Odeon Haymarket

The Odeon Haymarket was a single-screen cinema located at 50 Haymarket, London.

Three cinemas occupied this site.

Capitol (1925–1937)

Opened in 1925, this was a large and ornate cinema created as part of a development of an island site on this major London thoroughfare.

Designed by Andrew Mather (architect of many later Odeon cinemas) the cinema used theatrical norms of stalls and circle seating, together with a number of boxes. An organ was installed and used during intermissions. Total seating was 1700. Ownership was varied passing from Sir Walter Gibbons to Gaumont British.

The cinema is noted as the location of the first run of the first British 'talkie', Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail in 1929. In its basement was located the Kit Kat Club, one of the most famous London nightclubs of the roaring 1920s (not to be mixed up with an older political club similarly named).

Gaumont (1937–1959)

A new cinema was created within an internal gutting of the Capitol. Seating was split between circle and stalls and totaled 1328. A Compton organ was installed. A much wider entrance was created at street level. During this period ownership of Gaumont passed to J Arthur Rank.

Odeon (1962–1996)

Following declining audience numbers at the Gaumont, a second complete internal gutting took place, creating a single-level, basement cinema with office space created above. Access to the cinema was from the southern corner of the building, leading to a small foyer and then stairs down to the screen.

The Odeon seated 600, was spaciously raked and distinctively decorated in an alternating series of gold and tan wall stripped wall coverings and had a 'honeycomb' ceiling of circular holes.

Famous projectionists at this theatre include Frederick Fullerton, Steffan Laugharne, Stephen Lindley, Mervyn Simcoe, Alexander Robertshaw, Michael Weinert and Matthew Bristowe.

The cinema specialised in more up-market attractions, often for exclusive seasons. Films included Playtime, Mel Gibson's Hamlet and Chariots of Fire.

Closure

The cinema was closed in 1996^[1] nominally for a refurbishment but later gutted to become a nightclub. Planning permission was granted on appeal on 27 April 2007 for a nightclub in the basement, but the landlords have struggled to let the space as it is restricted to D2 use but is too low for a modern cinema.^[1] On 12 August 2010 the permission was extended to 27 April 2012.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Item 06-50 Haymarket, SW1" (pdf). http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/newcsu/Planning%20Applications%20Committees/2008%20onwards/2010/30%20-%2012%20August/ITEM%2006%20-%2050%20Haymarket,%20SW1%20%28ADDENDUM%20REPORT%29.PDF. 

Coordinates: 51°30′34″N 0°7′59″W / 51.50944°N 0.13306°W / 51.50944; -0.13306