Lewisham Odeon
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| Location | Loampit Vale, Lewisham, London, SE13 |
|---|---|
| Owner | Gaumont-British (1932 - 1941) Rank Organisation (1941 - 1981) |
| Capacity | 3050 |
| Opened | 1962 |
| Closed | 1981 |
The Lewisham Odeon was a cinema located in Lewisham, London, England.
It opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace with the films Westward Passage and The Midshipmaid. With 3,050 seats it was among the UK's largest cinemas.[1]
An article originally published in the Observer on 16 September 1956 quotes a soldier visiting the cinema to see Rock Around The Clock saying "You should have seen this place last night. Jiving on the stage they were, till the cops came." It goes on to mention a boy escorted out by police, also for jiving, and ending up in a "meat-wagon"[2]
In October 1959 a pre-fame Georgie Fame, then known as Clive Powell, auditioned for pop manager Larry Parnes at the theater during The Marty Wilde Show. He performed a cover of Jerry Lee Lewis' High School Confidential and was hired as a backing pianist for Parnes “stable” of singers.[3]
On Sunday, 1 May 1960, Gene Vincent re-started his U.K. tour at the Gaumont after the car crash on the 16th April following his Bristol concert, as reported by the New Musical Express, the following week. He sang, so that newspaper reported, Over the Rainbow.[4]
The building reopened in 1962 as the Lewisham Odeon after being closed for several months due to a fire. It nostalgically re-screened The Midshipmaid, and its first new showing was That Touch of Mink.
Concerts were also staged at the cinema, with performances by artists such as David Bowie,[5] Status Quo, Nat King Cole, Johnny Cash, The Hollies, The Beatles,[6] Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers,[7] The Supremes, Deep Purple,[8] Dire Straits,[9] Rod Stewart, The Clash,[10] The Specials, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Adam and The Ants, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas,[11] Thin Lizzy,[12] and The Who.[13]
After closing in 1981, the entire building was demolished in 1991 for a road widening scheme.[4][14]
References
[edit]- ^ "The Lewisham Gaumont / Odeon Cinema | 47bus". 47bus.wordpress.com. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ Sampson, Anthony (16 September 1956). "Dig That Crazy Jive, Man!". The Observer. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Gildart, K. (2013). Images of England Through Popular Music: Class, Youth and Rock 'n' Roll, 1955-1976. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137384256.
- ^ a b "Odeon Lewisham in London, GB". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ Griffin, Roger (2016). David Bowie: The Golden Years. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781780380162.
- ^ Van Der Kiste, John (2016). A Beatles Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Beatles but Were Afraid to Ask. Fonthill Media. ISBN 9781781555828.
- ^ Leigh, Spencer (2023). Little Richard: Send Me Some Lovin'. McNidder & Grace. ISBN 978-0857162441.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. ECW Press. ISBN 9781550226188.
- ^ Illsley, John (2021). My Life in Dire Straits: The Inside Story of One of the Biggest Bands in Rock History. Transworld Digital. ISBN 9781473587946.
- ^ Parker, Alan (2003). The Clash: Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg. Abstract Sounds Publishing. ISBN 9780953572496.
- ^ Richardson, Clive (2012). Soul Citizen: Tales and Travels from the Dawn of the Soul Era to the Internet Age. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781291246735.
- ^ Putterford, Mark (2002). Phil Lynott: The Rocker. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780711991040.
- ^ Neill, Andy; Kent, Matt (2011). Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who 1958-1978. Virgin. ISBN 9780753547977.
- ^ Allen, Carl (2016). London Gig Venues. ISBN 1445658194.
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