Odeon Cinema, Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot, Devon
The exterior of the cinema which opened on the 17 February 1936, it is advertising Greta Garbo in 'Anna Karenina', the first film to be shown there. In 1972 the cinema closed, and the building was converted to a car showroom, before eventually being demolished in 1983. 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.
