ABC Cinema 1962 - 1998



In November 1961, the Rivoli closed for six and a half months, the picture house being completley modernised and redecorated at a cost of £90,000. It re-opened on 7th June, 1962, as Southend's first luxury cinema, having been re-named the ABC with seating reduced to 1,226. The very top of the building was effectively 'chopped off' and a new brick façade was built onto the front, in keeping with the styles of the sixties which by today's standards is not particularly attractive. At the time, however it was state of the art and a very popular style.

The opening film in 1962 was Escape from Zahrain. The Southend ABC was the first cinema in Britain to open a theatre club - the Marine Bar. In 1976, the building was fitted out for 'Sensurround' presentations. In 1980, the ABC again closed, this time for conversion to twin auditoria. These opened in May 1980, seating 680 downstairs and 298 upstairs.

The cinema continued to show films until January 1998, when it closed due to increasing competition from other cinemas, such as the new multiplex cinema at the top of Southend High Street.



The Southend Standard reported on the opening of the new cinema in June 1962. Included were these sketches of the new building. The one pictured left is of the upstairs balcony looking down towards the stage and screen, now taking a circular shape as many cinemas were at the time. Pictured clearly is the large circular shape on the ceiling of the plaster work which was installed originally for the Rivoli in 1920. By 1962 it had been painted a deep red colour.



The artist's impression of the 'new' foyer, looking very much as it does now (though now it is less 'shiney'!) Pictured also is the strongly patterened carpet.



The artist's sketch of the new façade in 1962.


 The same façade in 1998. This picture was taken just after the cinema was closed in January 1998, the carpet installed in 1962 now being removed by the same company who put it in. The sharp triangular shape at the top is the original Empire roof, and shows the original width of the building, the peak of the triangle being the old centre.
The Southend Standard report in 1962, with the sketches included and a full description of the new cinema. Click here to view the report, please be aware that this may take a long time to download, perhaps a couple of minutes.

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Many famous and distinguished people visited the ABC, pictured left is Brian Poole (centre) of the Tremeloes, down in the Marine Bar, with Les Allen the manager.
Les Allen on stage at the ABC with 'Carry On' Star Kenneth Connor.




click here for a larger image


 One of Les Allen's annual staff get togethers, pictured left with all the children of the staff. Were you at this get together? Were you one of the children? If you were a member of staff during the ABC days, please contact us, we would love to hear from you.


Shown here are pictures of the upstairs projection box taken in January 1998, just before the cinema close. All this equipment was removed. When we arrived, the box had been stripped totally.

Any cinema buffs out there will instantly recognise most of the equipment shown, when we have exact details, we will add them to this section.







The Upstairs auditorium in January 1998, just before the cinema closed, and still with the Cinema seating, which was soon removed and sold on to another cinema. These pictures show the screen intact, before the sound equipment was taken out.



The cinema foyer, date unknown but quite recent (late eighties early nineties). The cinema was taken over by Cannon in the late 80s, but became ABC again towards the end nineties.


This photograph taken as the cinema was being stripped out in January 1998. The carpet (which was deep red) has been pulled up, leaving behind the underlay which we had to take up ourselves, revealing the marble floor as we now have it.




In 1998, it doesn't look too different from the artist's sketch in the Standard of 1962.
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