Description: This multi-colored British commemorative stamp features a dramatic, low-angle perspective of a glowing Art Deco cinema facade. The typography of the marquee blares "BIG SCREEN SHOWING" in bold, shadowed block lettering, sweeping dynamically across a neon-lit architectural curve decorated with rows of shimmering yellow chase lights. Running vertically along the left edge, a clean sans-serif line of text reads "100yrs of going to the pictures," serving as a thematic anchor for the design. The iconic graphite-colored silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II occupies the top right corner, while the 41p decimal denomination is nested clearly inside a circular badge near the lower right quadrant.
Circa: 1996
Condition: MNH
Notes:
The theater first opened its doors on October 6, 1930, as the Paramount Theatre, constructed for the Paramount Film Company of America to rival the grandest theaters in the world. Designed by acclaimed architects F.T. Verity and S. Beverley, the venue boasted an opulent Baroque-style interior spread across two primary seating levels, a massive proscenium stage arch, an integrated fly tower, and a magnificent Wurlitzer organ. Just before World War II in November 1939, Oscar Deutsch’s rapidly expanding Odeon Theatres Ltd chain acquired the property, officially renaming it the Manchester Odeon in April 1940. For nearly three-quarters of a century, it reigned as a core cultural heartbeat of the city centre, transitioning seamlessly between showing Hollywood blockbusters and serving as a bustling live performance venue.
During the golden era of live entertainment, the theater famously doubled as a major music venue; it hosted touring acts like The Rolling Stones and proudly served as the location for The Beatles’ last live performance in Manchester on May 30, 1963. It is even celebrated as the fateful location where legendary comedy duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise first met. In its later decades, the single auditorium was progressively subdivided into a multi-screen complex to keep pace with changing industry standards, eventually expanding to seven screens by 1992; the same year it hosted the glamorous UK premiere of the Hollywood blockbuster A Few Good Men.
Despite its deep architectural and historical significance, the theater faced severe commercial pressure from modern multiplexes like the nearby Great Northern Warehouse. Because the structure was never formally granted protected listing status, a hard-fought battle by heritage preservation campaigners ultimately failed, and the historic picture palace was completely demolished in April 2017 to make way for a modern, 14-storey office development known as Landmark.