People are only just discovering what Odeon actually means – and it’s blowing their minds
FILM lovers will no doubt have stepped into an Odeon at some point in their lives.
But while you’ve been busy tucking into their popcorn and getting sucked into the big screen action, have you ever stopped to wonder how the famous cinema chain got its name?
Traditionally, Odeon was the name used for ancient Greek and Roman buildings where entertainment seekers went to enjoy things like musical shows and poetry competitions.
And literally translated it means “singing place” because people often showed off their vocal capabilities inside the buildings.
But social media fans have recently unveiled another hidden meaning behind the brand’s name – and they can’t believe they never knew it before.
A Facebook member, who is part of the Odeon Cinemas Facebook group, set tongues wagging with a recent post.
They wrote: “Did you know that ODEON stands for Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation?”
This is referring to the name of the British businessman, who founded the cinema group in 1928.
Deutsch then went on to open the flagship store in London’s Leicester Square nine years later.
After the social media user asked the question, many were quick to respond and said it was the first they’d heard of it.
One person commented: “I was today year’s old when I found out that Odeon stands for Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation.”
Others were all in agreement, while some said they’d only discovered the secret meaning recently.
Another person explained: “I learned that was the meaning of Odeon recently.
“In York, on a bus tour.”
Elsewhere on Twitter, someone said: “Fun fact. It is believed that the Odeon founder Oscar Deutsch named the cinemas for ‘Oscar Deutsch entertains our nation.’”
As another person said the knowledge was bound to help people win pub quizzes.
They wrote: “ODEON? You’ll win a pub quiz with this one!
“Oscar Deutsch Entertains our Nation.”
Oscar’s son Ronnie Deutsch previously nodded to the name being linked to his dad.
In a previous interview when speaking about the rise of the cinema group, he said: “Years later, it would become apocryphally known as ‘Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation.”