Old Cinemas in Taiping

     Not so very long ago, cinema was the place to go for an affordable entertainment.  School children, young couples, families and lonely souls, all found it a place to escape from the harsh realities of life for an hour or two.  Tickets for a show were affordable -ranging from 65 cents to two Malaysian dollars in the early sixties and seventies.  Gradually, the prices went up from RM4 to RM 6 in the nineties.  It became no longer cheap anymore for many.  Then came digital technology and home entertainment units.  That spelled the end of many cinemas.    The cinemas in Taiping too faced the same destiny, all the old cinemas stopped screening movies, for it was no longer profitable to do so.  Some of the old cinema buildings have been renovated and have assumed  new functions.  Others were not so lucky, they were demolished and left no trace at all.  Here are some old cinema buildings that have survived demolition, but for how long, I don't know.  

CAPITOL CINEMA

 

 

The Capitol cinema is located at Jalan Chung Thye Phin, a short distance from the New Market.  It used to show Chinese movies and has a spacious car park.  After it had stopped screening movies, this place was converted into another form of entertainment centre.  It becomes the Capitol Club - a fun pub and karaoke centre.  

CATHAY CINEMA 

 The Cathay cinema is located at Jalan Ngah Ibrahim,  next to Soon Lee Restarurant.   In fact, the compound of the Cathay cinema is now converted into a car park for the patrons of Soon Lee Restaurant.  As for the building itself, it is left to rot.  In the past, this cinema used to show mostly English movies and a few Malay, Hindi and Chinese movies too. Those who used to go to this cinema could still remember the famous cathay 'lok-lok' stall by the roadside just beside the cinema.  I think the stall is still there by it has lost many of its patrons.   The Cathay group has now moved into modern cineplex business in shopping malls and so all its old cinemas are no longer in operation.       

LIDO CINEMA

The Lido cinema is located at Jalan Sultan Abdullah.  It was also very popular because of its location.  It is easily accessible and has a large parking area.  Patrons to the cinema used to frequent the famous Lido laksa stall located within the cinema building.  It was definitely  'good' laksa prepared by the Chinese owner.  After it stopped showing movies, the building was rented out as a place for warehouse sales.  That business failed. It was also rented to a video games operator, and that too failed.  Then, it is now rented out to a restaurant / hawker centre at the back and a karaoke centre operates within the premises.  

MANDARIN CINEMA     

The Mandarin Cinema is located at Jalan Stesen, just behind the HSBC Bank.   It used to show Chinese, English and Indian movies.  This was also the place in Taiping to have a delicious bowl of ice-kacang. The stall was located within the car-park area and was always full of customers.  I think it was in the early eighties when the cinema caught fire and most of the interior of the building was destroyed.  The cinema was left abandoned like that since then and no one has moved in to rent that place and neither is there any sign of renovation.  We are all left to wonder what the future of this place would be like.  Let's wait and see.