# Former Odeon Middlesbrough (Jumpin Jaks Nightclub)



## jbn6773 (Feb 17, 2009)

The Odeon was built for and operated by Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Theatres Ltd chain. It opened on 25th February 1939. The auditorium was converted into a triple screen cinema from 29th September 1974 with 720 seats in the former balcony and two screens seating 110 each in the rear stalls area. In 1989 a fourth screen seating 254 was created in the former front stalls area. 
The Odeon was re-furbished in 1999, but sadly closed on 24th June 2001 (a new 11 screen- 2,564 seat UGC Multiplex opened 22nd June on St. John's Street). In November 2001 the former Odeon re-opened as a 1,000 capacity Jumpin' Jaks nightclub, with the sub-divisions removed but only the stalls being used.
Jumpin' Jaks closed in 2005 and in January 2006, plans were put forward to demolish the former Odeon and build a 27 storey high-rise block of residential units on the site. The Odeon was demolished in July 2006, though the site remains empty, with no sign of work on the high-rise imminent.

I was able to pay a visit thanks to some helpful demolition workers
View of the front 





Side view showing the tower feature. An inspection from inside the tower showed the 'ODEON' signage was still in situ behind the Jumpin Jaks sign




Looking from the main entrance towards the back of the foyer, on the second photo you can see on the back wall between the two pillars where the original staircase to balcony was located







Then towards the main entrance from the back of the foyer (used as toilets for Jumpin Jaks)
The staircase to the upper foyer (during its time as Odeon) was located between the two pillars, goin upwards towards my camera. The photo to the right shows that staircase







remains of toilets in old foyer area




stalls area 




Battery room entrance, on corridor just below top of tower, next to projection room. Projection room with Jumpin Jaks ventilation ducts 







The upper foyer, the light section on the floor is where the original staircase from main foyer to balcony would have been 




Toilets from cinema days







offices










switch rooms ?







Fire exit from balcony




looking to side wall of balcony, with original radiator in situ




looking towards front of balcony, the area of light to the left is from a fire exit installed when the circle was divided from the stalls




Sounds painful!!! 




algiers point?? front stalls area, (stage right)




The tower from outside projection room




More photos of the Odeon including some from its collapse during demolition can be found here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbn6773


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## CHEWY (Feb 17, 2009)

Great stuff..

i love old cinemas 
hope the shop pic is an oldie, or i would've come out 15 stone heavier


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## smileysal (Feb 17, 2009)

Good to find the nice demolition men allowing you entry to take pics of the building before it was demolished. Nice to see some original areas of the building still there, love those pillars. And that shop, I do hope they took all the sweets out before demolition, otherwise if i'd have been there I'd have asked them for the lot lmao.

Excellent pics mate, shame it's gone now.  

Cheers,

 Sal


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## numpty (Feb 17, 2009)

jbn6773 said:


>



ooh - a broken mercury arc recifier - there's some missing mercury on/in the floor there - I bet that doesn't get disposed of safely - or am I maligning demolition crews?

good effort to dive in there and ask the demo team!


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## Urban-Warrior (Feb 17, 2009)

wonderful site.. nice to see the contrast between the parts used for the club and the cinema.. esp the way they integrated the air ducts and built around not instead of the projector room.. nice of the demo crew to let you in..


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## jbn6773 (Feb 17, 2009)

smileysal said:


> Good to find the nice demolition men allowing you entry to take pics of the building before it was demolished. Nice to see some original areas of the building still there, love those pillars. And that shop, I do hope they took all the sweets out before demolition, otherwise if i'd have been there I'd have asked them for the lot lmao.
> 
> Excellent pics mate, shame it's gone now.
> 
> ...



yeah was good of them, but a tray of lager assisted in getting me in. The shop and all the sweets went when odeon closed. only a small part of the foyer was used by jumpin jaks, where you paid to get in, the rest was hidden behind a false wall


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## jbn6773 (Feb 17, 2009)

numpty said:


> ooh - a broken mercury arc recifier - there's some missing mercury on/in the floor there - I bet that doesn't get disposed of safely - or am I maligning demolition crews?
> 
> good effort to dive in there and ask the demo team!



as you can see by the photos on my flickr pages, the demolition did not go well, the roof and wall collapse resulted in all roads around the building being closed for weeks. So i doubt they would have worried bout a bit of mercury. Not too wise to try and get the roof off by pulling it downwards


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## Urban-Warrior (Feb 17, 2009)

jbn6773 said:


> yeah was good of them, but a tray of lager assisted in getting me in. l



Just shows how far a crate of lager can go these days


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