ABC's
Edinburgh flagship opened 1938 as the Regal. A description of the
cinema not long after opening was featured in Ideal Kinema in April
1939: ABC's Edinburgh Regal Exterior Designed to Achieve Harmony with Surrounding Buildings Interior Maintains The Unpretentious Note The spacious interior is unpretentious, a severity of treatment being generally noticeable except at the proscenium end, where the side walls attract attention. A delicately executed panel is a feature of this decoration and beyond this a louvred space, divided by horizontal bands, is flanked by smaller grille features. Curtains give a rich appearance, the outer tabs bearing an appliqued design in various coloured satins and slightly festooned. The screen borders and curtains are also festooned and the wing curtains plain gathered. Hall and Dixon, Ltd., was responsible for these and for the general house curtains in various materials. Carpets and floor coverings were also laid by Hall and Dixon. Ross projectors are installed with Western Electric Mirrophonic, and a Hewittic twin-bulb rectifier with an output of 150 amps at 100 volts DC suplies the arc. A chloride battery of 48 sealed-in cells operated on a 100-volt floating battering system supplies emergency lighting. The Regal was tripled and renamed the ABC Film Centre in 1969. Later the Cannon Film Centre. Closed in 2000, with auditorium entirely demolished. Main picture above courtesy of Harry Rigby, as is this picture taken of the exterior when an ABC. Photos of the projection rooms when this was the ABC / Cannon in the 1990s are here, courtesy of Andy Simmonds.
Now rebuilt behind the retained facade as an office development, it incorporates a 5-screen Odeon miniplex in the basement. This opened late 2003 (the opening was delayed due to construction problems - possibly not unconnected with the fact the site used to be a canal basin, and the ABC basement was always prone to flooding...). |
The older (facade) part of the building is listed, Category
B. Official Odeon website at http://www.odeon.co.uk/ ABC (Regal) Film Centre Cinema 1 (35mm & 70mm) From 1956 onwards Philips DP70’s (35/70mm Projectors) then Philips DP75 (35/70mm Projector) with Philips Non Rewind system. Philips and Dolby SR Cinema 2, (35mm & 70mm) Philips DP75 Philips Non Rewind system. Dolby SR Cinema 3, (35mm only) Philips FP20. Philips Non Rewind system. Dolby Stereo Odeon Miniplex 35mm only Cinemas 1-4 Cinemeccanica Victoria 5 with Christie Non Rewind system |