ABC Richmond
23 Sheen Road,
Richmond upon Thames,
TW9 1BN
23 Sheen Road,
Richmond upon Thames,
TW9 1BN
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Associated British Cinemas Ltd., Union Cinema Co. Ltd.
Architects: Samuel Beverley, Leslie H. Kemp
Firms: Verity and Beverley
Styles: Art Deco, Neo-Georgian
Previous Names: Ritz Cinema
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Located in Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, to the southwest of todays' Greater London. The Ritz Cinema was a project of Union Cinemas Ltd, but was actually opened by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) due to their take-over of Union. Designed by Samuel Beverley, working in association with Leslie H. Kemp, the Ritz Cinema was a luxury cinema building, fitting the rather affluent district of Richmond-upon-Thames.
The facade was designed in a Neo-Georgian style whilst the auditorium, which had seating for 1,456 in the stalls and 694 in the circle, was in a refined Art Deco style with prominent and elaborate grilles on the side walls, behind which were the chambers to the Wurlitzer 3Manual/8Ranks theatre organ, which was opened by organist Wilfred Southworth. The cinema also had a cafe-restaurant for the convenience of patrons and the general public.
The Ritz Cinema opened on 19th May 1938 with Grace Moore in "I’ll Take Romance" and John Barrymore in "Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge".
The Ritz Cinema was re-named ABC in 1961 and sadly closed on 11th December 1971 with Dirk Bogarde in "Death In Venice". The building was soon demolished and and office block named Spencer House was built on the site.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
some great pix here
View link
Vintage photographs of the Ritz/ABC, and its Wurlitzer organ console;
http://www.ukwurlitzer.co.cc/2223.html
The Ritz was destined to be their new flagship cinema ,but the untimely death of David Bernard put paid to that.The stage end of the theatre that was still under construction was hurredly finished off with a wall behind the proscenium and no stage facilities.A 3/16 WurliTzer organ was cancelled and the organ (a 3/8)destined for the Ritz Wigan was installed in its place.The organ is now in Sydney Australia.
It was a custom for the Ritz to have a charity Christmas carol concert each year, Roy castle appeared there one year, and in 1971 although the cinema had closed it reopened for one day before Christmas for the annual concert. Organ playing choirs on the stage, and the host said from the stage to the full audience, “Lets sing loud and bring the roof down and save the demolition men a job!” That was the last time I went inside the Ritz.