Liberty Cinema, Nairobi

This was once a well known Indian cinema. By 1983 Indian films were replaced by English films. It closed down by 2002. Initially it was managed by YADEN (Youth Arts Development and Entrepreneurship Network). It was used for theatre skits, meeting hall and dance classes upstairs. Then it changed to the PCEA Pangani Church.

20th Century Cinema, Nairobi

 new photo!!

This cinema was on Mama Ngina Street

the former street name was Queensway

In 1987 ownership transferred from 20 Century Fox (EA) Ltd to Queensway Properties Ltd!!

Theatre Royal, Nairobi

 

Way before Theatre Royal became Cameo Cinema, that is, prior to the first World War you could have grabbed a drink and snacks at the Regal Bar & Snacks before the film.

The Casbah in the Regal Theatre building Mombasa used to be called the Regal Bar too!!...but there is no connection (I think!!) to the Regal bar at the Theatre Royal. Regal Theatre also had another bar next to the offices and that you could access from the balcony to the left if you were lucky enough to find the door from the balcony to the bar.

Almost all single screen Kenya cinemas had a bar attached to it in the old days. It appears this was a British tradition that started with theatres.

In the 1980s and later, almost no cinemas in Canada had a bar! Cineplex in Canada now has a restaurant (where drinks are available) attached to the multiplex!! Anything for additional revenue!!

Drive-In Cinema, Mombasa

 Here is an interesting description of an outing to see an English film at the Drive-In cinema in Mombasa around 1960:

"There was no television, and so sometimes my mother and father would go to the drive-in cinema. Since the weather was almost always hot and dry, the drive-in was a favorite venue for them. However, on occasions, during the monsoon it would rain, and they would watch the screen with the windscreen wipers going! It didn’t spoil the evening. They didn’t have carry cots or anything like that for David and I, so they used to get an empty drawer from a chest of drawers and put a blanket in it and place us on the back seat and take us with them. (No seat belts of course!). In later years we were able to stay up on the back seat of the car until the credits rolled at the beginning of the film. It was a great night out for us as well, as it usually meant a sausage in a roll and perhaps a swig of dad’s beer before bed if we were lucky. The drive-in cinema only seemed to play one record before the film, ‘Apache’ by the Shadows which echoed over the vast car park. To this day, when I hear that record, I think of the Drive In at Mombasa.

Generally, in those days the cinema was quite amateurish. The adverts before the film were usually ‘slides’ project on the screen. It was quite common for an advert on a slide to be shown upside down and hurriedly changed! The films were often 1950’s Ealing productions, they were always accompanied by a ‘funny’ (a cartoon – often Tom and Jerry), and a ‘short’, which was a ‘B’ movie. Along with this was a newsreel, by Pathé news, giving us the British national news from about two months ago, narrated in a very ‘clipped’ upper class British accent. Since there were no foreign newspapers, this was the only way of knowing what was going on in Britain."

source: https://petegoddard.pw/882-2

The Shadows - Apache: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TwULx_wDiI

Amazing!!...I recall around 1974 the Regal had only one Beatles vinyl record album that was played every day for many months!!...until my school friend Hitesh, who worked at Assanands brought me many cassettes of the latest English Hits that I handed over to the projectionist!!

https://www.thebeatles.com/beatles-1967-1970

YouTube clip:Kenya, Nairobi & 20th Century Cinemas - post 1972!!

 This video on YouTube was probably taken after 1972. This is the only video I have seen that shows all of the 3 cinemas in CBD:

Kenya Cinema - minute 1.00 to 1.03; and again 2.09 to 2.17

Nairobi Cinema - minute 3.18 to 3.25 (right of Uchumi building - you can see the blue wall and Nairobi Cinema sign)

20th Century Cinema - minute 3.27 to 3.35 (you can see the top of the red sign '20th')

enjoy!!

also has great scenes of Kenayatta Avenue. Parliament building and New Stanley Hotel!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQXGTXmK4hc

Advertising in Mombasa Cinemas in the 1970s: Filmlets (EA) Ltd and Pearl & Dean (EA) Ltd

If you were a regular film patron to Mombasa cinemas in the 1970s you may remember the commercials that played before the National Anthem and News (News Pictorial or later the Kenya Newsreel). The industry used to call these ‘filmlets’. The term commercial was not used at the time!!

