Luton Savoy/Cannon/ABC - May 2014

Landie_Man · May 29, 2014

Situated in my favourite town in the world……….

….Is this wonderful, old school cinema which is long past it unfortunately. I expected this to be a hell of a lot worse than it actually was. Its smashed, trashed, stripped and totally pillaged but its a nice 2 hours or so.

The 1,892 seat Savoy Cinema opened on George Street (a main town centre thoroughfare) on 17 October 1938. It was designed by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) in-house architect William R. Glen and immediately assummed the leading position in the ABC cinemas in town (the Empire Cinema closed two days earlier, but the Alma Cinema and Union Cinema continued for many years).It closed in April 1971 for tripling and emerged as a three screen complex in September 1971. There were 632 seats in Screen 1 (former circle) and 458 and 272 in screens 2 & 3 (former stalls).

It was renamed Cannon in April 1986. When a new 10-screen Cineworld multiplex opened just a short walk down the street in 1998, the Cannon continued for another two years, finally closing in November 2000. It has lain empty since, despite several plans to establish an arts centre / theatre in the building.

Info Quoted from Cinema Treasures @

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/6248

A miserable day in a miserable town but a good(ish) explore!

As you will see in these photos; these cinemas were “refurbished” and many of the lovely old features were hidden behind a suspended ceiling which has thankfully mostly fallen away now, revealing whats underneath.

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