ODEON

Market Street (Demolished 2020/21)

Designed by: Harry Weedon 

Opened: 21st February 1938
Closed: 6th February 1971
Capacity: 1526

First film: The Sky’s The Limit
Last film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (re-release)

This Art Deco Cinema was the largest single auditorium in Chorley yet 2 hour queues to get in were not unusual. Divided into circle and stalls, audiences preferred the upstairs, where the lounge was.

All seats were padded and a deep-pile fitted carpet was throughout the building. Considered very grand, it had at least 8 tropical fish tanks, there was a lot of red in the colour scheme and staff had uniforms with gold piping. When it originally opened they ran the Mickey Mouse Club before becoming a general kids club with serials, songs, badges, cartoons and staff members dressed as cowboys on the stage in front of the screen.

It was regarded as the cinema to impress a date, with a box of Roses chocolates from the usherettes. The Odeon had lots of staff able to run ad campaigns, displays and special events such as when Lionel Jeffries returned to the town. It led the campaign for Sunday openings, and won a vote in 1956 for all cinemas to operate 7-days-a-week.

The Odeon closed in 1971, then became a bingo hall until that closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. With many repairs needed Gala Bingo handed back the building to Chorley Council who were unable to cover the cost of bringing back into use the building was due to be demolished in early 2021.