The famous Rolex commercial at the Drive-In comes to mind. This is where a swimmer wearing a Rolex watch dives from a very high cliff somewhere in Cancun. This played for a long time at the Drive-In including prior to Indian films.

Yet another one that played continuously were various British Airways commercials at only the Kenya Cinema Mombasa.

Some of the commercials at this early time were locally produced. For example, the Close-Up toothpaste commercial was filmed on a busy Nairobi Street. An attractive African lady bumps into a man and the narrative starts with “suddenly you are very close to someone...will your teeth be bright? ...will your breath be fresh?....”

And then who can forget all the slides before the commercials. At the Regal the slides would whiz by without giving patrons enough time to read them!!

Little known were the companies behind the distribution of commercials. There were only 2 companies. One was Filmlets (EA) Ltd. This was associated with 20th Century Fox (EA) Ltd. The other was Pearl and Dean (EA) Ltd.

These companies would send schedules monthly with updates and a box of new 30/60 second filmlets as needed. This part of the business was quite lucrative. Advertising revenues could be anywhere from 5% - 15% of box office takings. And of course, the higher the cinema attendance the higher the advertising amounts these companies would send each month. The cinemas could not negotiate anything! This additional revenue was pure gravy as there were virtually no additional costs! At the Regal the only headache fell to Jack the rewinder who had to spend time each week splicing up all the 5-9 filmlets. Kenya cinema in Mombasa had the most commercials ranging from 8-16 filmlets each week. At the Regal we would try and boost advertising revenues by sending Filmlets and Pearl & Dean schedules of upcoming films that would likely do well.

As the years went by some filmlets were in Swahili. Later on you could see the same filmlets on the Voice of Kenya TV!

Slides were much cheaper to produce, and local Mombasa businesses would have these made up by local photography businesses. In those days slides were around 5in by 5in. The film would be set between 2 glass panes that would be manually inserted in a slider allowing 2 slides at a time in a dedicated slide machine. The projectionist had to be careful the slide was shown right side up!

Regular patrons may remember the last slide that was used for years in Mombasa cinemas that said ‘Please check your belongings before you leave. Management is not responsible for lost items.' This started after a high-profile loss in one of the cinemas in the 1960s. Regal showed this social message by way of a business card held in the palm of one’s hand, while Kenya cinema showed a man's lower body as he left the cinema!!

And who can forget the slide that played continuously at the Kenya Cinema about a Marlon Brando film on Wounded Knee. This film never arrived!

Filmlets (East Africa) Limited was incorporated in Kenya in Sept 1960 (see below)

Pearl and Dean (East Africa) Limited was incorporated in Kenya in Sept 1961 and was dissolved in April 1994 as film attendance dropped precipitously!! (see below)

Advertising in Cinemas appeared to be still lucrative by the mid 1990s. See the Advertising Rate Sheet from the Fox group below.

see Pearl and Dean logo that played at the Regal Theatre Mombasa (the actual one had a rotating globe in the middle!)

from 1.25min to 1.40min:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube%20pearl%20and%20dean%20history%20of%20logo&docid=607993053714016303&mid=1AA8517BF28E004797201AA8517BF28E00479720&view=detail&FORM=VIRE&fbclid=IwAR1MCHJJXkrkl6e1hsRz1lFB98DnCfwb2PWuIePdiqayscQyS8X2xu7MAbk

 

Dar es Salaam Film Listings, Sunday News May 8th 1966

 

1973 Bruce Lee Stamps Tanzania

 Bruce Lee was considered the "non aligned super hero" in Tanzania!!

