Odeon Cinema, Alfreton, Derbyshire
A view of The Royal just before it was taken into the Odeon chain on 17 July 1936. The Royalty Cinema opened in April 1931, became an Odeon in 1936, and closed in May 1964. It was demolished the following year. The Odeon cinema company was founded in 1930 by Oscar Deutsch. During the 1930s, it grew to become one of the country’s major chains of cinemas. The first five Odeon cinemas opened in 1933, and by 1936 there were 142 across the country. Although each Odeon was unique, the use of a set range of architectural features meant that most of the cinemas were instantly recognisable as an 'Odeon', with their distinctive Modernist style. The slogan, ‘Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation’ (ODEON) was also synonymous with the brand.
