Cannon Doncaster
Cleveland Street,
Doncaster,
DN1
Cleveland Street,
Doncaster,
DN1
2 people
favorited this theater
The ABC was built by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) as a replacement for their Picture House Cinema which had opened in 1914. It opened on 18th May 1967 with Omar Sharif in “Doctor Zhivago” presented in 70mm. It is situated in the middle of the town centre just 5 minutes walk away from Doncaster interchange. Designed with 1,277 seats arranged in a stadium plan by the architectural firm Morgan & Branch, with input by architects C.J. Foster & Alan Morgan. It was decorated in a modern 1960’s style.
Closed in January 1981 for conversion into a triple screen it re-opened on 9th April 1981 with seating in the 3-screens for 477, 201 and 135.
The Cannon Group took control in the mid-1980’s and it was re-named Cannon and it closed on 18th June 1992, screening its opening film “Doctor Zhivago”.
The building has stood empty and unused since then, but in 2007, it was bought by Movie World for just £150,000. It is reputedly being re-modeled with extra screens added, however by 2009, only a clean-up of the interior has been achieved.
Contributed by
Danny Broome, Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
The ABC Doncaster was indeed a fabulous cinema (as a single unit) inside but the outside must be one of the plainest and ugliest ever built. Saw ‘Doctor Zhivago'there on the first Saturday after it opened (May 18th 1967) and it was an excellent 70mm auditorium.
Little did I know then that 18 years later I would be the Manager there. By then of course it had three screens.
abcman
Any update on the cinema re-opening. I was told by someone who lives in Doncaster that its roof had been removed so that rates didn’t have to be paid and it was due to be demolished in the Doncaster redevelopment scheme.
hi, i live in doncaster too and i know for a fact that the roof is still in place, also, the building does not fall within the redevelopment area.
Thanks Mike for the news.Obviously I was told some wromg information!
Have tried to find out, but no one seems able to say, would be great if it could reopen as a single screen again, ( those really were the days.)
A vintage photograph of the auditorium, as seen at the opening of the ABC in 1967:
View link
wow, remember the photo, ( posted by kenroe,)from an edition af abc film review magazine. many thanks for posting this.
it may be of interest. This year ( 2009 ) marks the 40th anniversary of the release of, “KES,” Kes was given it’s World Premiere at ABC Doncaster ( later cannon, ) It was quite an evening, one i shall never forget,
An amendment about KES. Although filmed in 1969, KES was only given private press screenings that year. The World Premiere was,on Wednesday March 25th 1970, at ABC DONCASTER, with cast, crew, film studio executives & the Mayors of both Doncaster & Barnsley attending, along with members of the public, who could buy tickets to the event.
Have load a view from the stage end. just before the grand opening