Odeon Warley
Hagley Road West,
Birmingham,
B68 0NP
Hagley Road West,
Birmingham,
B68 0NP
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Odeon Theatres Ltd., Rank Organisation
Architects: John Cecil Clavering, Thomas Cecil Howitt, Ernest S. Roberts, Roland Satchwell
Firms: Satchwell & Roberts
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Warley Cinema
Nearby Theaters
Located in West Warley, a district to the north-west of central Birmingham. The Warley Cinema was planned to be part of the Sydney Clift chain of Clifton Cinemas, and was designed by the architectural firm Satchwell & Roberts. In the early stages of planning Oscar Deutsch became involved and it became part of his chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd. For one reason or another it opened as The Warley Cinema, rather than with the usual Odeon name. The Warley Cinema opened on 22nd December 1934 with Martha Eggerth in "Unfinished Symphony".
The Warley Cinema stood at the major road intersection of Hagley Road West and Wolverhampton Road, which was considered the ‘Gateway to the Black Country’, and it had a splendid Odeon Art Deco style façade, designed by architect T. Cecil Howitt. The entire façade was covered in cream faience tiles, and there was a squat tower feature on the left side of the building which had a roof, supported by short pillars.
Inside the auditorium seating was provided for 1,066 in the stalls and 464 in the circle. The centre of the ceiling had three circular troughs which contained concealed lighting. The interior of the building was designed by architect J. Cecil Clavering assisting in the alterations to Roland Satchwell’s original designs.
The Warley Cinema was re-named Warley Odeon in 1935, by adding the ‘Odeon’ name under the already existing ‘Warley’ name on the cinema’s tower. Later still it became the Odeon, with the Warley name removed from the cinema’s tower.
The Odeon was closed by the Rank Organisation on 25th November 1961 with Dirk Bogarde in "Victim" and Derek Farr in "Attempt to Kill". The auditorium was demolished and a much lower building was built behind the façade & foyer block. This became a Top Rank Bowling Alley, known as the Warley Bowl, it operated until closing on 29th April 1970.
The building lay empty and unused for a couple of years and was demolished in early-1973. An office block Quadrant West (today known as known as Trigate) was built on the site.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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 5 comments)
A vintage photograph of the Odeon in August 1949, playing the Odeon release:
View link
Auditorium, as seen around the time of opening of the Warley Cinema in 1934:
View link
Thanks again,Ken.
Oscar Deutsch became involved only by buying £100 of Shares. The Clift faction of Shareholders held the majority shares interest until 1948.. When it became a FULL Odeon Weedan did no designing of this Theatre. Satchwell and Roberts where a far bigger practics, then Weedon and where shareholders in This theatre and Kingstanding. which are the 2 Odeon oddities. The tiles frontages where done by Cliftons associated companies long before Oscar Deutsch decided to use them. Deutsch built cinemas before these 2 sites was quite non descript.. Oscar Deutsch copied Sidney Clift ideas on Finace and systems. Even down to naming his Cinemas Odeon using part of his name.. Just Like Clift of Clifton. Another point they had Offices in the same building in Birmingham. In 1941 Odeon and Clifton nearly merged on the Death of Deutsch,
When it was converted to a bowling Ally, the whole of the auditorium was demolished, leaving the huge front foyer frontage and upper stories remaining in front of a low newbuilt section for the bowling.
Grand opening ad: