Odeon 2 Shepherd's Bush
56a Shepherd's Bush Green,
London,
W12 8QE
56a Shepherd's Bush Green,
London,
W12 8QE
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The original architects (in 1910) were Gilbert and Constanduros who designed others for Montague Pyke.
The former cinema has now been reduced to a shell. Plans to demolish the cinema and build apartments on the site was turned down by the council in June 2015.
I was an electrician working on the Essoldo when it burnt down in 1968. We used to do a lot of cinema refurbs. We had been home for the weekend back to Nottingham and when we arrived at our works with tool box and suit case on Monday morning ready to come back down, we were told “the jobs off, as it had been on fire the night before”. Needless to say we were concerned as fires were usually blamed on electrical faults and we had spent some time rewiring the place. We had a lot of trouble with it break-ins At Shepherds Bush. There was one such break-in where they got into the projection box and smashed the projector lenses, fortunately they didn’t find the mercury arc rectifiers otherwise there would have been a terrible mess not to mention the cost of replacement. The fire was eventually blamed on a tram breaking in and setting a fire. We never went back and I thought it had been demolished. I can remember the stars arriving at the BBC TV theatre next door, a regular, complete with a bevy of girls was Lionel Blair, I think in a large pink? convertable. The BBC World service was housed in Bush house on the opposite side. I don’t think we were replacing the projection or sound systems in that cinema but we did in others.
The cinema did have 70mm. The Walkabout pub which was the last use for the building closed in October 2013 and the site is going to be developed. I think the new owners are the same people that bought the Odeon (Pavillion)cinema next door which they have demolished to build a hotel. John
Photo taken on 23-02-2010
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Original lettering dating from 1910 is still to be seen on the side-wall of the former Pykes Cinematograph Theatre in this October 2005 photograph:
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More external photos and some history on the former Pykes Cinematograph Theatre, Shepherds Bush, London here:
http://www.tnunn.f2s.com/pavilion.htm
Hi!kiwidownunder,I have a reply to your comment on the CORONET page.
Andy,London.
I use to be relief projectionist with Fred Donovan in the 70s.
It was right next door to the BBC Theatre and we use watch some great celebrities go there from the steps outside the projection room.I think it had 70mm at one stage.
Shaun Cassidy,Osmond Brothers,Bruce Forsythe,Michael Parkinson etc.
It was a flat floored cinema on one level.
I live in Auckland New Zealand now and manage hotels.
Paul