Odeon Stockton-on-Tees

terry on June 9, 2020 at 3:57 pm

I remember seeing ‘Cromwell’ at Stockton’s fine new Odeon in 1971. What a short life it had! At least, however, one of the fine cinemas on the High Street is undergoing restoration (ABC Globe). No doubt the opening will be further delayed owing to the present ‘Covid 19’ situation whilst the restoration costs are £26.5 million and counting…..

FanaticalAboutOdeon on August 9, 2018 at 9:55 am

The 1968 Odeon had to be somewhat lightweight as the Regal/Odeon it replaced had begun to sink during deep excavations next door when the sorting office behind Stockton’s main Post Office was being enlarged. This accounts for the single storey nature of most of the building – extensive though its footprint remained.

With a licenced bar, cloakroom and twin-window advance booking office, the facilities were very good. Despite its large screen, even the 70mm. image could appear relatively small from the most expensive seats in the raised area we called the circle but which, in fact, was a very long way from the screen.

When on exclusive runs with product like “Oliver!”, “Funny Girl”, “Battle of Britain” “Hello Dolly!” and revivals of films like “The King and I” and “King of Kings”, the Odeon could be very profitable but when sharing the general Rank release with Odeons in Darlington, Middlesbrough and West Hartlepool, it took a very special film, like the Bonds and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” for us to make much profit.

Hindsight is wonderful but perhaps this was not the right location for a roadshow cinema especially at a time when big, potentially long-running films best suited to the policy were rapidly declining in number.

Bernard Goldthorpe was a lovely man and an enterprising manager of both old and new Odeons in Stockton. His enforced absence from his beloved cinema due to ill health in 1970 effectively gave me my first cinema as full-time manager and I still have cherished memories of my time running the Odeon in such a friendly town.

The “new” Odeon was constructed for what the industry saw as a very low cost for the time (£120,000 I believe) and at least part of the expense was affrayed by the Post Office having to make substantial compensatory payments when the old theatre had to be demolished.

Londonstation on June 17, 2018 at 10:36 am

I worked as a Trainee Projectionist from 1955 until 1964 when I went to London as a trainee manager and eventually in the West End as manager.My Managers at Stockton were Mr. Bernard Goldthorpe, and Ken Williams, There was a very busy restaurant which was never replaced when the theatre was rebuilt.Anyone know what the building is now since the Night Club closed.

Ken Roe on October 25, 2005 at 3:12 am

The Odeon opened with Julie Andrews in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” so the first photo I posted above is from around May 1968 during it’s ‘Roadshow’ presentation here and not ‘early 1969’ when that film went on Odeon general release. The cinema was equipped with 70mm projection facilities.