Odeon Doncaster
Hall Gate,
Doncaster,
DN1
Hall Gate,
Doncaster,
DN1
2 people
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The Ritz Super Cinema opened on 26th November 1934. It was built as an independently operated cinema and had the extra facilities of a restaurant and ballroom. It had a rather narrow street presence on Hall Gate and entrance to the cinema auditorium was via a long passage. The proscenium opening was 34 feet wide with a stage 36 feet deep, there were nine dressing rooms.
From 2nd April 1955 it was taken over by the Rank Organisation and closed for a month for alterations to be carried out. These entailed a new facade to the cinema, new seats and a CinemaScope screen being fitted as well as improvements to the ventilation system. It re-opened on 24th May 1955 as the Odeon with Bing Crosby in "The Country Girl".
The Odeon was further modernised in 1969 but after the Gaumont had been tripled and re-named Odeon in 1973, it closed on 7th July 1973. The auditorium was demolished for a car park, while the narrow frontage remained for several more years looking increasingly shabby. By the summer of 2009, a building had been built when the entrance once was, which contains a William Hill betting shop.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
This is a 1938 ad for the Ritz Super Cinema.
The front entrance of the Odeon as photographed in December 1970:
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Here is a new link for the 1970 photo.
My Grandfather worked here in the late 1960’s.
I saw a number of Bond movies here including,“ You only live twice,”