This is not Miami. The original Art Deco gem, the Odeon Cinema is located in South London in the borough of Beckenham. The grade II listed building opened on 22nd September 1930 as a Regal Cinema. Among the facilities on offer were a fully equipped stage, a ballroom, a restaurant located on the ground floor and a Wurlitzer Model F 2Manual/8Rank theatre organ. It was operated by County Cinemas and in 1936 was taken over by the Union Cinemas chain. It was later an ABC Cinema for many years and closed in November 1978 for conversion into a triple screen cinema. The balcony remained intact as Screen 1 with a seating capacity of 587 which re-opened on 21st December 1978. Odeon Cinemas Group took control in 2000 and proposed plans to convert the building into six screens. There was some controversy over the conversion of the ballroom into an extra screen, as this contained a great deal of the original Art Deco decoration and stained-glass windows. The conversion went ahead and the six screen Odeon re-opened on 19th September 2001. The former ballroom is now Screen 2 with 207 seats, although a lot of the original decorative details have been retained, they are covered over. Screen 5 is located in the former front stalls area, using the original proscenium opening, and seats 207. Screen 6, also seating 207 is located on the former stage. The former restaurant is now an extension of the foyer and is used as a coffee bar. (Cinematreasures.org)
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