98-421: The Odeon Luxe West End is a two-screen cinema on the south side of Leicester Square , London. It has historically been used for smaller film premieres and hosting the annual BFI London Film Festival . The site is on an adjacent side of the square to the much larger flagship Odeon Luxe Leicester Square . Odeon Cinemas sold the building to three Irish investors in 2006, who continued to lease it. In 2012, it
196-749: A 70mm print of the film. The cinema, in its later years, was also the West End base for the annual London Film Festival . The site was sold by Odeon Cinemas to three Irish investors in February 2006, though continued to operate as part of the Odeon chain. Ownership subsequently passed to the Irish National Asset Management Agency and in 2012 it was sold to the Radisson Hotels company. A new set of plans for
294-605: A Great Outdoors scheme proposed by the Mayor of London , Boris Johnson . The improvements included 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) of granite paving and a water feature surrounding the Shakespeare statue. The square re-opened in May 2012 after 17 months' work at a total cost of £15.3 million. The Greater London Authority said the refurbishments would accommodate more than 1,000 new jobs. The re-opening coincided with
392-591: A Swiss glockenspiel clock. M&M's World is now on the former site of the Swiss Centre. The world's largest Lego store opened at 3 Swiss Court in November 2016. The opening was marked by unveiling a 6-metre (20 ft) high model of Big Ben made out of 200,000 Lego bricks. In 2022, Burger King announced it would open its first meat-free restaurant in Leicester Square. The restaurant
490-516: A centre for Italian opera and ballet, with an opera house to rival those in mainland Europe. The opera house was never built, as the royal patent needed at that time to license a theatre was refused. The plans for the original design are preserved in Sir John Soane's Museum , while a 1790 painting by William Hodges , which displays the finished design, belongs to the Museum of London . By
588-432: A covenant not to erect buildings but the law would not allow buyers who were not "privy" to the initial contract to be bound by subsequent promises. The judge, Lord Cottenham , decided that future owners of land could be bound by promises to abstain from activity, subject to the doctrine of notice (actual or constructive). Otherwise, a buyer could (re-)sell land to himself to undermine an initial promise. James Wyld bought
686-1115: A deal with the BBC to gain access to Rank's nineteen feature offerings. In 1987, the Rank Film Distributors group received a $ 100 million fund for film financing, and the Rank Film and Television division had invested in $ 32 million that they would take the budget against non-U.S. rights. In 1995, the Rank Group acquired all the outstanding shares of the Rank Organisation. In spring 1997, the Rank Group sold Rank Film Distributors, including its library of 749 films, to Carlton Communications for £65 million and immediately became known as Carlton/RFD Ltd. Pinewood Studios and Odeon Cinemas were both sold off in February 2000 for £62 million and £280 million respectively. The company finally severed its remaining connections with
784-658: A debt of £16 million, and reported an annual loss of £3.5 million. Managing Director John Davis cut staff, reduced budgets and concentrated film production at Pinewood. Other studio facilities (in Islington ) were closed, sold (Lime Grove Studios) or leased (Denham). The Rank Organisation closed Independent Producers Ltd. The policies of Davis alienated many in the industry; in particular they led film director David Lean , responsible for some of Rank's most critically and financially successful films, to look elsewhere for backing. J. Arthur Rank stepped down as managing director of
882-482: A group profit of over £6 million and stated 41% of its film production income came from overseas. In October 1964 Davis reported profits of £4.6 million. From 1959 to 1969, the company made over 500 weekly short cinema films in a series entitled Look At Life , each film depicting an area of British life. From 1971 to 1976, Rank only invested around £1.5 million a year in film production. According to executive Tony Williams "the two main streams that they were down to
980-534: A hotel were approved by Westminster Council on 21 January 2014, and the Odeon West End closed on 1 January 2015. The final films were The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 , showing in screen 1 upstairs (489-seats) and Interstellar , showing in screen 2 downstairs (814-seats). Interstellar had been screened in a 70mm print until 24 December, and was replaced by a digital copy for its final seven days. In January 2014, Westminster City Council approved
1078-459: A large two-storey apartment built on top of the theatre, which he occupied until it was damaged by bombing in late October 1940. NatWest later occupied this as their main London offices spread over two floors, but vacated it in the early 2000s and was damaged by squatters a few years later with graffiti everywhere, ceiling tiles punched out and carpet ripped up. Designed by architect Andrew Mather,
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#17327941569171176-559: A museum by this time, and was ultimately destroyed by fire in 1865. It was rebuilt as the Empire Theatre. Several foreign-owned hotels were established around the square, making it popular with visitors to London. Brunet's Hôtel at No. 25 was opened by Louis Brunet in 1800, later expanding to Nos. 24 and 26 during the following decade. It was bought by Francis Jaunay in 1815 known as Jaunay's Hôtel . The Hôtel Sablonière et de Provence opened at No. 17–18 in 1845 as
