Oscar and the Odeons

The growth of the Odeon chain during the 1930s is one of the most remarkable stories in British film.

The son of Hungarian emigrés from Balsall Heath, Oscar Deutsch oversaw a wave of cinema-building in suburbs across the country, establishing an influential house style in the process and leaving us with some iconic modernist architecture. All of this during a depression, while battling constant ill health. The author of two authoritative studies on the circuit, Allen Eyles will today offer an insight into the inner workings of Odeon and the conditions that enabled them to flourish. Includes a screening of 1973 documentary Odeon Cavalcade.

This event is part of Wonderland, a new project mapping the city's picture-palaces past and present and exploring the stories associated with them. Wonderland is presented by the Birmingham 2022 Festival, supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, produced by Flatpack Festival.