New Victoria Cinema, 7 Clerk Street, Edinburgh

© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Ben Dowell. For further photos please see Mawgrim's Odeon Cavalcade web site

New Victoria / Odeon Cinema - 7 Clerk Street, Edinburgh

Thank you to Gordon Barr for providing the details below. These details are taken from Gordon's Scottish Cinemas and Theatres web site:

Here is an extract from Gordon's description of the cinema:

The New Victoria

1930-1964

"The New Victoria opened on 25 August 1930. It was designed for the Gaumont Company by the architects WE Trent & JW Jordan, with seating for 2,058.

Cinemascope was installed in 1954.

The auditorium was also modernised, and lights were fitted to the ceiling to create the effect of a sitting out under a starry sky in 1960. The seating was also reduced to around 1,784."

The Odeon

1964 - 2003

"In April 1964, the building was renamed the Odeon.

In 1974, the building was B-listed as, in the words of Historic Scotland, 'An outstanding example of the work of the most famous British cinema specialists.'

The stage was made deeper in 1978, and the building was often used for live music shows such as 'The Clash'.

In 1982, the auditorium was subdivided, with two new cinemas created in the original rear stalls area.

In 1989, two more screens were created.

In 2003, Odeon sold the building to a property developer.

The cinema closed on 30th August 2003.

Gordon Barr