FLASH Gordon conquered the universe one last time at Bournemouth’s ABC cinema as a fan said goodbye to the venue.

Adrian Cox rented the giant ABC1 screen to show the 1980 version of the science fiction favourite before the venue closes.

Both the ABC and the nearby Odeon are due to close before a new Odeon opens at the BH2 leisure complex near the Square next year.

Adrian, who last year organised Bournemouth’s first licensed showing of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, spent £2,000 renting his favourite cinema screen.

He invited friends and family to see Flash Gordon, starring Sam J Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max Von Sydow, Brian Blessed and Timothy Dalton.

He chose the film as the ideal widescreen spectacular for the venue, which boasts a 45ft wide curved screen.

“It’s a terrific cinema so it’s not going to be the same without it,” he said ahead of the screening.

“I’m sure the new Odeon will be fantastic but they won’t build them like this.

“I’ve been here for two hours just walking around the place, thinking how amazing it really is. They’ve got the curtains to work for us and put the curtain lights on and given the foyer a new coat of paint.

“They said they wanted to let the place go out in style. I’m sure this will be the last special event we have.

“If we hire a cinema again, it will be the new Odeon.”

Associated British Cinemas opened the cinema on June 19, 1937, with the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical Shall We Dance. In those days, it had a single, 2,515 seat auditorium with organ, plus a restaurant and cafe.

The venue hosted the world premiere of Happy Go Lovely in 1951 and the UK premiere of Showboat in 1951. It was renamed the ABC in 1958.

In 1970, new owners EMI turned the venue into a twin screen cinema, with the giant ABC1 screen equipped for the new 70mm projection system. It was one of only a handful of cinemas to get the same level of investment. A third screen was added in the 1970s.

The cinema’s name changed to the Cannon and then MGM before the ABC identity returned.

The 88-year-old ABC brand name is due to disappear when the cinema closes.