CF100, your mention of getting goose bumps at the thought of seeing a presentation of a first class movie in a first class venue reminded me of an article I read where somebody said they felt a certain frisson when going to see a film in the Empire 1 Leicester Square as depicted in your profile picture. Wasn’t it spectacular?
The Odeon was a huge cinema for Sittingbourne. On Saturday mornings I used to queue along the orchestra rail for an ice cream but I was more interested in viewing the vast auditorium from there. Although it was very large, I saw Dr No and Jason and the Argonauts in almost full houses.
Watchester Cinemas renovated the Queens ten years earlier than stated. A wide proscenium for scope was installed. I enjoyed very many films here for fifteen years as the Queens had the ABC release e.g Cliff Richard in the Young Ones. That film and others played to full houses. I was a part-time projectionist there when it closed in May 1973. A few weeks before, Cabaret was doing excellent business. Classic bought the Queens and transferred its bingo club to their Vogue bingo club in the former Odeon across the road where they had created two cinemas above the bingo hall.
The circle cinema was good but it was literally chopped in half with one curtain in each, opening to the outside walls. A friend joked that the shows in each auditorium needed to start at the same time.
When I first discovered the Odeon, the auditorium was quite dull but the projection and sound were excellent. The 70 mm showing of the Sound of Music was superb and could not have been improved upon.
Like its close neighbours along the same road, the Ritz and the Regent, the Odeon’s auditorium appeared to be as wide or wider as it was long. By the time I discovered it, the auditorium was quite dull. However, the projection and sound were excellent and the 70 mm showing of The Sound of Music was superb and could not have been bettered.
Almost opposite the ABC Ritz on the other side of the street, the ABC Regent was another amazing cinema. The auditorium was possibly W. R. Glen’s finest. Not only a delight to the eye but like the Ritz, the auditorium seemed to be as wide as it was long. Chatham was so lucky to have these two ABCs so close together. They even shared the Pathe newsreel.
Chatham and Rochester were very lucky to have three of the best cinemas anywhere. I will write about Chatham’s ABC Regent and Rochester’s Odeon separately. The Ritz must have been Robert Cromie’s greatest achievement. I gasped when I first saw the scope screen from the circle during a continuous performance. Better was yet to come. As the film finished, the curtains closed as the red and amber footlights faded up then the houselights came up, chandeliers and front and backlit golden grilles featuring Union’s lyre design which was extended to surround the proscenium to very pleasant effect. A recording of Billy Vaughn and his orchestra playing O Sole Mio completed a perfect picture. As the tune was coming to an end, the houselights faded, the footlights dimmed and the curtains billowed open for the B movie. I will write more about the Ritz.
I think it was here that I saw a French film in the mid 60s. I sat in the circle and I could see that 16 mm was being used. Unfortunately 16mm didn’t have enough impact on a full house in a large auditorium.
I didn’t enjoy my luxury lounge experience here. Knowing there was a disused circle above. I would always choose to sit in the circle if a cinema had one.
CF100, your mention of getting goose bumps at the thought of seeing a presentation of a first class movie in a first class venue reminded me of an article I read where somebody said they felt a certain frisson when going to see a film in the Empire 1 Leicester Square as depicted in your profile picture. Wasn’t it spectacular?
A nice cinema. I saw The Lion and Tiara Tahiti there on a family holiday to Littlehampton in 1962.
The Odeon was a huge cinema for Sittingbourne. On Saturday mornings I used to queue along the orchestra rail for an ice cream but I was more interested in viewing the vast auditorium from there. Although it was very large, I saw Dr No and Jason and the Argonauts in almost full houses.
Watchester Cinemas renovated the Queens ten years earlier than stated. A wide proscenium for scope was installed. I enjoyed very many films here for fifteen years as the Queens had the ABC release e.g Cliff Richard in the Young Ones. That film and others played to full houses. I was a part-time projectionist there when it closed in May 1973. A few weeks before, Cabaret was doing excellent business. Classic bought the Queens and transferred its bingo club to their Vogue bingo club in the former Odeon across the road where they had created two cinemas above the bingo hall.
A good cinema with a big screen and good sound. The splay walls were very similar to those in the Majestic/Gaumont/Odeon Rochester.
The circle cinema was good but it was literally chopped in half with one curtain in each, opening to the outside walls. A friend joked that the shows in each auditorium needed to start at the same time.
When I first discovered the Odeon, the auditorium was quite dull but the projection and sound were excellent. The 70 mm showing of the Sound of Music was superb and could not have been improved upon.
Like its close neighbours along the same road, the Ritz and the Regent, the Odeon’s auditorium appeared to be as wide or wider as it was long. By the time I discovered it, the auditorium was quite dull. However, the projection and sound were excellent and the 70 mm showing of The Sound of Music was superb and could not have been bettered.
Almost opposite the ABC Ritz on the other side of the street, the ABC Regent was another amazing cinema. The auditorium was possibly W. R. Glen’s finest. Not only a delight to the eye but like the Ritz, the auditorium seemed to be as wide as it was long. Chatham was so lucky to have these two ABCs so close together. They even shared the Pathe newsreel.
Chatham and Rochester were very lucky to have three of the best cinemas anywhere. I will write about Chatham’s ABC Regent and Rochester’s Odeon separately. The Ritz must have been Robert Cromie’s greatest achievement. I gasped when I first saw the scope screen from the circle during a continuous performance. Better was yet to come. As the film finished, the curtains closed as the red and amber footlights faded up then the houselights came up, chandeliers and front and backlit golden grilles featuring Union’s lyre design which was extended to surround the proscenium to very pleasant effect. A recording of Billy Vaughn and his orchestra playing O Sole Mio completed a perfect picture. As the tune was coming to an end, the houselights faded, the footlights dimmed and the curtains billowed open for the B movie. I will write more about the Ritz.
I think it was here that I saw a French film in the mid 60s. I sat in the circle and I could see that 16 mm was being used. Unfortunately 16mm didn’t have enough impact on a full house in a large auditorium.
A splendid cinema in the early 60s.
I didn’t enjoy my luxury lounge experience here. Knowing there was a disused circle above. I would always choose to sit in the circle if a cinema had one.