1274-574: A new lower ceiling, ultimately falling into a state of disrepair with sections of moulded plasterwork coming away. The Leicester Square Theatre re-opened on 12 December 1968 with a Royal Charity Premiere attended by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and Lord Snowdon of Shalako , starring Sean Connery . It was equipped for 70mm presentations. Over the following 48 years it hosted many film premieres, including Papillon in March 1974, Tommy in March 1975, and Crocodile Dundee in 1986. It
1372-454: A new ‘modern style’ single screen cinema within the shell of the building, with a stalls and circle seating areas (removing the upper balcony) and the interior design was by Cassidy, Farrington and Dennys. Seating was provided for 1,407: 900 in the stalls and 507 in the circle. Most of the detailed French Renaissance style interior was stripped out, with only the ceiling in particular retained, albeit punctured by steelwork and hidden from view by
1470-414: A number of times during the first half of the 19th century, including Robert Barren following Elmes' death in 1822, John Inderwick in 1834, and Hyam Hyams and Edward Moxhay in 1839. Little maintenance was done and the garden deteriorated to the point of severe dilapidation. In 1848, the land was subject to the significant legal case of Tulk v Moxhay . The plot's previous owner, Moxhay, had agreed upon
1568-406: A park in its centre, which was originally common land . The park's fortunes have varied over the centuries, reaching near dilapidation in the mid-19th century after changing ownership several times. It was restored under the direction of Albert Grant , which included the construction of four new statues and a fountain of William Shakespeare . The square was extensively refurbished and remodelled for
1666-492: A partnership with the Haloid Corporation to form Rank Xerox , to manufacture and promote its range of plain paper photocopying equipment. In later years, the waning film company assets were hastily converted and pressed into 'Rank Xerox' service. This venture was a huge gamble but ultimately the company's saving grace, until, once more in financial difficulties, it signed off increasing percentages of its holdings, to
1764-547: A plan by Radisson Hotels to demolish the building and replace it with an eight-storey 360-room hotel, which would also include a two-screen Odeon cinema in the basement. Odeon cinema staff had four days to remove their equipment from the building, which was handed over to the demolition contractors on 5 January 2015, and demolition began in April 2015 and was completed in September 2015. The cinema reopened in September 2021 as
1862-586: A portfolio of 10 service areas until the takeover of Mecca Leisure Group by the Rank Group in 1991, when they were spun off to ex-Mecca CEO Michael Guthrie under the name Pavilion (later acquired by Granada and now forming part of Moto Hospitality ). There were other small specialised groups, including Rank Taylor Hobson who made inspection equipment, Rank Cintel who made telecine (television film scanners) machines, and Gaumont Kalee who made audio analysis equipment. During this period, Rank started focussing on primarily solidly commercial ventures, largely aimed at
1960-556: A prelude to her film Sally in Our Alley . Jack Hulbert song and dance show 'The R.K.O. Loudspeakers' was staged as part of the film programme in August 1931. It was taken over by County Cinemas and renamed Olympic Theatre from 21 March 1932, re-opening with John Stuart in In a Monastery Garden . County Cinemas had commissioned architect Alister G. MacDonald to re-design the entrance and
2058-472: A quirk of British English. A report by Premier Inn said Leicester Square was the most mispronounced place in the UK by tourists, usually as " / l aɪ ˈ tʃ ɛ s t ər / " ("Lie-chester") Square. Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation ) is a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937, Rank also served as
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#17327941569172156-575: A spokesman for Rank. The following year, Rank reported a record pre-tax profit of £102 million. According to Tony Williams: After a time Rank Film Distributors was in trouble because they hadn't got any new product. So Rank Film Distributors was then given chunks of money to go and buy into pictures because they made a blunder. And they carried on, on that basis, not directly making them and they had no direct control over what they made at all, no influence. They just bought into pictures. They did an output deal with Orion and that carried on until they sold
2254-595: A statue of Harry Potter riding a Nimbus 2000 was installed, becoming the ninth statue in the exhibition. In June 2021, a statue of the Iron Throne from HBO TV series Game of Thrones was unveiled to mark 10 years since the release of the first episode. Leicester Square is one of several places in the West End that puts on events relating to the Chinese New Year . The celebrations are organised by
2352-570: A troubled start, closing for a time, until the end of the decade. The theatre gained a reputation for high-class prostitutes frequenting the theatre, and in 1894 the London County Council ordered the promenade on the upper balcony to be remodelled. A young Winston Churchill , then a cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , helped destroy canvas screens that had been erected to prevent access to
