The Paramount Theatre

The Paramount Theatre, located on Oxford Street, made its grand debut on October 6, 1930, with a screening of The Love Parade and a lively variety show on stage. Constructed for the Paramount Film Company of America, the theatre was the brainchild of architects Frank Verity and S. Beverley, who also designed the Plaza Theatre in London. This venue was among 50 planned Paramount Theatres and was notable for being the first in the UK to carry the Paramount name, joining others like Paramount Leeds and Paramount Newcastle upon Tyne. As a single-screen cinema, it boasted a seating capacity of 2,920 across two levels—the Stalls and the Balcony.

The theatre was equipped with a fully functional stage, a fly tower, dressing rooms, an orchestra pit, an organ, and even a café. While primarily showcasing films, including those starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, it also hosted live performances, such as those by Francis A Mangan, complete with orchestral accompaniment. In November 1939, Oscar Deutsch acquired the theatre as part of Odeon Theatres Ltd, rebranding it as the Odeon in 1940, and it transitioned to a Rank cinema in 1941. The piano lounge later became a venue for performances by notable figures like Bruce Forsyth.

The structure boasted a stone-clad façade with four distinct bays and a broad canopy, all oriented towards Oxford Street. Inside, the cinema spanned three levels, including a mezzanine. The foyers and auditorium were adorned in an opulent Baroque style, featuring a grand rounded proscenium and a ceiling painted to resemble the sky.

In 1973, the theatre underwent a transformation, splitting into a twin-screen cinema, which led to the removal of the organ. By 1979, a third screen was added, and in 1992, four additional screens were incorporated using the basement and stage areas, culminating in a seven-screen cinema that opened on May 8, 1992. The cinema also included a private parking lot with limited spaces at the back. Notably, it was the venue for the premiere of A Few Good Men in 1992.

Originally, the theatre housed a Wurlitzer Publix One organ, featuring four manuals and 20 ranks of pipes, as specified by Jesse Crawford. This particular organ was the only one of its kind to leave the United States. After the theatre's division, the organ was taken by the Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust, lent to the City of Manchester, and moved to the Free Trade Hall, a process that took four years, with its first performance there in September 1977. Following the closure of the Free Trade Hall, it was relocated to the Great Hall of Stockport Town Hall.

The cinema ceased operations in September 2004 after a remarkable 74 years, primarily due to the competition posed by the AMC Great Northern. Following its closure, the venue found occasional use as a church. In 1999, there was consideration for the building to receive listed status during a thematic survey of cinemas, but it was ultimately denied because many original features had been lost.

When the cinema shut its doors in 2004, remnants of the orchestra pit, stage, proscenium, ceiling, and foyer were still partially preserved, albeit concealed, and had the potential for restoration. It was believed to be the oldest cinema located in Manchester's city center. A further evaluation in February 2007 also concluded against listing the building. English Heritage cited the significant loss of original features and extensive interior damage as reasons for this decision, describing the damage as "systematic and methodical," which the owners attributed to "limited and entirely lawful exposure works." On July 25, 2007, it was officially deemed immune from listing, a status renewed on November 28, 2012.

In September 2016, permission was granted for its demolition, which took place in April 2017 shortly after my visit.