Theatr Elli
Station Road,
Llanelli,
SA15 1AH
Station Road,
Llanelli,
SA15 1AH
No one has favorited this theater yet
The Llanelli Film Centre was originally the Odeon Theatre, designed by Harry Weedon (assistant in charge was P.J. Price) and opening on Saturday 18th June 1938 with seating for 1450 (900 in stalls and 550 in balcony).
The design was typical of the circuit style, with rounded corners and faience tiling, the main ODEON sign placed above the five tall windows above the front canopy. The opening film was “Paradise For Two”.
The cinema was taken over by Classic on 9th December 1967 and renamed Classic. Classic Cinemas triplexed the cinema and reopened on 1st October 1971, the circle was extended forward to create Screen 1 with 516 seats and the remaining cinemas were created in the rear stalls seating 273 and 122. The opening film in Screen 1 was “The Hunting Party”, in Screen 2 “The Virgin and the Gypsy”, and Screen 3 offering “Danish and Blue”, this small screen 3 remaining showing sexplotation movies.
As business declined, Classic sold the cinema to the local Borough Council which took over in May 1976 now renamed it the Llanelli Film Centre.
The Borough Council modernised the upstairs auditorium providing full stage facilities equiping it for stage shows. Screens 2 and 3 now seat 310 and 122.
The cinema remains open today as Theatr Elli, retaining its unaltered Harry Weedon exterior design, and continues showing first run films very succesfully.
The Theatr Elli was designated a Grade II Listed building in October 2009.
Contributed by
Peter 123
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 9 comments)
An exterior photograph taken in February 1987, of the former Odeon Cinema, Llanelli as the Llanelli Entertainment Centre. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Perkins via the Cinema Theatre Association website:
View link
OOops, sorry, here is the correct link to the above photo:
View link
Ken your links arnt working for theses pics. i havent seen this building for about 20 yrs now so i hope you can get it to work.
This is a photo from 2003.
It doesnt look very ‘open’ in this shot.
Is this theater also known as Theatr Elli? A web search for Llanelli Entertainment Centre returns this website.
Here is another photo.
A photograph of the Theatre Elli, in September 2006;
View link
Expect this building to close in the next 2 or 3 years. New plans for a new entertainment centre have just been passed for opening in July 2012.