The Kenya Cinema, the Regal Cinema and the Port Reitz Hotel Mombasa

 

Port Reitz, an area located to the northwest of Mombasa Island, was named after Lieutenant J. J. Reitz, an officer in the Royal Navy, who became commander of Mombasa in February 1824.

Interestingly the hotel was designed and built by William Miller Robertson as business was bad at the Regal Theatre on Salim Road!

We do not know what happened between 1935 and 1955 at the Port Reitz Hotel. However, in 1956 Mohanlal Kala, the owner of Majestic Cinema and Kenya Cinema in Mombasa decided to purchase the Port Reitz Hotel and 50 acres around Port Reitz Airport (see below screenshot from the book Jambo Samji Kala).

The hotel was leased to a British expatriate. According to the book, the hotel was only open to the British, and even Mohanlal Kala was expected to enter the hotel from the side entrance. Because of this and the fact that the hotel served meat, Mohanlal Kala decided to sell the hotel! ...and that was that!!

Who built the Regal Theatre in Mombasa?

 Some literature makes claims that the brothers Janmohamed Hasham and Valli Hasham built the Regal Theatre. However, I vaguely recall my dad telling me that they in fact purchased the property after construction. I have come across some evidence confirming this!!

William Miller Robertson is listed as a company director in the 29th December 1934 edition of the Kenya Gazette. (see screenshot below).

Additionally, one of the Kenya Regiment Association booklet‘s (see screen shot below) explains that business was so bad at the Regal Theatre in 1935, that William Miller Robertson who was running the theatre and who was a registered architect decided to design and build the Port Reitz Hotel to generate income.

Consistent with the above, the 20th November 1934 Kenya Gazette indicates that the Regal Theatres and Cinemas (East Africa) Limited sold the business (assets and goodwill) to Valli Hasham & Company (see screenshot below). Amazing!!

This further adds to the role and influence of the British in the early development of the theatres, cinemas and the entertainment industry in Kenya.

It appears William Miller Robertson continued in the capacity of a manager or lessee at the Regal!!

Film India Cinema, Nairobi

Film India Cinema changed its name sometime in the 1960s to Casino Cinema!!

Top Photo: present day Casino building is now a church

Middle Photo: premises on corner of Varma Road leading to Casino Cinema (extreme left)

Bottom Photo: River Road in junction with Latema Road on left and Verma Road on right. Right of Moonlit Chemists about 50 yards was the Casino Cinema formerly Film India Cinema.

photos from:

http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/.../nostalgic%20EAfrica... 

Shan Cinema, 14th Top Iconic building in Nairobi

Remember the days when cinemas had large posters outside the main entrance? see below ....see the large poster for Sone Chidya.......around 1958 (middle photo). Shan Cinema seated 650 persons.

In 2012 a survey by the Architectural Association of Kenya and the National Musuems of Kenya named the Shan building (now Sarakasi Dome bottom photo) as the 14th top iconic building that gave Nairobi it's unique character!! (Nation.Africa Kenyas Top 15 buildings Sept 7th 2012 issue)

Cameo Cinema 1964 advert in East African Standard

Ownership of Cameo Cinema in Nairobi changed in 1961 and the cinema was renovated.

The East African Standard 1964 copy (below) shows Cameo Cinema placed a large advert on the first page (see bottom right of page 1 below)!!

Wow!! Continuous shows from 10.15 am. Apparently continuous shows was started by Cameo Cinema!!

Coliseum Cinema in Khartoum, Sudan

 

1935 Coliseum Cinema in Khartoum, Sudan converted to Riot Police HQ in 1989!!

After the military coup of 1989, Sudan's government suppressed cinema...... and the country's cinema screens showcasing Hollywood, Bollywood and Arabic movies were all eventually shut down, and later put up for sale. The old Coliseum Cinema, for example, became part of Khartoum's riot police headquarters.

