link
WOW ! I have been searching a while now, and this is the closest I’ve come. Born in Wimbledon in 1974, I can clearly remember my childhood and the old (elite) A.B.C cinema. I was scared of that metal clad building as a child, but the memories of what it actually looked like are fading. I cannot believe there are no archive pictures anywhere ! I remember the queue which went on for miles to see Jaws and my parents did not want to wait – perhaps I was too young and they used that as an excuse. Perhaps someone has an old snap in the bottom of a wardrobe somewhere.
Doolally; Yes the Elite/ABC was almost opposite the Odeon (ex Regal). There is a small, rather bad reproduction photograph of the Elite Picture House in the book “The Amber Valley Gazeteer of Greater London’s Suburban Cinemas 1946-86” by Malcolm Webb. Published in 1986
Ken,
Am I right in remembering this cinema being almost opposite the Odeon? Are there any pictures of it anywhere, as I remember the metal cladding, but don’t recall the glazed middle bit.
Thanks ,
D