The AMC Pacific Place Cinema opened on December 9th 2006 in Hong Kong, China. Refurbished by James Law Cybertecture International, Pacific Place Cinema is on the ground floor of the Pacific Place mall in the Queensway district on Hong Kong Island. The space use to be a two auditorium UA Pacific Place Cinema. Definitely one of the coolest cinemas in the world.
I will always fondly remember this theater. In fact, it was this theater and the Lyric (VOH) in Vancouver that pique my interest in movie palaces of yesteryear. My first visit was to catch a double feature with Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon along with Steve McQueen’s Bullitt. I sat there admiring the theater’s ornate interior even though it has seen better days. Another gem was the Emerald.
Back to doing what it does best: Movies! Reopened by local resident Bill Peebles who runs Ambassador Entertainment. Runs independent, foreign and art films.
The Sunset was opened on Christmas Eve 1922 at South Andrews and Las Olas next to the “Sweet Building”. This would be Fort Lauderdale’s first theater. It initially seated 989 patrons. It closed in 1950. Florida States Theaters owned this theater.
The Sunset used to show bawdy movies and later, it turned into the short lived Purple Onion night club where Little Richard actually performed.
One of three theaters opened on Los Olas (The others are Florida and Colony), this Florida State Theater owned venue was opened in 1945. It closed in 1961.
Originally opened in 1949 as the Fox. In 1966, the theater was called Quadra. The independent venue showed first run movies and later porn. It changed to the Roxy Cinegog in 1986 as a “art theater” and then 2nd run double features.
Built in 1921 as a Vaudeville and live theater. It had a Robert Morton Pipe Organ costing $15,000. First movie shown was “In Old Kentucky”. The theater was later owned and operated by the Langer Theater Circuit in 1929 but was sold to Famous Players shortly after. It had a seating capacity of 847. The theater closed in 1955. The building still stands today and is a heritage building.
Regent was opened in 1929 and was operated by Famous Players Theater. Due to dwindling attendance because of television, the theater shuttered its doors in 1958. The structure served as retail space and is now used by Birthright Crisis Center.
Originally opened as the Kingsway in 1939 by Odeon Theaters until 1965. It was remodelled in 1966 and subsequently renamed the Haida. It was closed in 1991 and sold to new operators who would screen pornographic films and later East Indian films when the name was changed to Raja.
Opened in 1966, it was twinned in 1982. A third screen was added in 1995. First owned and operated by Odeon theaters, it initially had a seating capacity of 778 seats.
The Orpheum was owned by Kate Rockwell, best known as Klondike Kate and Queen of the Yukon. The theater was co managed by Alexander Pantages during the delirium of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1901. It feature vaudeville and burlesque shows. It was here that Pantages met Rockwell who would engage in a tumultuous relationship. Rockwell had given Pantages the financial means to help him build theaters in Seattle and Vancouver. In 1910, it was converted to screen films. It served as a theater until 1979.
First I need to make corrections to post submitted by Loralei and Felicity. Granville St, long known as Theater row boasted a total of 10 theaters. Prior to 1969, there was the Colonial, Strand, Capitol, Orpheum, Vogue, Odeon, Coronet, Lyric, Studio and Downtown Cinema with the latter five changing names several time.
When Odeon Theater Group decided to build a multiplex, they purchased a neighboring building next to the Coronet and retained the facade although the rest of the building was gutted. The Coronet, originally opened in 1929 as the Globe until 1935, renamed The Paradise in 1938 and then the Coronet in 1964. The Coronet was later twinned. The Coronet still exist where it was merged with the new construction on the left. The Coronet face remains but the interior auditoriums was heavily renovated.
This is the 3rd Theater to grace the name Orpheum. The first was the old Alhambra on Pender and Howe. The second was the old Vancouver Opera House on Granville. At one time, it was also known as RKO Orpheum. The 3rd, which is currently the home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra was first known as the New Orpheum Theater until the original neon signage was replaced sans the word “New”.
The Victoria Road Theater was actually built in 1926 by the Langer Theater Circuit before being purchased by Famous Players in 1928 and sat 1000 patrons.
The Paramount was first built in 1902 as the Edison Block Building and altered in 1910 to become the Edison Vaudeville Theater. It changed ownership in 1949 and the name was subsequently changed to the Paramount. Originally built to accommodate 910.
After the Alma stopped showing films in 1955, it sat vacant until Bobby Taylor and Tommy Chong (famous for being part of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong) opened a Vancouver Nightclub called Blues Palace at the old theater site. Ike and Tina Turner Revue had a run there as well. Although it hasn’t been substantiated, there were rumors that a young unknown Jimi Hendrix performed at this site. The theater has since been demolished and now houses a strip mall.
The Grandview Theater was opened in 1929 until 1959, often showing 2nd run films. Famous Players owned the theater until the building was sold and converted to a furniture store. Subsequent remodels included adding rows of windows on the second floor. The building today is essentially the shell of the former theater, but sadly gutted of all its original interior.
Here are some photos of the theater:
View link
View link
View link
Here it is again.
View link
Here is a photo of the Pagoda Theater before it was razed.
View link
The AMC Pacific Place Cinema opened on December 9th 2006 in Hong Kong, China. Refurbished by James Law Cybertecture International, Pacific Place Cinema is on the ground floor of the Pacific Place mall in the Queensway district on Hong Kong Island. The space use to be a two auditorium UA Pacific Place Cinema. Definitely one of the coolest cinemas in the world.
