ABC cinema renamed December 14, 1959...

ABC cinema renamed December 14, 1959

Associated British Cinemas Ltd. (ABC) constructed the Carlton Cinema, which was created by their “in-house”

architect, W.R. Glen. It was the third biggest movie theatre in the city and stood imposingly on the junction of Chapel

Bar and Mount Street, only 50 yards from the Ritz Cinema/Odeon.

Charles Laughton’s “Jamaica Inn” marked the opening of the Carlton Cinema on October 16, 1939. There were 783

seats in the circle and 1,294 seats in the stalls.

ABC was renamed on December 14, 1959. It hosted the UK Provincial Premiere of “Saturday Night and Sunday

Morning,” which was filmed on location in Nottingham and starred Shirley Anne Field and Albert Finney, on

November 13, 1960.

Closed on 24th August 1974, for conversion into a triple-screen cinema. ABC 1 with 797 seats located in the former

circle opened on 4th November 1974, and ABC 2 & 3 with seating for 440 & 282 located in the former stalls opened

on 2nd December 1974.

After being acquired by the Cannon Group and rebranded as Cannon in 1986, it briefly changed its name to the

MGM before becoming Virgin. A management buyout reclaimed it and changed its name to ABC.

Screenings of “The Mummy,” “Ten Things I Hate About You,” and “Notting Hill” marked the ABC’s closure on July

22, 1999. Plans to construct a 14-screen multiplex on the property were rejected. Early in 2001, the movie theatre

was dismantled, and a structure including a hotel, bars, restaurants, offices, and a gym was built in its place.