In May 2022, Bono Cinema, the "first international cinema" in Sudan started showing current foreign movies in Khartoum with a capacity of more than 300 seats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Sudan

A history of the troubled 20th Century Cinema, Nairobi!!

Most will remember the heydays of the wonderful 20th Century Cinema from the late 1950s to the mid 1980s. Here is how it looked in those days:

Things started to unravel when 20th Century Fox (EA) Ltd sold the cinema in 1986. They probably sold the theatre due to a combination of factors. English film cinema attendance had already fallen by 30% from 5.1 million in 1980 to 3.5 million in 1984. Their analysis probably revealed the film exhibition industry would collapse in Kenya given the extremely lax government controls in curbing VHS pirating early, and local cultures of obtaining things at a bargain and not losing sleep over foreign movie industry not being legally compensated. Not least events in the parent US company must have impacted events in Kenya. Marvin Davis was forced to sell the US company to Rupert Murdoch due to rising debt from a series of box office flops, and it is likely that as part of the company’s restructuring efforts it decided to dump its low profitability Kenyan Cinema assets and the hard-fought film distribution company.

Fox Theatres

The Fox Group operated Fox Theatres (including the 20th Century Cinema) and Fox Distribution. 25% of the shares was held by the Simba Group.

Local ownership by a company that hitherto had never operated cinemas probably further accentuated 20th Century Cinema’s precipitous decline.

I was beyond shocked when I visited the Kenya cinema on Moi Avenue to view the latest Bond film in 1987 (The Living Daylights). The quality of the film presentation was poor with the lighting particularly dark throughout the film. It was obvious the 35mm projector reflectors needed replacement. The auditorium lights during the preshow and interval were harshly bright, and instead of the smartly dressed and friendly cinema staff I had to maneuver through a scowling scruffy bookkeeper as I chose my favorite seat. It was as if he was doing me a favor!

What the Fox cinemas needed was Raman bhai Savani owner of Kenya Cinema Mombasa, who I think by far was most attuned to cinema patrons needs and incredibly always focused on providing a quality film presentation!

20th Century Plaza – 2 Screens!

With the declining cinema attendance, the owners decided to close and twin the cinema to 2 screens. The cinemas were advertised as 20th Century Screen 1 and Screen 2.

This was in operation until 2011.

This is how the 20th Century looked after twinning of the original cinema:

Imax 20th Century at the 20th Century Plaza – back to the future with 1 screen!

Fox Theatres faced declining profitability by early 2011 due to declining cinema attendance, increase in pirating and new players. The twining of the cinema could not save it! Fox Theatres sold 20th Century Plaza. Blue Sky World Ltd took over 20th Century Cinema.

By 2011 North America had replaced 35mm projection systems with digital projection systems. Most Hollywood movies in Canada were digitally presented in 2011. Nairobi kept up with new technology!

In November 2011 Screen 1 of 20th Century was closed and renovated while Screen 2 continued for a short time. The roof of Screen 1 was raised and a floor to roof extra-large Imax screen, 7.5m in height, imported from Canada was set up. The projectors are converted to a 3D Imax projection system. The auditorium was totally renovated and opened in March 2012 with 255 seats! Here is a photo of Imax 20th Century

2019 Fire

In March 2019 a fire broke out in the offices side of the 20th Century building. Nairobi fire fighters worked hard to put out a fire in the 20th Century building. The cinema escaped with no damage!

Here is a photo of the fire in progress:

Then of course the pandemic in March 2020 ruined things further. A dispute between the landlord and the cinema tenants after nonpayment of rent for 3 months resulted in the landlord closing the cinema and attempting to auction off the furniture and equipment! There were no buyers!

Anga CBD

After being closed for 2.5 years the cinema reopened as Anga CBD in December 2022. The trademark IMAX sign outside has disappeared and been replaced with ANGA CBD at the top of the building!! Here is the photo: