The Odeon Cinema, Magdalen Street, Oxford

Formerly - The Oxford / The Oxford Super Cinema / ABC/ Cannon / MGM - Later - The Oxford Cinema and Cafe

Oxford Theatres

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the Odeon, Magdalen Street, Oxford in June 2022 - Click to Interact.

The Oxford, as this Cinema was called when it first opened, was designed by J. C. Leed (architect) and built by Frank Matcham & Company of London, the now famous Theatre and Cinema designers and builders. It was operated by The Oxford Cinematograph Theatre Company with its main frontage on Magdalen Street, and opened on January 1st 1924, with the silent film 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' starring Rudolph Valentino.

Right - A Report on the new Oxford Cinema, Magdalen Street, Oxford - From the Oxfordshire Weekly News, 9th of January 1924.

The original entrance was small and surrounded by marble, above which was an illuminated bronze sign saying 'The Oxford'. Inside was a lounge decorated in the French Renaissance style, and a 'high class' café. These led through to the main auditorium which sat 1,300 patrons. There being 950 downstairs in the stalls and 350 upstairs in the circle. The decoration in the auditorium was dominated by two large paintings on either side of auditorium by the artist G. Rushton. One was entitled 'Modern Sport and the other 'Early Morning'.

The site of this massive Cinema was very tight, hence the tiny entrance on Magdalen Street, and most of the building was squeezed into a large area behind the entrance surrounded by other buildings as can be seen from the Google Earth image shown left. There was original another entrance down a long thin alley called Friars Entry to the left of the main entrance and this is where all the exits to the auditorium were situated too, meaning that on leaving the Cinema you would find yourself in a tight alley probably with no idea where you were.

Left - A Google Earth view of the Odeon, Magdalen Street, Oxford from above, note how the auditorium was squeezed into a very tight space between other buildings.

On its opening the cinema had an Electric 'Organestra' (electric Organ) which was one of only three built by the Spurdon Rutt Company. The Oxford was also equipped with a small Stage and dressing rooms for artistes but the Stage was not used on the Cinema's opening apart from for the speeches from local dignitaries and the owners, and was little used during the following years either.

Above - The Auditorium and Stage of the Oxford Cinema, later Odeon Cinema, Magdalen Street, Oxford in 1924 - From The Builder, July 11th 1924.

Above - The Auditorium of the the Oxford Cinema, later Odeon Cinema, Magdalen Street, Oxford in 1924 - From The Builder, July 11th 1924.

The Cinema was the first in Oxford however, to show talking pictures this being 'The Broadway Melody' starring Charles King on 6th January 1930. In 1931 the cinema was taken over by the Union Cinema chain who renamed it The Oxford 'Super' Cinema. In 1935/36 the proscenium was rebuilt and the stage extended out over the orchestra pit. This reduced the seating capacity down to 1,251 seats.

Right - The Tea Room of the Oxford Cinema, later Odeon Cinema, Magdalen Street, Oxford in 1924 - From The Builder, July 11th 1924.

In October 1937 Associated British Cinema's (ABC) took over Union Cinema's and they continued to operate the Oxford Cinema.

The cinema was refurbished in July 1971, with new decoration and new seats and re-opened after four weeks, now known as the ABC Magdalen Street, the seating capacity was reduced to 853 luxury seats using the stalls area only.

Left - The Lounge at the Oxford Cinema, later Odeon Cinema, Magdalen Street, Oxford in 1924 - From The Builder, July 11th 1924.

In the mid 1980's the ABC was taken over by the Cannon Group and renamed the 'Cannon'. The cinema was then taken over by MGM and renamed the 'MGM', but was later bought back in a management buy-out and renamed again as the ABC.

In 2000 the cinema was bought by Odeon Cinema's and renamed the Odeon Magdalen Street. The main auditorium now seating 652 people in the stalls and circle, and the former café was been turned into a 62 seat mini cinema. The cinema was given another re-vamp in 2010 with new seats being installed.

Right - A Screenshot of a Notice on the Odeon Website announcing the closure of the Odeon Cinema, Magdalen Street, Oxford.

Sadly, not long before the Cinema's hundredth anniversary, Odeon announced that it was going to close the Cinema completely on the 5th of June 2023. In 2025 it was announced that a new Company had taken a Lease on the former Odeon, Alejandro Whyatt Miranda's Independent chain of Cinemas planned to reopened this, the fifth Cinema in their chain, on May the 23rd 2025 as the Oxford Cinema and Cafe, a two screen Cinema with a Cafe in the Foyer. You may like to visit their own website for the Cinema here.

The former Odeon is a Grade II Listed building.

The article on this page was originally written for this site by David Garratt and kindly sent in for inclusion in 2011. The article is © David Garratt 2011. The Page was updated my M.L. in June and October 2023, and April 2025.

If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me.