2450-503: A woman who lived at No. 27 Leicester Square. The event was widely reported around London, attracting interest from King George I and Royal Society president Hans Sloane . Shortly afterwards, the woman was caught trying to buy a rabbit in secret, and the incident was uncovered as a hoax. Leicester Square is commemorated in the lyrics of the music hall song " It's a Long Way to Tipperary " along with nearby Piccadilly , which became popular with soldiers during World War I . During
2548-640: A wooden hoarding around the property in 1873. These were quickly removed after the Master of the Rolls ordered that the land must be preserved for its original purpose. The garden was saved by the Member of Parliament (MP) Albert Grant , who purchased the park in 1874 for £11,060 and donated it to the Metropolitan Board of Works . The title deed for the square passed to the succeeding public bodies and
2646-488: A year. The theatre was then taken over again by United Artists and on 27 September 1933 re-opened as a full-time cinema, once more re-named the Leicester Square Theatre, with Jack Buchanan's own film for United Artists That's a Good Girl . It played United Artists pictures first run in London until it was closed again on 18 July 1937 for redecoration. It re-opened on 16 September 1937 with Victoria
2744-632: Is based in nearby Leicester Place. It was constructed in 1955 as a church, before becoming the Notre Dame Hall, then the Cavern in the Town, a popular live music venue in the 1960s. In the 1970s, it was renamed back to the Notre Dame Hall, where the Sex Pistols played one of their first gigs at the club on 15 November 1976. It was converted into a theatre in 2002 as The Venue, and refurbished as
2842-502: Is now Fanum House, once the Automobile Association head office. At the end of the 17th century, Lord Leicester's heir, Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester , permitted a small amount of retail development in booths along the front of Leicester House. A statue of George I was built on the square in 1760 following the coronation of his great-grandson, George III . The square remained fashionable throughout most of
2940-525: Is now No. 21 around 1700 and artist William Hogarth resided at No 30 between 1733 and 1764, where he produced some of his best known works including Gin Lane . The magistrate Thomas de Veil , later to found Bow Street Magistrates' Court , lived at No 40 between 1729 and 1737; this location is now The Londoner hotel and Odeon Luxe West End cinema. The painter Joshua Reynolds lived at No 47 from 1760 until his death in 1792; this location
3038-455: Is now in the ownership of the City of Westminster. After the purchase, the architect James Knowles redesigned the park. A statue of William Shakespeare surrounded by dolphins was constructed in the centre. The four corner gates of the park had one bust each of famous former residents in the square: the scientist Sir Isaac Newton designed by William Calder Marshall ; Sir Joshua Reynolds ,
Odeon Luxe West End - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-509: Is scheduled to operate from 14 March to 10 April. The main electrical substation for the West End is beneath the square. The electrical cables to the substation are in a large tunnel ending at Leicester Square, and originating in Wimbledon , at Plough Lane, behind the former Wimbledon F.C. football ground, before which the cables are above ground. In 1726, anatomist Nathaniel St André claimed to have delivered rabbits from Mary Toft ,
3234-442: The 2012 Summer Olympics at a cost of more than £15 million. The square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road , to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west. The park at the centre of the square is bound by Cranbourn Street , to the north; Leicester Street, to the east; Irving Street, to the south; and a section of road designated simply as Leicester Square, to
3332-571: The 2012 Summer Olympics later that year. In the middle of the square is a small park that was originally available for common use on Lammas Day (12 August), such as washing clothes and herding cattle. The Earl of Leicester was obliged to preserve these grounds, which were separated from the rest of the square with railings. In 1808, the garden was sold by the Leicester Estate to Charles Elmes for £210 (equivalent to £20,687 in 2023), who neglected to maintain it. Ownership changed hands
3430-512: The Odeon Haymarket . The European Gala Premiere of The Happiest Millionaire starring Tommy Steele was held here on 26 October 1967. The Leicester Square Theatre was closed on 3 April 1968 with Carry On Doctor . The cinema was to undergo a complete interior refurbishment. The Wurlitzer organ, which was played at special organ concerts right up to closing, was also removed from the building. Architects Arnold Dick Associates designed
3528-537: The Royal Ballet . In February 1956 Davis announced Rank would make 20 films at over £3 million. He said "great care will be taken to ensure that, while retaining essentially British characteristics the films will have the widest international appeal. This is part of an intensified drive to secure ever widening showing in overseas markets which already return more than half the revenue earned by Pinewood films." That year, Rank announced it would set up distribution in
3626-546: The "classic" Rank TV ran in the mid to late 70s, some interim models appeared and the "modern" Rank TV appeared in the early 1980s. The NEC badge did not appear in the PAL /220/240 volt countries until the mid-1980s. Top Rank was one of the early operators of motorway service areas in the UK, opening its first services at Farthing Corner on the M2 in Kent in 1963. Top Rank operated
