Odeon
Oscar Deutsch
We now have instant access to hundreds of media platforms and apps. But for a long time, before television and the internet, the main form of popular entertainment was the cinema. A movie theatre provided an affordable place where you could socialise and spend time with the whole family.
Someone who understood this was Oscar Deutsch, founder of the Odeon cinema chain. Born to Jewish parents from Hungary and Poland, Oscar grew up in Birmingham. In 1930 he opened the first Odeon cinema in his home city. By the time of his death in 1941, he had 258 cinemas throughout Britain.
All images courtesy Historic England
Odeon cinemas were famous for their distinctive design. Oscar Deutsch hired architects to produce cutting-edge art deco palaces that provided a luxurious viewing experience. His wife, Lillian, designed most of the interiors of the original cinemas.
Nearly a century after its founding, Odeon is still one of the most recognisable names in British cinema, and many of its buildings are now listed architectural treasures.
