Cineac Cinema
Reguliersbreestraat 31-33,
Amsterdam
1017CM
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Cineac
Architects: Jan Duiker
Functions: Nightclub, Restaurant
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Handelsblad Cineac, Riksbioscoop
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Operated by the Cineac chain of news theatres, this cinema was probably the best of its type. It was located directly opposite the famed Tuschinski Theatre on the narrow Reguliersbreestraat.
It opened on 18th October 1934 and the architect Jan Duiker managed to create on an awkward site an ingenious auditorium in which the projection room was tucked away, under the balcony. To open up the mystique of the operation of the cinema, the operations within the projection room (located over the front entrance) could be seen from the street as it had glass walls on two sides. There was a huge sky sign mounted on the roof of the theatre and the corner entrance had a box office on the street, no foyer was provided as patrons entered either left to go into the orchestra level or right to go into the circle. The auditorium was devoid of decoration apart from several troughs of concealed lighting. It was ‘egg shaped’, with the screen being at the ‘pointed end’.
After the demise of cinema newsreels in the 1960’s the Cineac went over to feature films, playing in repertory 2nd run movies at cheap prices. The last film played was Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan in “When A Man Loves A Woman” on 12th April 1995.
It was converted into a Planet Hollywood restaurant, which failed after a couple of years and the building has now been converted into appartments and the building has now opened as another restaurant with some residential units at the rear.
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Recent exterior photo here:
View link
Two September 2005 photographs here:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/134954288/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/134954636/
Unfortunately NO, it is still in use as office space at the front of the building and residential use at the rear. I believe the building is Listed and this could be the reason why the signage has been retained and restored. When it became a Planet Hollywood restaurant in 1996, some of the signage was removed and replaced with the P.H. name. P.H. closed this location in 1998.
I was recently in Amstserdam in late November 2006 and didn’t see the sign lit up during my visit there. I do wish that I had! Here are three daytime views of the building that I took:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/324821194/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/324821741/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/324822139/
A postcard view showing the Cineac, probably late 1930’s or just after the war 1945-1946:
http://flickr.com/photos/pulp-o-rama/428090437/