Odeon Marble Arch

In 2009

TheOdeon Marble Arch(known as theRegalfrom 1928 to 1945) was a cinema inLondonlocated oppositeMarble Arch,at the top ofPark Lane,with its main entrance onEdgware Road.It operated in various forms from 1928 to 2016, and is most famous for once housing a vast screen capable of screening films in70mm.The machines wereCinemeccanicaVictoria 8 models.

Regal/Odeon Marble Arch (1928–1964)

The cinema was first known as theRegal,opening on 29 November 1928 with Al Jolson inThe Singing Fool.With a facade 100-foot (30 m) high constructed inPortland stone,the building was a notable addition to theWest End.The auditorium, arranged in traditional circle and stalls, owed much to the atmospheric style of the U.S., having many Romanesque motifs and much faux decor. It was also fitted with aChristie organ,the largesttheatre organever built outside the U.S.,fitted with 2,514 pipes,a 32-notecarillon(the only real organ-operated carillon in the United Kingdom) and a wide variety of special sound effects to accompany the films.

Within six months of opening, the cinema was taken over byABC Cinemas,who operated it until early January 1945. It was then taken over byOdeon Cinemas.It was refurbished by the new owners, but shortly before re-opening it was damaged by one of the lastV-1 flying bombsto hit London. Hence, it remained closed until September 1945, when it was re-opened as theOdeon Marble Archand continued as a first-run house.

However, by the early 1960s its interior was decidedly faded and neglected. The cinema's film runs had by this point declined to minor circuit pictures or even dubbed foreign films: insufficient to fill its large house. Hence, on 22 March 1964 it closed withThe Long Ships,was demolished and replaced (the architect beingT. P. Bennett and Son) by an office block and a new modern cinema, capable of playing the new widescreen formats. The new cinema, built aboveMarble Arch tube station,required elaborate structural shock absorbers to prevent vibrations from the passing trains from disturbing the film projection.

Odeon Marble Arch (1967–1996)

1991

Opening in 1967, the Odeon was the largest cinema constructed in the post-war years. The screen, measuring 75 feet (23 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m), with a depth of curvature of 17 feet (5.2 m), was the largest in the country. Projection was level, beaming from the rear of the stalls, allowing for an even image.

The cinema was constructed to showcase films in the various70mmprocesses, in particular Dimension 150,as well as conventional35mmfilms, allowing for considerable spectacle. However, it opened on 2 February 1967 with a Gala Premiere ofA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,a 35mm film in standard wide screen (1.75:1). This played for seven weeks and was followed by other 35mm presentations, including the World Premiere ofRobberyon 21 September 1967. It was not until 16 October 1967 that the new Odeon played its first 70mmroadshowpresentation with the Royal World Premiere ofFar from the Madding Crowdin the presence ofPrincess Margaret.This was followed by the Royal World Premiere in the presence of HMQueen Elizabeth IIon 12 December ofDoctor Dolittle,also a 70mm roadshow presentation which ran until 9 October 1968. Subsequent 70mm roadshow presentations wereFinian's Rainbow,Hellfighters,and revivals ofWest Side StoryandGone With the Wind.On 21 December 1969 the Royal Charity UK Premiere ofHello Dollytook place in the presence ofThe Duke of Edinburghand ran until August 1970 when it was followed byCromwell.By the early seventies the supply of 70mm roadshow films was drying up; the Odeon found itself playing ordinary 35mm releases including Disney'sBedknobs and BroomsticksandHerbie Rides Again,and 70mm presentations became few and far between.

The auditorium, seating 1360 in total, was split between a raked circle (front and rear) and stalls (stepped towards the rear), with excellent sight-lines throughout. Textured fibreglass panelling was fitted to the side walls, partially concealing goldglass clothbacking,and variable lighting was installed in the outer rim of the ceiling to play different coloured schemes over the walls during intermissions. A single set of tabs (curtains) revealed the screen. Foyer areas were reached via escalator from a ground-floor box office; the upper foyer featured a fishpond. A somewhat flatter screen was installed following the revival ofLawrence of Arabia,to allow for a less distorted view of the desert skylines. Digital sound was installed in the 1990s, including ceiling speakers.

A special screening in September 1996 ofRichard Attenborough'sGandhiin70mmand six-track magnetic sound marked the end of the Odeon as a single-screen cinema.

Conversion (1997–2016)

In January 1997, the cinema reopened as a five-screen multiplex, converted within the existing space. The circle was split into two interlocked screens; rear stalls similarly, all fitted out with new finishes. A further auditorium was positioned in the former front stalls, with some of the 1960s sidewall panelling retained, and its screen was positioned in the same location, albeit somewhat reduced in size to allow for the adjusted sightlines from a much smaller auditorium.

The closure and conversion had been mooted for several years, and public outcry at losing such a spectacular venue – most notably in the pages of the London weekly listings magazineTime Out,in whichHellboyscreenwriterPeter Briggsplayed a vocal role – delayed the process on at least one occasion.

In March 2011, the cinema had its 35mm projectors and CP65 sound processors removed and went fully digital in all five screens, using NEC digital projectors withDoremiservers. Only screen one retained its Victoria 8 35mm projector and Cinemecanica non-rewind system alongside the digital system for the occasional 35mm shows. The digital network within the cinema was overseen by Unique Digital using its Rosetta Bridge Theatre Management System and any problems could be dealt with remotely from their network operations centre in Norway.

On 8 May 2016, the Odeon Marble Arch closed, and it was demolished later that year.

A replacement multi-screen cinema was intended to be included within the new development, but in October 2021 developer Almacantar announced that plans to include a new cinema had been dropped.

External links

• A complete list of films shown in 70 mm in London.