Odeon West End

The Odeon West End is a cinema on the south side of Leicester Square, London. It contains two screens -- screen 1 seats 500 and screen 2 seats 832 [1]. Both house large screens in comfortable auditoria. It is often used for smaller film premieres, and yearly hosts the BFI London Film Festival. Odeon West End taken by C Ford 7th March 04. ... Odeon West End taken by C Ford 7th March 04. ... Leicester Square at night in 2005: a view towards the northeast corner. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

The Odeon was built in 1930 as The Leicester Square Theatre, a name it largely remained with until 1988. The theatre was built as a cine-variety venue for Jack Buchanan - a penthouse apartment was housed on the roof for the star - and showcased both film and short variety performances, before going over to film on a more permanent basis. A large single screen was housed in an ornate, three-tiered auditorium. Jack Buchanan (April 2, 1891 - October 20, 1957) was a British actor and singer. ...

It was sold to J.Arthur Rank in 1937 and became Rank's first cinema, although not named Odeon for many years to come. The Odeon was a building used for musical performance in Athens built in the 5th century BC. Hence, any building in ancient Greece or the ancient Roman Empire was called an odeon. ...

The cinema was modernised in 1968 into a much blander shell, based around a remodelled stalls and single circle and was twinned into a two-screen venue in 1988 (Screen 1 in the former circle and Screen 2 in the stalls) and renamed Odeon West End.

Odeon sold the site in February 2006, although continuing to operate as part of the Odeon chain until redevelopment plans are finalised. Provisional plans have been drawn up to convert the site into a hotel complex, although some concern has been expressed as to whether the Leicester Square facade will be retained. It seems likely that a (smaller) cinema operation may be retained in the basement. An operator has not been identified. The Odeon was a building used for musical performance in Athens built in the 5th century BC. Hence, any building in ancient Greece or the ancient Roman Empire was called an odeon. ...

The World Premiere of Sex and the City: The Movie took place at The Odeon on Monday, May 12, 2008 to a roaring audience of 1700. Its stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall were all greeted by the jubilant crowd who lined the streets to catch a glimpse of their screen heroines. Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and producer, with a portfolio of television, film, and theater performances. ... Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is a Tony and Emmy Award-winning American actress who is best known for her portrayal of lawyer Miranda Hobbes in the popular HBO comedy-drama Sex and the City (1998–2004). ... Kristin Landen Davis (also listed as Kristin Lee Davis) (born February 23 or February 24,[1] 1965 depending on the source) is an American Golden Globe and Emmy award-nominated actress best known for the role of Charlotte York on HBOs Sex and the City. ... Kim Victoria Cattrall (born August 21, 1956, in Widnes, England) is an English-born Canadian actress. ...