|
|
|
|
|
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Odeon Cinema, Oxford Street, Manchester Formerly the Paramount Theatre
Above - The auditorium and stage of the Odeon Cinema, formerly the Paramount Theatre, Manchester a week before it was subdivided - From the 21st Anniversary edition of the Cinema Organ Society journal, December 1973
|
||
|
The Theatre had seating for 2,920 people on two levels, Stalls and Balcony, a fully equipped stage and fly tower, dressing rooms, and orchestra pit and its very own Wurlitzer 4 manual 20 rank publix No.1 Theatre Organ. The Paramount was used primarily for film but also put on live shows on its large stage and was built to be operating in the then popular cine-variety era. In 1974 the Theatre was sub divided and became a Twin Screen Cinema and the Theatre's original Wurlitzer organ was removed at this time with an heroic effort just after the Theatre closed, and was then reinstalled in the Free Trade Hall just a hundred yards from its original home. Right - Reconstruction work for twinning of the Odeon Cinema, formerly the Paramount Theatre, Manchester - From the 21st Anniversary edition of the Cinema Organ Society journal, December 1973.
|
||
|
Above Left - Reconstruction work for twinning of the Odeon Cinema, formerly the Paramount Theatre, Manchester - And Right - Mike Byrne stands in the empty Main Organ Chamber - From the 21st Anniversary edition of the Cinema Organ Society journal, December 1973.
Above - The Wurlitzer Organ Console outside the main entrance of the Odeon Cinema, formerly the Paramount Theatre, Manchester during the Theatre's twinning - From the 21st Anniversary edition of the Cinema Organ Society journal, December 1973. The Theatre was twinned in 1973 splitting the auditorium into two on the balcony and stalls levels, then trippled in 1979, and a furthur 4 screens were added in 1992 using the basement and stage areas. Despite all this when it closed in 2004 the Theatre still retained its orchestra pit, stage, and proscenium, and its ceiling and foyer areas were still partly intact, even though much of it was hidden. Consequently the Theatre could still have been restored to something like its former state given the will and finance. However, the building is not Listed, its future looks bleak, and its demolition seems likely for replacement with a 14-storey office block. |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
The
Odeon Cinema in Oxford Street, Manchester originally opened in 1930
as the Paramount Theatre and was built for the Paramount Film Company
of America to the designs of 