3724-425: The 18th century, with notable residents including the architect James Stuart at No 35 from 1766 to 1788 and the painter John Singleton Copley at No. 28 from 1776 to 1783. Leicester House was intermittently inhabited during the mid-18th century, and was finally sold to the naturalist Ashton Lever in 1775. Lever turned the house into a museum with a significant amount of natural history objects. In turn,
3822-639: The 19th century, Leicester Square was known as an entertainment venue, with many amusements peculiar to the era, including Wyld's Great Globe , which was built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and housed a giant scale map of the Earth. The construction of New Coventry Street made it easier for traffic to access the square, resulting in private residences being replaced by shops, museums and exhibition centres. Savile House at No. 5–6, built in 1683 for Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury , had become
3920-523: The Abbot and Convent of Westminster Abbey and the Beaumont family . In 1536, Henry VIII took control of 3 acres (1.2 ha) of land around the square, with the remaining 4 acres (1.6 ha) being transferred to the king the following year. The square is named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester , who purchased this land in 1630. By 1635, he had built himself a large house, Leicester House , at
4018-549: The Alhambra Palace. It enjoyed a surge in popularity after Queen Victoria and family came to see "Black Eagle – The Horse of Beauty". It burned down in 1882, but reopened the following year. In the early 20th century, the theatre became a popular venue for ballet. It was demolished in 1936 and replaced by the Odeon Cinema . The Empire Theatre of Varieties opened in 1884 on the former site of Savile House, but had
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4116-546: The British Monopoly board along with Coventry Street and Piccadilly. The board was set out by designers Victor Watson and Marge Phillips in the order of entertainment on a Saturday night: film at Leicester Square, meal in Coventry Street and hotel on Piccadilly. The word Leicester features the ending cester which is with rare exceptions spoken as a simplified pronunciation, so is counterintuitive,
4214-620: The Cannes Film Festival in 1980, Ed Chilton of Rank announced a £12 million slate of projects. However, by June, they withdrew from production once again. "The decision was made to plunge on in and then it was pulled back", said Williams. The Rank films that had been announced for production – including an adaptation of HMS Ulysses , The Rocking Horse Winner and a film version of To the Manor Born – were cancelled. "It now takes too long to recoup money on films," said
4312-456: The City saw the film play in both auditoriums with every single session selling out. Sometimes, the film distributors would force the Odeon film bookings department to play less than popular movies as they were contracted to play a certain number of films at Odeon West End each year. Quite often, shows were run with less than 10 people attending each screening. The Odeon West End had an exclusive run of The Master from 2 November 2012, playing
4410-642: The Empire was the Ritz Cinema, opened by MGM in 1937. It played Gone With the Wind for four years from 1940 to 1944. It became a second screen for the Empire in 1972 and was converted to a 4DX screen in 2018. In 2023 it was closed due to a dispute with the building's landlord. On the south side, the Leicester Square Theatre opened in 1930. It was renamed the Odeon West End in 1988 and
4508-545: The Empire, in the 1960s it became the largest cinema on the square. It later became the largest cinema in the United Kingdom. The seating capacity was reduced to 800 following refurbishment in 2018. On the other side of the Empire was the Queen's Hotel, which started showing newsreels in the 1930s and was then converted into a Jacey Cinema in 1960. It closed in 1978 and is now a casino. The Warner Theatre , near
4606-709: The Great , starring Anna Neagle . In 1938, General Film Distributors took control ( J. Arthur Rank was one of the directors) and it became the first West End Cinema to be controlled by what would become the Rank Organisation in later years. The cinema was closed for almost a year from late-October 1940 when it suffered bomb damage. It re-opened on 11 July 1941 with The Flame of New Orleans . Oscar Deutsch Odeon Theatres Ltd. took over in July 1946, and they closed it in July 1950 for some repairs to be carried out to
4704-564: The Hôtel de Provence, and renamed in 1869. It closed in 1919 and became a public house. The Cavour , at No. 20 at the southeast of the square, opened in 1864. It was badly damaged in World War II but subsequently restored. The Alhambra Theatre was built in 1854 on the east side of the square, dominating the site. It temporarily closed two years later when the original owner, Edward Clarke, became bankrupt, but then reopened in 1858 as
4802-542: The Leicester Square Theatre in 2008 (using the name of an earlier cinema). The square has been the home for TKTS (originally known as the Official London Half-Price Theatre Ticket Booth), since 1980. Tickets for theatre performances taking place around the West End that day and during the week are sold from the booth at a significant discount. The popularity of the booth has given rise to other booths and stores around
