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STEALING SWEETS AND CATCHING LOBSTERS AT CAMBERWELL ODEON!

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9 September 2008

By Laura Daley
news@southwarknews.org

FOR OVER fifty years, Camberwell was home to one of the largest purpose-built Odeon's in London, a landmark building in the area and a brilliant example of 1930s art deco cinema design. But it wasn't just a building, it provided years of entertainment to the local community.

Built on the site of the old Camberwell Empire and designed by architect Andrew Mather, the Odeon building was completed in 1939 and had two 76ft high towers which were adorned with the trademark red neon lettering of the Odeon name. This could be seen from either direction to entice cinema goers to go through the doors. The fan-shape allowed space for offices and store rooms and also a parade of five shops. The interior was in typical 1930s art deco style, decorated with shades of peach and grey and mirrored glass ceilings. The dramatic central staircase complete with black glass columns lead to the circle lounge which seated 986 whilst the huge auditorium seated 1484. The auditorium had a more simple design nd the walls were covered with a 20ft flowery mural and two octagonal-shaped Odeon clocks were placed above the front stall exits.

The opening film 'Men with Wings', was in Technicolor and was shown on Monday evening, March 20 1939. The atmosphere must have been electric with live music provided by the band and pipers of the 1st Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders, something unknown to modern cinema audiences! The Mayor of Lambeth at the time, councillor Lockyer said that the Odeon was 'one of the finest buildings in the borough'. However, Oscar Deutsch, who operated the Odeon chain, didn't agree and disliked the interior so much that he refused to go there again! Christopher Stone, of gramophone fame, also attended and in a speech, appealed on behalf of the King's College Hospital, encouraging Deutsch to contribute five shillings for every pound given by the audience.

The Second World War did not go unnoticed. On 23rd June 1944, a V1 flying bomb exploded nearby, shaking the building and audiences of the film 'Higher and Higher' which starred Frank Sinatra. The blast caused the projector to move so that Mary Jebson, a projectionist, recalled seeing Sinatra finishing a song on the sidewall of the auditorium rather than the screen! Flying bombs caused further damage on July the 2 and 3 1944 and again on October 28 that year. 

The basement contained an old well and was used as an emergency tank by the fire service during the war. According to one story, Charlie Willis, one manager, used to fish down the well and even caught a lobster! The Odeon had a makeover in 1965 with new seats, carpets and curtains. The entrance was redecorated with a new sales kiosk and hot-dog stand. Technology was improved too with new projectors and sound equipment installed. Children's matinees continued to be held on Saturday mornings at 10.30am and Tony Jaffe, a corner shop owner, fondly remembers having to hire extra assistants to stop kids stealing sweets before and after showings!

By the mid-1970s local cinemas such as the ABC were closing leaving the Odeon as the only cinema still operating in Camberwell, although it had reduced the number of seats to save money. In 1974, the Peckham Odeon tripled in size making the survival of the Camberwell Odeon even more unlikely and eighteen months later on Saturday 5th July 1975, the X-rated 'Night Porter' was the last film ever shown.

Like the Classic Cinema in Victoria, the Odeon was taken over by the Dickie Dirts clothing chain in 1981 but this was short-lived as the firm went bust in April 1982 leaving it vacant once again. Several plans were put forward but didn't materialise such as a pub and snooker hall, and later a Shell petrol station. Despite calls for the Odeon to be preserved for its architecture, the final curtain fell in April 1993 when the building was torn down for redevelopment and a new hostel block called 'The Foyer' was built in October  that year, and more recently a Nandos restaurant.

Thanks to Spencer Hobbs and Richard Norman for helping put this article together with information from their forthcoming book 'The History of the Cinemas of Southwark'.

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