Kettering cinemas retro 41 pictures marking the end of town's movie theatres

This week we are marking the end of an era as Kettering's Odeon cinema closes prior to demolition.

Kettering has been home to six cinema locations for more than a century under various names and guises.

First to open was Vint’s Electric Palace in 1909 in the former Corn Exchange in Market Place. It became The Hippodrome – a restored sign on the side of The Kino Lounge marks the spot.

Kettering Electric Pavilion, later the Gaumont Pavilion – nicknamed the Pav – in High Street opened in 1913, introduced the ‘talkies’. Despite a revamp in 1953, it closed in 1959 and was demolished in 1960. Superdrug now stands in its place.

Victoria Picture Palace (later the Odeon) in Gold Street opened in Gold Street in 1936. The deluxe Art Deco building could seat over 1,000 patrons. The last film shown there in 1960 re-opening in 1961 as a bingo hall, but was demolished in 1974 as part of the Gold Street redevelopment.

The Empire, later New Empire, in Eskdaill Street can still be seen but is now Selecta Tyre. It was the town’s smallest cinema when it opened in 1920, with 500 seats. It was re-named The New Empire in 1942, but closed in 1954.

The Savoy, then Studios 1 & 2, then Ohio, in Russell Street. was built in 1938 to replace the burned-down Coliseum. In 1968 the downstairs was converted to a bingo hall and in 1973 the upstairs became two studio cinemas, which closed in 1984 and re-opened in 1986 as The Ohio. It was demolished in 2014 to make way for housing.

The Regal (later Granada, then the Gala Bingo) in High Street, officially opened by Earl Spencer on Boxing Day, 1936. It boasted 2,000 seats and a neon-lit central tower. After closing in 1974, it was a bingo hall for over 40 years, but has been empty since closing in 2018 - apart from an infamous stint as a huge cannabis factory in 2019

With big thanks to local author, journalist, and historian Tony Smith.

For more go to Facebook Tony Smith's Kettering.

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