4900-527: The Leicester Square Theatre was intended as a live theatre, but there were problems acquiring adjacent properties and the stage space proved insufficient. It opened on 19 December 1930 as a dual-purpose live theatre/cinema with 1,760 seats in stalls, dress circle and balcony levels. There were three boxes adjacent to each side of the proscenium at dress circle level, but these were only used during live performances. The foyer walls were decorated with polished black marble. The first operators were Warner Brothers and
4998-599: The London Chinatown Chinese Association and held on the first Sunday during the new year period. Events include music, acrobatics and dancing. In 2015, the celebrations attracted more than 1,000 participants, becoming the largest of their kind in the UK. These included lion dances, a show of the Cultures of China and a drum show. A parade ran nearby through Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue . The Royal Dental Hospital and school
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#17327941569175096-580: The Odeon Luxe West End, occupying the basement of The Londoner, a new boutique hotel with six underground floors as well as nine above-ground. The redevelopment was undertaken by Arup . The cinema has two screens. The main auditorium features a Dolby Vision laser projector and Dolby Atmos audio. The Odeon Luxe West End was one of seven London venues that hosted the BFI London Film Festival 2021. The theater also hosted
5194-555: The Rank Organisation in 1952, but remained as chairman until 1962. In October 1955 the company reported its film production was "satisfactory". In 1945, the company bought the Bush Radio manufacturing facility and began to diversify its interests. In the early 1960s Rank took over Murphy Radio to form the Rank Bush Murphy Group (which was eventually sold to Great Universal Stores in 1978). In 1956 Rank began
5292-434: The Rank Organisation's associated acting school often referred to as "The Charm School", was founded in 1945. It launched several careers including those of Donald Sinden , Dirk Bogarde , Diana Dors and Christopher Lee . Although she was not a member of the school, Petula Clark was under contract to Rank for a period of time and starred in a number of films released by the studio, including London Town (1946), one of
5390-468: The Sands and Silver Dream Racer . Many of these stories were set in the past. "You have to go back in time to tell a story that doesn't have to face seventies problems", said Williams in 1978. "What people are nostalgic for isn't necessarily any particular period, but the happier values that are missing today." Few of these new Rank films performed well at the box office, losing £1.6 million overall. At
5488-576: The US. In October Davis listed the Rank actors he thought could become international stars: Dirk Bogarde , Peter Finch , Kay Kendall , Jeannie Carson , Virginia McKenna , Belinda Lee , Michael Craig , Tony Wright , Maureen Swanson and Kenneth More . In October 1957, at the 21st birthday for Pinewood Studios, Davis said Rank would make 18 films this year and 20 the next, with the latter costing £5 million. However cinema attendances fell. In September 1958
5586-581: The album Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999), " He's on the Phone " (1995) by Saint Etienne and "Leicester Square" on Rancid 's Life Won't Wait (1998). A verse in "Something About England" on the Clash 's 1980 album Sandinista! refers back to "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", including a reference to Leicester Square. Leicester Square is one of a group of three on
5684-528: The assets of the garden from the Tulk and Moxhay's death estates in 1849 to erect the Great Globe, though buried the statue of George I under 12 feet of earth with the globe stuck on top. The statue was uncovered following the globe's demise, but by 1866 it had deteriorated due to vandalism and was sold for £16. Arguments continued about the fate of the garden, with Charles Augustus Tulk 's heirs erecting
5782-630: The balcony. The theatre closed in 1927, to be replaced by the Empire Cinema . During the Winter of Discontent , where the incumbent Labour Party struggled to meet demands of trade unions and a shrinking economy, refuse collectors went on strike in January 1979. Leicester Square was turned into a de facto dump, earning it the nickname of " Fester Square". In the 1980s, the square was pedestrianised , cutting off all vehicular traffic. Access to
5880-401: The company chairman. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distribution, and exhibition facilities as well as manufacturing projection equipment and chairs. It also diversified into the manufacture of radios, TVs and photocopiers (as one of the owners of Rank Xerox ). The company name lasted until February 1996, when
5978-404: The company had lost £1,264,000 on films causing the group's profit to drop from £5 million to £1.8 million. John Davis wound up several long term contracts Rank had with talent. "The trouble with some of them is they won't work," he said. "They lose their sense of proportion." To recoup some of their losses, Rank sold Ealing Studios and its library to Associated British Picture Corporation . In
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#17327941569176076-525: The costliest flops in British film history. Also under contract to Rank was the Canadian actor Philip Gilbert . The company grew quickly, largely through acquisition. Significant developments included: By the late 1940s J. Arthur Rank (or the Rank Organisation as it was now called), owned: Despite funding films which were both popular and critically acclaimed, Rank was in crisis by 1949, having built up
