Before today's multiplex cinemas housed in shopping malls, there's the Capitol Theatre, built in 1929 by a Persian family, the Namazie brothers. It was a lofty colossal single cinema hall with two storeys providing 1686 seats and feature a large screen. The grandeur of its neo-classical architecture made it a total cinematic experience, however. The building was bought over by Shaw Organisation in 1946 and the theatre became its flagship. Before it screened its last Hollywood movie, Soldier, starring Kurt Russell, on 29 December 1998, many Singaporeans, myself included, watched dozens of movies here on dates with friends. The milkshakes at Magnolia Snack Bar were popular with cinema goers.
Here's a vintage photo of Capitol Theatre in its heyday. You can see a trishaw rider on the left and the cars look really vintage.The future development of the building, now called Capitol Building, is yet to be decided.
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What a big difference progress makes! I love how you did the comparison. Singapore is my wish list to visit.
ReplyDeleteI like it more the way it looks in the first photo. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteI love the first photo too. Is it still being used as a cinema?
ReplyDeleteThe first photo was taken by me this year.It's no longer a cinema. The building currently has a hodge podge of F& B and retail tenants but they will move out this year as the land authority wants to maximise its potential for some yet to be announced use.
ReplyDeleteThat place is awesome and huge. I really like old theaters.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful old theater. It's sad for me to see how most of the beautiful old ones are no longer used to show movies.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful building. They should turn it into a concert hall or something.
ReplyDeleteI remember a wonderful evening with our children in the theatre seeing the Jungle Book in 1969!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it is still standing.
I love those old theaters ...so much better than the impersonal multiplexes of today...
ReplyDeleteThere was one, back home in Wellington, NZ, that had a couple of resident ghosts. I believe they refurbished it and it is still in use today. it was where they had the Wellington premiers of LOTR .
Beautiful old building ...much better than the multiplexes of today !
ReplyDeleteI love those old theaters. They are all gone here in the USA.
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