Consider how the look of the Odeon architecture was used as a marketing tool for audiences to identify with 'glamour', 'escapism' and 'community spirit'.
Also think about how cinemas in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s had to compete with TV as a new means of mass media entertainment - this is one of the reasons for a big drop in cinema attendance during these times. Consequently little money was spent in refurbishing the existing buildings.
Furthermore, note how cinema attendance increased during the 1990s with the arrival of the 'multiplex' (more about this in future lessons).
This compilation of adverts and marketing for the Odeon and ABC chains comes from the 1970s and 1980s. Replace the annoying cartoon man at the beginning noisily eating his popcorn, slurping his drink and talking loudly, with today's youth making a nuisance of themselves on their mobile phones while the film is playing, and the message is still the same. The glamourous connotations of drinking at the 'Hollywood Bar', with the promise of exciting cocktails and spirits, were definitely far removed from the reality in 1970s Britain, as I clearly remember! And yes, once upon a time, you could smoke to your heart's content while watching a film, provided you sat on the left hand side of the auditorium. This didn't prevent the smoke drifting across to the non-smoking side when the primitive 1970s/80s air conditioning was switched on, resulting normally in an air movement of left to right.
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