Projection room is still there, not possible to see in this angle of the photo.
Unable to access as boarded up. Would be great to get a photo as even the postal staff would like to know what is in there.
Richard Coates
Worked there as a projectionist in 1960 under Ray who lived in Kings Road. His wife was one of the usherettes.
Occasionaly full houses in the summer with visitors if it rained.
When the traffic backed up around the Island during the summer due to the Langstone railway gates shutting, the staff would go out and sell drinks and refeshments to the motorists.
two Kalee 12 projectors with Premier arc lamps and a slide projector.
Some of the films for the childrens saturady matinees wereof Nitrate base and highly flammable.
Just seen your web site for first time.
A series of notes asking if any one employed there.
I was a projectionist at the Odeon Cosham in the 1960’s when Fred Gompertz was the manager.
John Mountford ex Royal Navy was the chief projectionist.
Dennis one of the team left for one year and travelled around with the Cinerama mobile show using a circus tent until a storm in Paigton destroyed the tent.
A team of 4 projectionists and with 2 GK 21 35mm projectors, large spotlight and smaller slide projector all with carbon arc lights.
Every Saturday morning at the children’s matinees Mr. Gompertz would go on stage and a shouting match would ensue with the hundreds of children while he tried to get them to keep quite – it never worked.
The team of usherettes and foyer staff were a gorgeous collection of the most attractive women from the local area including Lynda and Shirely.
Great camaraderie with the Essoldo projectionists at the other end of the Cosham high street.
The Odeon North End in Portsmouth always saw themselves as above the rest of us as they were equipped with 70mm Cinemacanaca projectors and would have seasons of 6 months showing a single Todd-AO film such as The Sound of Music.
When we showed Daryl F Zanuck’s The Longest Day I had the local TA regiment build machine gun nests in the circle foyer and provide German guns for authenticity. These were all real and the patrons loved it. The local TA were in fact 21 regiment SAS before the days when everyone knew about the regiment – would not get away with that sort of real time display these days.
A great cinema the Odeon and now the only original cinema in Portsmouth still involved with entertainment through Bingo.
Projection room is still there, not possible to see in this angle of the photo. Unable to access as boarded up. Would be great to get a photo as even the postal staff would like to know what is in there. Richard Coates
Worked there as a projectionist in 1960 under Ray who lived in Kings Road. His wife was one of the usherettes. Occasionaly full houses in the summer with visitors if it rained. When the traffic backed up around the Island during the summer due to the Langstone railway gates shutting, the staff would go out and sell drinks and refeshments to the motorists. two Kalee 12 projectors with Premier arc lamps and a slide projector. Some of the films for the childrens saturady matinees wereof Nitrate base and highly flammable.
Richard Coates
Just seen your web site for first time. A series of notes asking if any one employed there. I was a projectionist at the Odeon Cosham in the 1960’s when Fred Gompertz was the manager. John Mountford ex Royal Navy was the chief projectionist. Dennis one of the team left for one year and travelled around with the Cinerama mobile show using a circus tent until a storm in Paigton destroyed the tent. A team of 4 projectionists and with 2 GK 21 35mm projectors, large spotlight and smaller slide projector all with carbon arc lights. Every Saturday morning at the children’s matinees Mr. Gompertz would go on stage and a shouting match would ensue with the hundreds of children while he tried to get them to keep quite – it never worked. The team of usherettes and foyer staff were a gorgeous collection of the most attractive women from the local area including Lynda and Shirely. Great camaraderie with the Essoldo projectionists at the other end of the Cosham high street. The Odeon North End in Portsmouth always saw themselves as above the rest of us as they were equipped with 70mm Cinemacanaca projectors and would have seasons of 6 months showing a single Todd-AO film such as The Sound of Music.
When we showed Daryl F Zanuck’s The Longest Day I had the local TA regiment build machine gun nests in the circle foyer and provide German guns for authenticity. These were all real and the patrons loved it. The local TA were in fact 21 regiment SAS before the days when everyone knew about the regiment – would not get away with that sort of real time display these days.
A great cinema the Odeon and now the only original cinema in Portsmouth still involved with entertainment through Bingo.
Richard