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Singapore's first cinema, Capitol Theatre


Jman888
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the post 80s generation didn't get a chance to watch movie in this theatre, still remember the big sculpture on both side of the screen :D

 

i watched the 3 hours long 'The ten commandments' in this theatre on the hard wooden chair, kar chng pain after the show even though they have interval in between.

 

Flashback: Singapore's first cinema, Capitol Theatre

 

Capitol Theatre is Singapore's first cinema that was built in 1929 by M.A. Namazie, an early Singapore pioneer of Persian origin.

 

Capitol Theatre and the Capitol Building is located at the junction of Stamford Road and North Bridge Road.

 

The theatre has been home to cabaret performances and even a food depot during World War II. It was bombed in 1944 by the anti-Japanese resistance and bought by Shaw organisation for $3.8 million two years later.

 

Shaw converted it into its flagship movie theatre with 1,686 seats.

 

Capitol Building is a four-storey apartment building that was originally known as Namazie Mansions. It is located in front of Capitol Theatre.

 

It was later renamed the Shaw Building and was again changed to Capitol Building after restoration works were completed in 1992. By then, the building had shops and restaurants on the ground floor and offices on the second to fourth floors.

 

Shaw submitted plans in the 1970s to redevelop both Capitol Theatre and Capital Building into a shopping complex with three screens and 300 serviced apartments but the government approval did not come.

 

In 1987, the authorities bought the two buildings but continued to lease the cinema to Shaw, which screened its last movie in 1998.

 

The complex which includes Stamford House and Capitol Centre is now slated for major redevelopment.

 

The project, coming at a cost of $700 million, will transform the historic complex into a retail, hotel, residential and arts site that is expected to be completed in 2014.

 

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remember the term "circle seats"?

 

 

oh yah... now then i realise all the new cinema no longer have circle seats,almost all the cinema has that in the past [laugh] [laugh]

 

but you can still get circle seat are The Esplanade :D

 

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Turbocharged
(edited)

The seat number is hand written on the ticket using some kind of crayon, and the usher will tear it by hand. In capitol theatre there was the upper deck seats which i think was circle seat. the other theatre similiar in size and set up was lido. i went pak tor there.

Edited by Ingenius
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remember the term "circle seats"?

cicle seat was the only tickets i bought while dating m gf (now wife liao) n i use to marvel at the motives n statues on the ceiling n wall of the cinema.

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Turbocharged

where you find these nostalgic photos jman ? you must be feeling deja vu today. why ? mid-life crisis ah ? when was the last time you actually bring your mrs (without kids) for a movie and remind her of the romance then ? [laugh] do it !

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where you find these nostalgic photos jman ? you must be feeling deja vu today. why ? mid-life crisis ah ? when was the last time you actually bring your mrs (without kids) for a movie and remind her of the romance then ? [laugh] do it !

 

 

they found me lah, guess they are promoting the new Capitol....

 

http://www.asiaone.com/static/multimedia/g...apitol_theatre/

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I remember watching movies there, always circle seats, i high class.

 

 

huh?? [confused] [confused] i thought you 20 something only?

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Why they machim wear 3d glasses?

 

 

i believe they are watching the old 3D movie [laugh]

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Turbocharged

huh?? [confused] [confused] i thought you 20 something only?

he already join mcf for quite long liao, how can be 20plus ?

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