Archive materials relating to Odeon Cinema, Bradford (formerly the New Victoria Cinema).

The archive includes approximately 200 paper items including architectural drawings relating mostly to the 1969 development of two cinemas and a bingo club, with a small number relating to the 1988 addition of a third cinema and technical drawings relating to the equipment used on site. Also, instruction manuals for both projection and estate equipment, brochures for new products, minutes of meetings and the Chief Operator’s log for July 1981 to March 1983.

The Odeon cinema in Bradford city centre closed its doors on Sunday 2 July 2000 with a screening of Chicken Run, after being in business for just under 70 years (having opened on 22 September 1930 as the New Victoria).

The New Victoria was to be the third largest cinema auditorium in England at the time of its construction with seating designed for 3500 (this was later reduced to 3318, but it still remained one of the ‘super cinemas’ of the period). Most of the building materials and furnishings were provided by Bradford and district firms and the construction provided work for almost 500 Bradfordians.

The New Victoria cinema traded until 30 November 1968 and shortly after was taken over by the Rank Organisation. The new owners decided to split the large single auditorium into three units – 2 smaller cinemas (Odeon 2 seating 1200 (later reduced to 1000 due to fire regulations and Odeon 1 seating 467) and a bingo hall. This was the first conversion in the Rank Cinema Chain (the parent company of Odeon) to include a cinema and bingo/social club in the same building.