Report - Odeon - Scala House - Birmingham - Sept 2010

[God]

Visited with Bubblehead

This little place has been on the exploring radar for ages. Recce after recce we planned further, and finally we made our way in. Rumours suggested this place was flooded but no one ever said how much, and there has never been any pictures from inside giving confirmation.

Although the place is definately not flooded, it has been completely stripped of seats, screen and projectors, but it did hold a few treasures.

History

The Scala Superama Cinema was built as a replacement for the old 1914 Scala Theatre which had been closed in 1960. Contained in a new office block named Scala House, the cinema was a project of Compton Films Ltd. who distributed sex orientated foreign films and operated sex cinemas and cinema clubs in London. The Scala Superama was designed as a 'Roadshow' house, together with the new Superama Cinema in Derby.

The Birmingham Scala Superama Cinema opened on 23rd November 1964. All seating was in a stadium style on a single stepped floor and it was equipped for 35mm and 70mm presentations. It was taken over by the Rank Organisation from 22nd February 1970 and re-named Odeon Ringway (due to its location close to Smallbrook Ringway).

It was re-named Odeon Queensway in June 1972 and re-furbished in 1983. It was at this time that the Cinecenta twin cinema next door was taken over by the Rank organisation and was incorporated into the Odeon Queensway.

The cinemas closed on 18th September 1988 and have remained empty and unused ever since.

Google brought up these pictures of the cinema in its former glory. I've only linked as they are not mine.

https://flic.kr/p/8xdZtG

https://flic.kr/p/8xaYce

The other two screens have been incorporated in Oceana Nightclub and is still very much a live site. The rear passageways and items stored in them suggest that they are accessed and are in frequent use. We did debate going through to the live site, but we wanted a return trip so didn't push our luck.

Photos

 

[bubblehead]

Certainly was an entertaining evening
Shame this place is stripped, and a real shame i forgot my spare battery as i only managed to get a few pics before my camera died.

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[35cineman]

wow another cinerama screen? or regular 70mm screen? amazes me how these places deteriorate in short time. the Egyptian pyramids are more intact. this cinema should be explored.