The first person to manage the Odeon, Chester was a Mr Harry Yorke, who had previously worked in Brighton. The opening was a grand affair with film star Douglas Fairbanks Junior in attendance.The cinema continued as a single screen until 1976.That year two more screens were added, built in the stalls area. A new projection box was built in the front stalls area to provide projection to the three screens. Number one still had two projectors with 6000ft spoolboxes.Projection from this box to the number one screen required an upward rake. Projection for screens two and three was from the side of the screens, by use of mirrors. Only one projector was used for each screen. Non-rewind systems were also in use. Odeon one used the balcony area and the original proscenium was still intact and used for Odeon one. In 1991 two more screens were installed in the building.These were created in the back circle.These new additions were called screens two and three.The downstairs cinemas,which had been one and two now became four and five.The original projection room,which had been closed when the building was converted to three screens, re-opened to provide projection to the new screens.Number one had top and side masking.The masking would open vertically, giving a large wide screen picture. For scope it would drop down and widen out.The scope, I thought wasn’t that impressive,but wide screen was great. A few months before closure a new screen was put into number one with side masking only, giving a better scope experience. Number one eventually went over to a single projector with a non-rewind system a few years back.
When the Odeon in London Road Liverpool was a Paramount theatre it was equipped with Simplex projectors.When it became Odeon, Kalee 21s were in use. When it became a 70mm house, Philips DP70s were employed. Today the ten screen cinema uses Cinemeccanica equipment.
In 1964 projection equipment at the Odeon was Kalee 21 machines with President arc lamps and Duosonic sound. Projectomatic automation was another feature enabling auto changeovers etc. The chief projectionist was Fred Laird. Trainee operator was John Forster. He went on to work for ABC and later as a relief operator for Cheshire County Cinemas based at the now demolished Empress Runcorn. John is now working at the Odeon in Bournemouth. A few doors up from the Odeon in Warrington stood the Empire, demoished in the early 1960s. It had a large poster on the side advertising stereophonic sound. It said it was the only cinema in Warrington with stereophonic sound. Eventually the Kalee machines were removed from the Odeon and replaced by Cinemeccanica equipment.
The first person to manage the Odeon, Chester was a Mr Harry Yorke, who had previously worked in Brighton. The opening was a grand affair with film star Douglas Fairbanks Junior in attendance.The cinema continued as a single screen until 1976.That year two more screens were added, built in the stalls area. A new projection box was built in the front stalls area to provide projection to the three screens. Number one still had two projectors with 6000ft spoolboxes.Projection from this box to the number one screen required an upward rake. Projection for screens two and three was from the side of the screens, by use of mirrors. Only one projector was used for each screen. Non-rewind systems were also in use. Odeon one used the balcony area and the original proscenium was still intact and used for Odeon one. In 1991 two more screens were installed in the building.These were created in the back circle.These new additions were called screens two and three.The downstairs cinemas,which had been one and two now became four and five.The original projection room,which had been closed when the building was converted to three screens, re-opened to provide projection to the new screens.Number one had top and side masking.The masking would open vertically, giving a large wide screen picture. For scope it would drop down and widen out.The scope, I thought wasn’t that impressive,but wide screen was great. A few months before closure a new screen was put into number one with side masking only, giving a better scope experience. Number one eventually went over to a single projector with a non-rewind system a few years back.
When the Odeon in London Road Liverpool was a Paramount theatre it was equipped with Simplex projectors.When it became Odeon, Kalee 21s were in use. When it became a 70mm house, Philips DP70s were employed. Today the ten screen cinema uses Cinemeccanica equipment.
In 1964 projection equipment at the Odeon was Kalee 21 machines with President arc lamps and Duosonic sound. Projectomatic automation was another feature enabling auto changeovers etc. The chief projectionist was Fred Laird. Trainee operator was John Forster. He went on to work for ABC and later as a relief operator for Cheshire County Cinemas based at the now demolished Empress Runcorn. John is now working at the Odeon in Bournemouth. A few doors up from the Odeon in Warrington stood the Empire, demoished in the early 1960s. It had a large poster on the side advertising stereophonic sound. It said it was the only cinema in Warrington with stereophonic sound. Eventually the Kalee machines were removed from the Odeon and replaced by Cinemeccanica equipment.