The old Hippodrome was sold in 1910 to cinema interests and breifly became the King’s Cinema and variety theatre, seating 2500 and subsequently became one of  Blackpool’s leading theatres.  Nineteen years later in April 1929, the Hippodrome and Princess were acquired by Associated British Cinema (ABC). Under the ABC management, the Hippodrome introduced talking pictures to Blackpool.

Advertisement for the Hippodrome Cinema – 1926

The entrance and front view as seen in 1936

Blackpool’s first talkie film, “The Jazz Singer”, was shown at the Hippodrome in April 1929 after ABC (Associated British Cinemas) had taken over the theatre, which kept the name Hippodrome until 1963.

The final Summer Season at the Hippodrome was in 1961, starring David Whitfield in Rose Marie, with the final show on the 9th September. A few films were shown after this date, up until the 28th October, with the last films being, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” along with the “B” film “The Third Alibi”.

The information board outside stated that, “This theatre closes to the public after the evening performance tonight for major alterations and renovations.” The Hippodrome closed on 28th October 1961.

Thus there was no Summer Season show for 1962, and during 1962-63 the building was remodelled and the New ABC was built at a cost of £ 347,000. It claimed to be the most luxurious theatre in Europe. Much of the old theatre was demolished, except the outer walls, and the new ABC Theatre was rebuilt within the shell of the old.

Demolition in progress during early 1962, probably April time.

Huge parts of the original ornate theatre facade were removed, lost forever, and front walls raised and squared off to create a more modern 1960′s look.  The large arched roof was removed and replaced with a low pitched roof.

The new ABC Theatre was opened by the Mayor on the 31st of May 1963 with the summer season stage show “Holiday Carnival” starring Cliff Richard and The Shadows. They arrived in the “Santa Fe Train” tram, which thus became the last tram to pass through the town centre. The Beatles then played five Sunday concerts at the ABC in the first season, followed by two at the Queen’s Theatre.

It was used for stage shows during the summer months, with films and concerts during the winter seasons. It was permanently wired up for TV transmissions and during the 1960′s ABC Weekend Television transmitted their Blackpool Night Out shows from there. Mike and Bernie Winters, Cilla Black, Ray Alan, Lionel Blair and Bob Sharples were filmed there in 1965 for ITV. During the out-of-season months, the theatre showed selected pre-release films.

“Blackpool Night Out” – 1965

A show from the ABC Theatre

An excellent show filmed at the ABC which included The Beatles Live  on “Blackpool Night Out” 1965.

The Beatles can be seen here in part 1 and part 2.

In 1965 the first performance of the Beatles song “Yesterday” at the ABC.

The Summer Season shows starred the likes of Frank Ifield, Morecambe & Wise, Cilla Black, Tommy Steele and Englebert Humperdink.

Holiday Startime – Summer Season show 1967

Frank Ifield, Jimmy Tarbuck, Audrey Jeans, Tanya and The Barron Knights

The final summer season show was in 1980 starring John Inman in ‘Fancy Free’.

It was one of the few theatres in Britain to have a permanent revolving stage and the last live show took place in December 1980.

The ABC was closed for conversion into a triple screen cinema in January 1981, completely ruining a fine modern theatre. The ABC Cinema opened on Thursday 30th April 1981, the first three films being, Private Benjamin (1), Ordinary People (2), and The Long Good Friday (3). The capacities were 728, 323 and 220.

No more stage shows were possible after the tripling, although the old revolving stage and safety curtain remained unused behind the conversion and was used for storage.

Renamed the Cannon in 1986, then MGM from May 1993, the final closure as a cinema came on the 14th July 2000, when it closed so they could start to turn it in to the Syndicate Superclub.  The last films to be screened in the previous week, 7th – 13th July, were Chicken Run, Gladiator and Mission Impossible 2.

After two years closure, it reopened as the Syndicate Night Club in December 2002, which closed 10th August 2011.  The building came up for auction in 2012, with no interested buyer. The building is threatened with demolition by the Council who want to turn the site into a car park, a great deal of local opposition to the plans has been started. There is an article about the proposed use of the site in the Blackpool Gazette here.

Some interesting articles from the Gazette about the Empire/Empire/ABC building

21/11/2012 Owners seek to sell The Syndicate

28/12/2012 ‘A sad demise but right thing to do’

05/01/2013 ‘We’re looking at all options’

09/01/2013 Heritage leaders snub ABC campaign

16/01/2013 ‘Halt plans to bulldoze club’

15/03/2013 Syndicate is in council hands

19/03/2013 Posing behind the ABC in 1968

21/03/2013 The life of the Empire

12/04/2013 The theatre that shouted “showbiz”

18/04/2013 Jumbo stars but NO Jimi made ABC bill! 

26/04/2013 Honky tonk of a Hippodrome party