the Zoo entrance in 1978 View link
prior to the Zoo, the site was occupied by the notorious Belle Vue prison View link
the roller coasters in 1956, this is now where the entrance to the cinema car park is View link
the cinema has now been repainted in beige and maroon giving it a very 80’s looks View link
two press ads for concerts from april 1979 when the Astoria was the Rainbow Theatre one of Londons major rock venues, the second ad has the Rainbow logo as it appeared on the building http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5447698663/
an odd find in the London Museum, a magazine called The Astorian – the official organ of the Astoria Brixton – the best south-west… Brixton wonder picture theatre!
presumably dating from around the opening http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5447963081/
photo of the lobby december 2010 http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5368493254/
the cinema continues successfully inspite of being over the road from the Westfield Vue complex, the two sites are programmed together and this location now has more esoteric programming (including arthouse and bollywood)
its only 12 screens, the other screens 13 to 17 as they appear on Odeon booking system are the luxury seats at the back of the five biggest screens, photos and info here View link
The Odeon Metrocentre 11 closed in Dec 2009 and the business transfered to another part of the mall into a new 12 screen building with stadium seating.
The cinema remains one of the most sucessful cinemas in the UK in terms of attendance (around one millions admissions per year)
still standing sept 7 2011
seen here with stalls seating and the proscenium area converted for church services
View link
ticket from the David “the hottest gay show in town"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5664687224/
a couple more photos from 2009
sc1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5647715624/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5647149999/
sc1 ceiling plasterwork detail
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5647707632/
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5647710312/
interior photos from 28 days later, showing little remains due to huge holes in the roof
View link
photos here show how much remains of the original frontage
View link
the Zoo entrance in 1978
View link
prior to the Zoo, the site was occupied by the notorious Belle Vue prison
View link
the roller coasters in 1956, this is now where the entrance to the cinema car park is
View link
the cinema has now been repainted in beige and maroon giving it a very 80’s looks
View link
the cinema was built on the site of the former Belle Vue Zoo and is apparently haunted, the car park is built on the site of the boating lake
exterior shot from around 1991, standard Showcase exterior and design from the late 80's
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/2120723527/
and auditorium shot from the opening night
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/2121499754/
quite a few photos on flickr, this one shows some of the facade revealed for the first time since the cladding went up in 68 (?)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/earlex/5520879199/
press ad from august 1982 when the cinema was in its short lived The Lane guise
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5448307814/
press ad from august 1982 when it reopened as the Classic Shaftsbury Ave, with slightly less classy programming than todays
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5447698533/
two press ads for concerts from april 1979 when the Astoria was the Rainbow Theatre one of Londons major rock venues, the second ad has the Rainbow logo as it appeared on the building
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5447698663/
press ad from march 1971 described as the Essoldo Maida Vale – Londons newsest luxury cinema
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5448307326/
erotic urges! – press ad from march 1971 as the tatler
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5448307280/
another press ad from march 1971 as the tatler showing lurid smutty double bills
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5448307280/
press ad from march 1971 with salacious smutty double bills
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5448307280/
an undated shot from late 80’s or early 90’s as Madame Jojo's
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5447962755/
an odd find in the London Museum, a magazine called The Astorian – the official organ of the Astoria Brixton – the best south-west… Brixton wonder picture theatre!
presumably dating from around the opening
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5447963081/
press ad from march 1971 as the essoldo chelsea playing warhols flesh
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5448307056/
two more photos
the ornate sidewall of the stalls – at this time a side corridor fire exit for screen 3 (taken in 1983)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5368488904/
lobby heating grill – taken 1983 – poor lighting
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5368489304/
photo of the lobby december 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5368493254/
the cinema continues successfully inspite of being over the road from the Westfield Vue complex, the two sites are programmed together and this location now has more esoteric programming (including arthouse and bollywood)
photos taken in 2008
frontage
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5367886259/
rear
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5367889053/
its only 12 screens, the other screens 13 to 17 as they appear on Odeon booking system are the luxury seats at the back of the five biggest screens, photos and info here
View link
The Odeon Metrocentre 11 closed in Dec 2009 and the business transfered to another part of the mall into a new 12 screen building with stadium seating.
The cinema remains one of the most sucessful cinemas in the UK in terms of attendance (around one millions admissions per year)