6174-612: The distances in miles to several Commonwealth countries, including Canada, Kenya and Jamaica. After the Great Outdoors refurbishment of the square, only the statue of Shakespeare still remains. Since the 19th century, Leicester Square has been known for its entertainment venues, including the Alhambra and Empire theatres and the nearby Daly's Theatre , which opened in 1893, and the Hippodrome , which opened in 1900. One of
6272-604: The extinction of the Leicester peerage, and replaced by Leicester Place. That in turn was converted into a church in 1865 and is now the site of the Prince Charles Cinema . In 1790, a new Royal Opera House was proposed to be built in Leicester Square. The scheme was led by the Prince of Wales , Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford and James Cecil, 1st Marquess of Salisbury and aimed to re-establish London as
6370-427: The family market. These include the popular Norman Wisdom comedies, the Doctor films series and, later, Rank took on the Carry On film series from Anglo-Amalgamated . Films of note were produced during this era including Carve Her Name with Pride , Sapphire , A Night to Remember and Victim , as well as a clutch of prestige topics such as the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and filmed performances by
6468-412: The first President of the Royal Academy by Henry Weekes ; John Hunter , a pioneer of surgery, by Thomas Woolner ; and William Hogarth , the painter, by Joseph Durham . Ownership transferred to Westminster City Council in 1933. The most recent addition was a bronze statue of film star and director Sir Charlie Chaplin , designed by sculptor John Doubleday in 1981. On the pavement were inscribed
6566-441: The interior was re-designed by Edward Carrick . A revolve was installed in the centre of the stage at this time. It closed in July 1932 and Jack Buchanan took control again. In August 1932, films were dropped in favour of non-stop variety, which began with Non-Stop Revels live on stage, non-stop from two 'til midnight daily. Marie Kendall , singing "Just Like the Ivy", was one of the artistes appearing. This policy lasted for almost
6664-439: The late 1950s Sydney Box became head of production although he retired from the industry in 1959. In January 1960, John Davis announced that Rank would concentrate on bigger budgeted, internationally focused productions. In 1961 they announced a production slate of a dozen films worth £7 million. In October 1962 Lord Rank resigned as chairman of the company and was replaced by managing director Davis. That year to company made
6762-562: The main cinemas in the square; in 2013 a ticket for a new release at the Prince Charles cost £10, compared to £24 at the Odeon. Due to the Leicester Square's long association with cinema, a film-themed sculpture trail entitled Scenes in the Square was installed. In February 2020, eight sculptures were installed which depict characters from the last 100 years of cinema including Laurel and Hardy , Mary Poppins , Batman , Bugs Bunny , Don Lockwood portrayed by Gene Kelly , Paddington Bear , Mr. Bean , and Wonder Woman . In September 2020,
6860-434: The middle of the next. Leicester Square is the location of nationally significant cinemas such as the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square and Empire, Leicester Square , which are often used for film premieres. The nearby Prince Charles Cinema is known for its screenings of cult films and marathon film runs. The square remains a tourist attraction which hosts events, including for the Chinese New Year . The square has always had
6958-441: The most seats in a single screen in the United Kingdom. Similar to Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood , the square was surrounded by floor mounted plaques with film stars' names and cast handprints. During the 2010–2012 refurbishment, many of the plaques were removed, confusing tourists who still expected to find them there. In the 1950s, the Hippodrome became a nightclub and is now a casino. The Leicester Square Theatre
7056-591: The name and some of the remaining assets were absorbed into the newly structured Rank Group plc . The company itself became a wholly owned subsidiary of Xerox and was renamed XRO Limited in 1997. The company logo, the Gongman , first used in 1935 by the group's distribution company General Film Distributors and seen in the opening titles of the films, became a celebrated and enduring film emblem. The company founder J. Arthur Rank, born in Kingston upon Hull , UK,
7154-601: The north east corner, opened in 1938 on the site of the former Daly's Theatre. The Warner was demolished and rebuilt in 1993. In 2004, it was taken over by Vue . In 2006, it was one of the first two cinemas in Europe to screen a film in Digital 3D with Chicken Little . A short distance from the west of the square, on the south side of Panton Street, is the Odeon Panton Street. The Prince Charles Cinema , to
7252-519: The north of the square opened in 1962 with a "satellite dish" design where the audience looks upwards to the stage. The cinema became known for showing pornographic and erotic films during the 1970s, including Emmanuelle (1974). It later became a favourite venue for showing cult films , including The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and a sing-along version of The Sound of Music (1965), and marathon performances including all seven Muppet films back to back. Prices are considerably cheaper than
