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Report - - Luton ABC nee Savoy, April 2014 | Theatres and Cinemas | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Luton ABC nee Savoy, April 2014

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dweeb

28DL Regular User
Regular User
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.


There was a report from donkey's years ago from here and it looked good, for some reason it has fallen off the radar but it's still there and quite doable.

After a comedy entrance (which turned out to be a lot of pointless work) it became clear that some work had gone on and it was not quite as mint as the 2008 report had made it out to be.

That said there was lots left to see. Original plasterwork revealed with the removal of 60's suspended ceilings, letter store, and those great forgotten bits of a cinema that you find behind 60's walls from the time it was tripled.

The ABC also boasts a tiled projection room?? A first for me!

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