One of Salisbury’s most iconic buildings is celebrating a milestone anniversary this year.

The Odeon on New Canal Street reopened its doors to cinemagoers in 1964 after The Rank Organisation took control, with the cinema having previously been operated by The Gaumont Group as the Gaumont Palace Theatre since 1931.

MORE: Odeon: Inside Salisbury's Grade I listed medieval cinema

The building was originally constructed in 1470 by John Halle, just as the Medieval Period was drawing to a close and Henry VI began his second spell as King of England. Halle was renowned as a colourful local character.

(Image: Spencer Mulholland)

A wealthy local wool merchant, Halle served as both Member of Parliament for the ancient cathedral City and as its Mayor for four terms, including one term bestowed on him by the City whilst he was jailed in the Tower of London on the personal orders of the King following an ill-tempered land dispute with the Bishop of Salisbury, Richard de Beauchamp. 

Cllr Sven Hocking, the current Mayor of Salisbury, fondly remembers the first film he saw at the iconic venue; 1979’s Mad Max.

“The Odeon, like any other business, has faced challenges before, and while other venues have closed, Salisbury Odeon has adapted and survived, so they must be doing something right.” He added, “There are some movies that just have to be seen on the big screen! Watching Top Gun: Maverick is not the same at home.” 

The landmark reopened in the swinging sixties during a golden era for cinema in the UK, with that year seeing millions drawn to iconic productions such as Mary Poppins, Goldfinger, Dr Strangelove, and The Pink Panther.

As well as titanic cinema titles, the venue also hosted some of the biggest names in music, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Buddy Holly, with the stage they played on still prominently featured below the screen in the main hall, Screen 1.

Following a costly and spectacular overhaul in 1963 by noted cinema architect, Robert Bullivant, The Odeon’s radical-yet-sympathetic design and the decade’s groundswell in cinema attendance after the relative doldrums of the 1950s meant the building quickly became a lodestar in the city, not just for its function as a movie theatre and concert venue but also for its striking design. 

Nick Kendrick of Stonehenge Guided Tours says that John Halle’s Hall is one of the best-loved highlights for many of his guests. “It’s a focal point, purely for the architecture. The Americans, the Europeans, they’re absolutely amazed that it houses a cinema. Where it’s been converted, it’s an amazing reaction when they walk in. The exterior is beautiful, then they walk through and it’s like ‘Wow!’”

The Odeon chain was famous for its luxurious, Art Deco-inspired cinemas that dotted the country. However, The Odeon in Salisbury stood out even among this forward-looking group, offering a unique blend of modernist and classical architectural elements. 

Added in 1840, the oak and stained-glass fascia was designed by famed architect, Augustus Pugin, and was part of a larger restoration undertaken in 1834.

Pugin moved to Salisbury with his second wife in 1833, before building St Marie’s Grange in Alderbury while still overseeing the extensive work on John Halle’s Hall.

For many admirers, the building’s architecture is not just about aesthetics; it ably represents how a thoughtful and considered designer can combine a disparate multitude of significant periods in British design. The cinema was built at a time when architects were pushing the boundaries of style, merging traditional motifs with modern techniques. The Odeon’s design manages to be both timeless and a product of its time, a quality that has helped it earn a place on the list of the most beautiful cinemas in the world.

Frogg Moody, the local historian who co-authored ‘Projected Passions: A History of Cinemas in Salisbury’ alongside Richard Nash, vividly recalls the battle to save the building fought in the 1980s. When developers attempted to demolish much of what existed behind John Halle’s Hall, the campaign, begun in 1984 and spearheaded by Alan Richardson, soon garnered a groundswell of local, regional, and national support, eventually declaring victory in 1986. Richardson’s campaign not only further protected the Hall, first listed in 1951, but also saw the remaining structure granted Grade 1 Listed status. 

While a 60-year anniversary may seem insignificant compared to the more than 550 years of history contained within Halle’s Hall, it covers more than half of the lifespan of cinema as a mass medium. With streaming services, the cost of living, Covid, and the Novichok attacks having deeply impacted both the world and Salisbury specifically, watching a newly released movie at The Odeon remains a unique and special experience.

Mayor Hocking concluded; “Will it survive as an Odeon for another 60 years? That’s the million-dollar question.”

Check out the Salisbury Odeon’s offerings here.