Final Screening Delivered At Last ABC Cinema 


The final screening of Back to the Future has been shown in the last remaining ABC (Associated British Cinemas) cinema in Bournemouth, UK, ahead of its redevelopment into flats.

ABC began in 1928, and was formed by the then-owner of Elstree Studios, John Maxwell, to show films made at Elstree Studios under the banner Associated British Pictures Corporation. ABC cinemas became a familiar sight on Britain's high streets.

At the time, Elstree Studios was called The British Hollywood and was the UK's biggest producer of feature films. 



In the 1960s, Elstree Studios became the home of ITV's ABC Television and became used for both feature Film and Television productions with hits including The Saint and The Avengers. 



ABC operated TV production sites at Elstree Studios and Teddington Studios in Middlesex. It is interesting to note that the current Managing Director of Elstree Studios, Roger Morris, was a former owner of Teddington Studios till 2006.

With ABC Television's merger with ITV London's Rediffusion in the 1960s, Teddington Studios became the main production base for the new company 'Thames Television', and remained the main ITV London company, producing TV shows from Benny Hill, Morecombe and Wise, Armchair Theatre, World At War, Rumpole, Minder, Men Behaving Badly, Rainbow, and its downfall programme This Week.



Roger Morris, Managing Director of Elstree Studios, said: "The closure of the last ABC cinema is the end of an era, perhaps a reminder of the golden era of British Film production. However we celebrate the success of our new Film and TV era for this millennium, with amazing talent, award winning productions and new technology reaching a worldwide audience. Elstree Studios has a great past and a great future."



elstreestudios.co.uk

Image: ABC Cinema Bournemouth © Cinema Theatre Association.