Paramount

The Paramount Birmingham opened 1937. Designed by Verity & Beverley, it was a huge cinema theatre in red brick with faience façade to New Street; over the entrance a tall concave tower in art-décor style with enclosing a fin sign read PARAMOUNT lit from beneath. The interior was in opulent Paramount style. The building passed to Oscar Deutsch's Odeon chain in 1942, and was refurbished in 1965 to accommodate large shows and concerts as well as films. These ended by May 1988 when the cinema closed to be divided into six screens. Seen today the exterior is much the same. The interior retains very little of the original features and many of the ceilings are suspended; brass staircases have been painted over and any traces of original plasterwork are dully painted. Not the most exciting of the Paramount theatres, but almost a sole suvivor, and well patronised.