ABC Halifax

terry on January 16, 2021 at 1:13 pm

The main auditorium of ABC Halifax (former circle). During the triple conversion the EMI/ABC Company removed three huge chandeliers from above the front stalls in addition to all those above the front and rear circle. ‘Flush’ fittings were then inserted in the main ‘stalactite’ design ceiling. Whilst this did impose on the auditorium’s grandeur it did not harm its appearance too much.

The front stalls seating here could have been retained as the ‘drop wall’ did not encroach on this area plus the exits were still accessible; I suppose, however, that the circle capacity of 670 was considered large enough even for the occasional ‘blockbuster’ in 1976 - how times had changed!

The full width of the proscenium cannot be seen from the angle of the shot but as I recall it was about 55 feet which was wide by any standards in the 1930’s and certainly much wider than those of two sister theatres, York and Harrogate where the auditoria (particularly at York) narrowed severely at the stage end. When CinemaScope was installed in those theatres, rising festoons had to be installed in order to maximise the sheet size.

In Halifax, needless to say, tabs were always used (originally two sets but reduced to just the house set upon installation of ‘Scope). In the last couple of years of operation, the reformed ABC Company (basically Cannon with the name of its main constituent company reinstated) were too mean to replace the curtain cable when it ‘gave up the ghost’ and the very good quality lined satin house tabs were thenceforth only to be seen hanging at each side. Trust that lot!