London Movies Guide

Cinema Listings from London Movies Guide

London Cinemas

London Movies Guide » London Cinemas

London Cinemas

London is blessed with over 100 London Cinemas including Odeon Style to ultra modern Cinemax complexes. There is the newest and largest cinema screen at the recently opened and renamed O2 Cinema complex at the previously disastrous and controversial Dome structure in South London.

London Cinema is booming and with over 100 Cinemas London can boast to be the cinema capital of Europe. From old style architecture cinemas to ultra modern cinemax complexes, Cinema in London has never been more popular than it is now.

The O2 Cinema Complex boasts 11 cinemas and the largest cinema screen in London. The main screen cinema can seat up to 770 cinema goers and houses the largest screen in London. With a truly fantastic cinematic experience the London Cinema crowd have a new jewel in the crown with the O2 Cinema experience at this London attraction.

The Odeon Cinema Leicester Square is perhaps the most famous London cinema where the glitz, glamour and movie stars come to walk the red carpet, to London cinema, with the grand opening premier nights of all the major movies. The Odeon Cinema hosts 6 cinema screens seating just under 1700 London cinema goers including disabled access for wheelchair users. The Odeon Cinema faces onto one of London's most famous locations Leicester Square.

The Original Odeon Cinema was built in 1937 on the site of the then famous Alhambra Theatre which was a Victorian Music Hall originating from 1850 so continuing its role as a place of entertainment and public enjoyment.

The Odeon Cinema used to be largest cinema in the UK until the recent grand opening of the O2 Cinema complex. The Odeon was the first cinema in the UK to have a wide screen installed in 1953 and the first to have a digital projection system installed in 1999. The Odeon Cinema still retains the traditional seating arrangements with Stalls, Circle and Royal Circle with Royal Retiring Room for visiting heads of state and monarchy meeting room. The Odeon Cinema is unique in its features and history and remains the obvious venue in London for every international film premier.

There are many art house cinemas as well as the major cinema chains. Independent cinemas such as Prince Charles cinema show many films at affordable prices.

History of Cinemas in London

Cinema in London has been an integral part of London's history for nearly 100 years with the very first "peep show" parlours opened even before the first moving picture houses were formed. These peep show parlours were immensely popular when they first opened in 1894 during the Reign of Queen Victoria; London soon became the birth place for a bioscope or cinematograph which featured in practically every music hall or fairground in the city. In fact Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1897 to celebrate her 60 years on the throne became the first state event in the world to be filmed.

London was the centre of innovation and business development for the cinema industry with the world early film pioneers such as Robert Paul supplying the first projectors and cameras to studios in Muswell Hill North London. Other film pioneers such as American Charles Urban made London the universal centre for international film sales and distribution. Every major movie production company still have offices in Soho Square including Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox.

London is still the heart and soul of the Cinema and Movie distribution multi billion business and the London Cinema goers can enjoy a visit to one of the 100 London Cinemas to enjoy a night out at the movies.