7350-433: The north side of the square was converted into a cinema in 1928. It was the largest on the square until 1959, when a new projection box was built in the centre of the stalls for Ben-Hur , reducing the seating capacity from 2,778 to 1,723. In 1961, the building was gutted and a new cinema and dance hall were built in the shell. In 2013 the main auditorium was divided into two screens, including an IMAX screen. Adjoining
7448-473: The northern end. The area in front of the house was then enclosed, depriving inhabitants of St Martin in the Fields parish of their right to use the previously common land. The parishioners appealed to King Charles I , and he appointed three members of the privy council to arbitrate. Lord Leicester was ordered to keep part of his land (thereafter known as Leicester Fields and later as Leicester Square) open for
7546-539: The opening programme was the Warner Brothers two-tone Technicolor film Viennese Nights starring Vivienne Segal supported by a stage dance production including Balliol and Merton and the Victoria Girls. It was equipped with a Wurlitzer 3 Manual/10 Rank theatre organ . It was taken over in March 1931 by RKO Radio Pictures . In July 1931, Gracie Fields appeared for a week 'twice-nightly' as
7644-441: The parent company, finally becoming fully integrated into Xerox in the late 1990s. Rank was also a significant shareholder in the consortium which became Southern Television , the first ITV television contract holder for the south of England . In the late 1950s, The Rank Organization set up Rank Records Ltd. , the record label division was named Top Rank Records and Jaro Records (a US subsidiary). In 1960, Top Rank Records
7742-561: The parishioners. The square was laid out to the south of Leicester House and developed in the 1670s. The area was originally entirely residential, with properties laid out in a similar style to nearby Pall Mall . In 1687, the northern part of the square became part of the new parish of St Anne, Soho . The 7th Earl of Leicester took ownership of the property in 1728 and it was the residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales , from 1742 until his death in 1751 and that of his wife Princess Augusta until 1771. The poet Matthew Prior lived at what
7840-476: The premiere of the 2024 Dolby Cinema remaster of Tom Hooper 's 2012 film adaptation of the musical Les Miserables . Leicester Square Leicester Square ( / ˈ l ɛ s t ər / LEST -ər ) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London , England. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields , which was named after the recently built Leicester House , itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester . The square
7938-414: The shooting match. Then the decision was made to get out of (the) film (industry), so RFD was closed down, Rank Film Advertising was sold off, eventually, the laboratories went. Cinemas was the last one to go. In 1982, the company partnered with Andre Blay Corporation to license its British title library to home video. In 1986, Rank Film Distributors, and archrival Cannon Screen Entertainment had signed
8036-478: The signs marking the square bears the legend " Theatreland ". In the 20th century, most of these large theatres became cinemas and the area is the centre of London's cinema scene and the prime location in the United Kingdom for film premieres. Since the 1980s, it has hosted the London Film Festival each year. The Odeon Leicester Square , on the site of the old Alhambra theatre, is the cinema with
8134-471: The square began to serve as a venue for popular entertainments. Brothels began to appear around Leicester Square during the century, and visitors could pay to watch the severed heads of traitors executed at Temple Bar through a telescope . Leicester House became home of a museum of natural curiosities called the Holophusikon in the 1780s. It was demolished in 1791–72 due to rising debts following
8232-408: The square for goods and deliveries is now controlled by specially designated marshals. By the start of the 21st century, Westminster City Council were concerned that the square was too dangerous at night, and wanted to demolish sections of it to encourage the growth of theatres and cinemas, and reduce popularity of nightclubs. In 2010, a major redevelopment of Leicester Square took place as part of
8330-561: The square that advertise half-price tickets for West End shows. The Official London Theatre Guide recommends avoiding these booths as they are not official and do not contain the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers (STAR) logo. Global Radio has its headquarters on the east side of Leicester Square at No. 30, close to the Odeon. The building houses the radio stations Capital , Capital Xtra , Classic FM , Gold , Heart , LBC , Smooth Radio and Radio X . The Empire theatre on
8428-562: The war damage. The UK premiere of Walt Disney 's Alice in Wonderland was held here on 26 July 1951. Further repairs were carried out in 1955. The UK premiere of Laurence Olivier 's production of Richard III took place in August 1955, and it ran here for thirteen weeks. The Longest Day played as a 'roadshow' presentation from 11 October 1962 until 4 September 1963. The UK premiere of Mary Poppins opened here on 17 December 1964 and played for several weeks before transferring to
