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Here now is a selection of images taken on the last day of the old ABC Cinema. Now demolished and rebuilt as a 4 screen Odeon, the cinema has gone through a number of guises and has been an 'ABC' twice.
Above is the projector in room 2 for screen 2. Peirless Arc converted to QI lamps with Century dual 35mm/ 70mm mechanisms allow two sizes of film on the one machine. Above right is a close-up of the dual system. The top most part is the digital magnetic sound head for 70mm. The sound head for 35mm is below the picture gate.
In the 1970s the ABC became the first multi-screen cinema in Europe having been split into 3 cinemas. Screen 2 was two thirds of the original stalls of the old cinema.
The curtains drawn over screen 2. The decor of the 1970s had never been changed by the time the cinema closed. The seating was well and truely done, it looked soft until you sat down.
Two views of the projector in room 3 for screen 3. This was a standard single format machine for 35mm. I had the joy of running the projectors in all 3 screen at the ABC in the weeks before closure. (it wasn't my fault- honest!)
Looking to the rear of screen 3 showing off it's 70s decor. Thurso Picture House was also in these colors in the early 70s.
Screen 1 and 2 had plain red curtains but in screen 3 a very traditional vertical-lift set with classic uplighters made it feel warm in this otherwise cold cinema. Screen 3 is the remaing 3rd of the old stalls area. Screen 1, with the biggest screen in Scotland (until the Fountain Bridge complex opened), was constructed from the cinema's balcony.
It's funny what you don't photograph when you know you should! Well I had only a few frames and 45 minutes before catching a bus back home so I didn't get a picture of screen 1 but I did get the assistant projectionist to take a picture of this half-dwarf, half stormtrooper, all fruitcake leaning on the projector in room 1. Originally all projection rooms had two machines each but platters were introduced later which enable full length films to be run without change-overs.
Screen1 also had a dual system projector for 35mm/ 70mm films.
Don't forget people, there is still a cinema at the old ABC location. Now an ODEON cinema with four screen offers the latest movies for your big screen pleasure.
