Old Cinemas in Ipoh

A friend of mine emailed me some beautiful photographs of old cinemas in Ipoh.  They were taken by a chap named Eddy Foo.  I cannot recall this person on my worn-out memory but I assume that I might have known him.  He certainly takes good pictures, just like a professional.  When I showed these photographs to my other friends, they said that he must be using a camera that would probably cost us an arm or a leg.  I suppose they are right but then, equipment alone do not create good pictures like these.  The photographs are all taken at the right angles and with the best backdrop..  In short, the composition is simply amazing.  They are the product of the photographer more than just the equipment alone.  Here they are and I hope Mr Eddy won't mind me using his photographs on my blog: :   

This is the Odeon Cinema.  I remember it as a cinema located at the end of Brewster Road.  We used to walk to the cinemas those days, so to get there, it was a long walk.  I watched quite a few black and white Malay and English movies at this cinema.  

The Lido Cinema was a more popular cinema and it screened movies from the Shaw Brothers' stable.  At that time, there was a monthly movie magazine - Movie News - that gave preview and review of  movies that will be shown in Show Brother's cinemas.  I think I watched Ben Hur here! 

Opposite Lido Cinema, was the Cathay cinema.  This was the the main rival of the Shaw Brother's chain of cinemas.  Cathay cinema was just as popular and it screened mostly English movies.  What's more interesting is that both the Lido and Cathay cinemas have morning shows -10.30 am - on every weekends which were called Cheap Matinee - because the ticket cost only 50 cents and the shows were second-run movies. Usually popular old cowboy movies and Tarzan movies were screened during this time.     

The Ruby cinema was just on the next street, Cowan Street.  I seldom went there to see a show because it screened mostly Hindi and Tamil movies.  But, later on it showed Chinese movies too.  I watched the "One-armed Swordsman" there.

Rex cinema was the other popular Shaw Brothers cinema in town.  This one showed mostly Chinese movies from Shaw Brothers' production.  Movies starring David Chiang and Fu Shang were the craze during my time as a teenager.  One has to actually go early to make advanced booking for the day for otherwise the tickets would be sold out and then there will be touts selling tickets at black market prices before each show.