Here are some photos:
View link
View link
View link
I will always fondly remember this theater. In fact, it was this theater and the Lyric (VOH) in Vancouver that pique my interest in movie palaces of yesteryear. My first visit was to catch a double feature with Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon along with Steve McQueen’s Bullitt. I sat there admiring the theater’s ornate interior even though it has seen better days. Another gem was the Emerald.
They have a website:
View link
Back to doing what it does best: Movies! Reopened by local resident Bill Peebles who runs Ambassador Entertainment. Runs independent, foreign and art films.
They have a website:
View link
Correction: Theater closed in 1953.
The Sunset was opened on Christmas Eve 1922 at South Andrews and Las Olas next to the “Sweet Building”. This would be Fort Lauderdale’s first theater. It initially seated 989 patrons. It closed in 1950. Florida States Theaters owned this theater.
The Sunset used to show bawdy movies and later, it turned into the short lived Purple Onion night club where Little Richard actually performed.
One of three theaters opened on Los Olas (The others are Florida and Colony), this Florida State Theater owned venue was opened in 1945. It closed in 1961.
Originally opened in 1949 as the Fox. In 1966, the theater was called Quadra. The independent venue showed first run movies and later porn. It changed to the Roxy Cinegog in 1986 as a “art theater” and then 2nd run double features.
Here’s a 1958 night time photo of the Lux. The three block long stretch of Neon lights started here going west.
http://flickr.com/photos/79761301@N00/2595843385/
Built in 1921 as a Vaudeville and live theater. It had a Robert Morton Pipe Organ costing $15,000. First movie shown was “In Old Kentucky”. The theater was later owned and operated by the Langer Theater Circuit in 1929 but was sold to Famous Players shortly after. It had a seating capacity of 847. The theater closed in 1955. The building still stands today and is a heritage building.
Here is a recent photo of the building:
http://flickr.com/photos/bobkh/2630534752/
Regent was opened in 1929 and was operated by Famous Players Theater. Due to dwindling attendance because of television, the theater shuttered its doors in 1958. The structure served as retail space and is now used by Birthright Crisis Center.
Originally opened as the Kingsway in 1939 by Odeon Theaters until 1965. It was remodelled in 1966 and subsequently renamed the Haida. It was closed in 1991 and sold to new operators who would screen pornographic films and later East Indian films when the name was changed to Raja.
Opened in 1966, it was twinned in 1982. A third screen was added in 1995. First owned and operated by Odeon theaters, it initially had a seating capacity of 778 seats.
The Orpheum was owned by Kate Rockwell, best known as Klondike Kate and Queen of the Yukon. The theater was co managed by Alexander Pantages during the delirium of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1901. It feature vaudeville and burlesque shows. It was here that Pantages met Rockwell who would engage in a tumultuous relationship. Rockwell had given Pantages the financial means to help him build theaters in Seattle and Vancouver. In 1910, it was converted to screen films. It served as a theater until 1979.
First I need to make corrections to post submitted by Loralei and Felicity. Granville St, long known as Theater row boasted a total of 10 theaters. Prior to 1969, there was the Colonial, Strand, Capitol, Orpheum, Vogue, Odeon, Coronet, Lyric, Studio and Downtown Cinema with the latter five changing names several time.
When Odeon Theater Group decided to build a multiplex, they purchased a neighboring building next to the Coronet and retained the facade although the rest of the building was gutted. The Coronet, originally opened in 1929 as the Globe until 1935, renamed The Paradise in 1938 and then the Coronet in 1964. The Coronet was later twinned. The Coronet still exist where it was merged with the new construction on the left. The Coronet face remains but the interior auditoriums was heavily renovated.
This is the 3rd Theater to grace the name Orpheum. The first was the old Alhambra on Pender and Howe. The second was the old Vancouver Opera House on Granville. At one time, it was also known as RKO Orpheum. The 3rd, which is currently the home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra was first known as the New Orpheum Theater until the original neon signage was replaced sans the word “New”.
The Victoria Road Theater was actually built in 1926 by the Langer Theater Circuit before being purchased by Famous Players in 1928 and sat 1000 patrons.
Upon further research, the Dominion Theater was a prestigious venue actually built in 1907 by J.R. Muir and sat 1000 patrons.
There are show listing in a 1925 Vancouver Sun for the Dominion Theater so the official opening date is not 1929.
The Paramount was first built in 1902 as the Edison Block Building and altered in 1910 to become the Edison Vaudeville Theater. It changed ownership in 1949 and the name was subsequently changed to the Paramount. Originally built to accommodate 910.
After the Alma stopped showing films in 1955, it sat vacant until Bobby Taylor and Tommy Chong (famous for being part of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong) opened a Vancouver Nightclub called Blues Palace at the old theater site. Ike and Tina Turner Revue had a run there as well. Although it hasn’t been substantiated, there were rumors that a young unknown Jimi Hendrix performed at this site. The theater has since been demolished and now houses a strip mall.
The Grandview Theater was opened in 1929 until 1959, often showing 2nd run films. Famous Players owned the theater until the building was sold and converted to a furniture store. Subsequent remodels included adding rows of windows on the second floor. The building today is essentially the shell of the former theater, but sadly gutted of all its original interior.