Odeon Theatres

Background
The oldest ancestor of Cineplex Odeon was Odeon Theatres of Canada, started as "Generals Theatre Corporation" by Paul Nathanson, son of Famous Players Canadian Corporation president Nathan L. Nathanson. The "Odeon Theatres of Canada" name was first used in January 1941. The elder Nathanson was rumoured to be involved in the chain, but it was not until early May 1941 that he resigned (for the second time) from Famous Players Canadian, and acknowledged his position in creating and operating Odeon. The chain, initially composed of independent theatres, was not originally affiliated with the British "Odeon Cinemas" circuit; it was sold to the British chain's owners, The Rank Organisation, in 1946. Following World War II, there was a wave of anglophilia in Ontario; Odeon emphasised its British ownership to capitalize on this sentiment, screening British films—particularly those made by Rank. In 1978, the company merged with Canadian Theatres to form Canadian Odeon Theatres.

1st Logo (1945-1960)


Logo: Against a gray background comprised of many segmented lines, a print variant of the Rank Organisation's usual gong logo appears, with various text superimposed over the logo indicating either the start of the film, or a trailer for an upcoming film or other attraction. Underneath this appears the Odeon Theaters logo (the same as its British counterpart).

Variants: Depending on the status of the feature being previewed.

Technique: Camera-controlled animation.

Music/Sounds: Depending on the variant, either a series of bells or one of two different orchestral themes.

Availability: Extinct.

2nd Logo (1960-1978)
Logo: Similar to the above, except the snipes are now in color-specifically dark brown against a red background) and the Rank logo is placed to the left of the given text.

Variants: Mostly the same as above, except the feature presentation version is in bold text (rather than script), the inner border is now blue, and the logo returns to being placed behind the text.

Technique: Camera-controlled animation.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic orchestral tune, with different variations depending on the variant.

Availability: Extinct.