8526-533: The war, British inmates of Ruhleben Prisoner of War camp mentioned the square in a song: "Shout this chorus all you can. We want the people there, to hear in Leicester Square, That we're the boys that never get downhearted." It is mentioned in the lyrics of several rock & pop band tracks, including the Rolling Stones ' notorious " Cocksucker Blues ", (1970) "Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square" on Jethro Tull 's album Stand Up (1969), "Emit Remmus" on
8624-1057: The west. It is within the City of Westminster , north of Trafalgar Square , east of Piccadilly Circus , west of Covent Garden , and south of Cambridge Circus . The nearest London Underground station is Leicester Square , which opened in 1906. London bus routes 24 , 29 and 176 run on nearby Charing Cross Road. Leicester Square has also been used as the name for the immediate surrounding area, roughly corresponding with Coventry Street , Cranbourn Street, Charing Cross Road and St Martin's Street. This includes Bear Street, Haymarket , Hobhouse Court (named after Sir John Cam Hobhouse ), Hunt's Court (after Samuel Hunt, 17th century carpenter and leaseholder), Irving Street (after actor Henry Irving ), Orange Street (named after William III , Prince of Orange), Oxendon Street (after Sir Henry Oxenden, 1st Baronet ), Panton Street (after local property dealer Thomas Panton ), and Trafalgar Square . The land where Leicester Square now lies once belonged to
8722-520: Was Carry On pictures and horror films made by Kevin Francis". However, in 1976, Rank enjoyed much success with Bugsy Malone (which they co-produced with Paramount Pictures , who held its American rights). This encouraged them to re-enter film production. In 1977, Rank appointed Tony Williams head of production and over two years Rank made eight films worth £10 million, including Eagle's Wing , The Shout , The Thirty Nine Steps , Riddle of
8820-471: Was already a wealthy industrialist through his father's flour milling business, Joseph Rank Ltd , before making his start in filmmaking by financing short religious subjects in line with his Methodist beliefs. As Rank was a Methodist Sunday School Teacher, he wished to introduce these beliefs to a wider audience. The Rank Organisation was established, as a means for Rank to consolidate his filmmaking interests, in 1937. A loose collective of filmmakers
8918-546: Was based at 40–41 from 1874 to 1901 and at 31–36 from 1901 to 1985, when the building was redeveloped as the Hampshire Hotel. The School of English operated on Leicester Square from 1992 until its closure in 2015. It taught over 25,000 students during its years of operation. To the west of the square was the location for the Swiss Centre from 1966 to 2008. The area is now named Swiss Court and still features
9016-544: Was bought by the Radisson Edwardian hotel group. It closed as a cinema on 1 January 2015. After extensive asbestos removal, the entire site was demolished the same year. It reopened in September 2021 as an Odeon Luxe cinema, following a £300 million redevelopment of the site that also includes a luxury hotel. It is London's second Dolby Cinema . The Leicester Square Theatre was built for actor/film star Jack Buchanan and impresario Walter Gibbons . Buchanan had
9114-460: Was created in 1960, bringing together Rank's acquisitions in multimedia, including Bell & Howell (acquired with Gaumont British in 1941), Andrew Smith Harkness Ltd (1952) and Wharfedale Ltd (1958). Subsequent acquisitions included Strand Electric Holdings (1968) and H.J. Leak & Co. (1969). In the mid and late 1970s, Rank Audio Visual made a 3-in-1 stereo music centre, as well as TV sets in conjunction with NEC of Japan. The production of
9212-557: Was earmarked for demolition in 2014, to be replaced by a ten-storey hotel including a two-screen cinema. The new cinema opened in 2021 as the Odeon Luxe West End . The Odeon Leicester Square, which dominates the east side of the square, hosts many film premieres. Opened in 1937 on the site of the Alhambra Theatre, it originally had a capacity for 2,116 people, arranged in circle and stalls. Following changes at
9310-402: Was established by Rank under the banner of Independent Producers Ltd. including The Archers , consisting of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger , Cineguild Productions , consisting of David Lean , Ronald Neame , John Bryan , and Anthony Havelock-Allan , the filmmaking duo of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat , and the directors Ken Annakin and Muriel Box . The Company of Youth ,
9408-402: Was originally a gentrified residential area, with tenants including Frederick, Prince of Wales and the artists William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds . It became more down-market in the late 18th century as Leicester House was demolished and retail developments took place, becoming a centre for entertainment. Major theatres were built in the 19th century, which were converted to cinemas towards
9506-403: Was renamed Odeon West End from 22 July 1988 with the opening of the comedy film The Couch Trip . It closed for twinning on 11 July 1991 with The Pope Must Die . The Odeon West End re-opened on 11 October 1991 with screen 1 upstairs seating 503 playing Toy Soldiers and screen 2 downstairs opening on 1 November 1991 with 848 seats playing Twenty-One . In 2008, the UK premiere of Sex and
9604-518: Was taken over by EMI , and in 1962 they replaced it with Stateside Records . Top Rank Records artists included Gary U.S. Bonds , the Shirelles , B. Bumble and the Stingers , Wilbert Harrison , Skip & Flip , Andy Stewart , Craig Douglas and John Leyton . A US branch operated from 1959 to 1961; its artists included Jack Scott , Dorothy Collins , and The Fireballs . Rank Audio Visual
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