ABC Coventry

The Coventry ABC was built to replace the old ABC Empire Cinema when the new pedestrianised precinct in Hertford Street was built. Opening on the 24th May 1973 with Glenda Jackson & Peter Finch in “Bequest to the Nation”.

It was built above the new parade of shops and maybe suffered a little because of this. Strangely for this time, it was built as a single screen unit, but had a very comfortable stadium style auditorium with 840 seats and full 70mm projection facilities on a large screen with the curtains sweeping round the side walls as in the ABC Cinemas in Sheffield and Doncaster. There was also a small Licensed Bar off the foyer which was converted into ABC 2, opening on 20th October 1977 with 86 seats. A new projection room had to be built for this screen (periscope projection) and this meant a small corner of seating was lost in the main auditorium to accommodate this (on the right hand side looking from the screen).

The ABC Coventry had a relatively short life. It was taken over by the Cannon Group in May 1986 and by early 1987 had been re-named Cannon. Closed as the Cannon 1 & 2 on 21st April 1988, the building lay empty and unused for many months. The building is now a sports shop.

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