Capitol Cinema, Nairobi in 1955!!

20th Century Fox's 'A man called Peter' at the Capitol Cinema in Nairobi.

Film synopsis: The rise of Peter Marshall, from modest Scottish upbringing, to New York seminary, time in Atlanta churches, his marriage, appointment as chaplain of the US Senate, and early death at 46. Based on real events

see the trailer at 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048337/

The Roxy Theatre in Mombasa's history

 

The Roxy Theatre and the Little Theatre Club, Mombasa

The Little Theatre Club came into existence in the late 1940s and still survives!

But before the Little Theatre Club (built in the 1940s) and the Regal and Majestic (built in the 1930s) there was the Roxy Theatre on Kilindini Road.

Amazingly we grew up in Mombasa without knowing about the Roxy Theatre!

The Roxy served as both a cinema and theatre!! 

Before the Regal and Majestic was built, the Roxy Theatre was a popular venue for amateur theatre productions (Jahazi Vol 8 Issue 1 2019). Roxy and other theatres of the time showed a series of the lightest of almost exclusively British plays and revues, by both professional touring and local amateur groups, punctuated very occasionally by an obligatory Shakespeare or Sheridan production (A History of East African Theatre Volume 2).

The Roxy Theatre was also a cinema! Edward Rodwell indicated that,” the Regal was not the first cinema; there was the Roxy, opposite PWD headquarters in Kilindini road. There the projectors worked by a man turning the handle. The lighting came from two carbons that provided an electric flame rather like an oxy-acetylene burner. The same process could set fire to film.” (from: The Regal, ‘a fast and furious place’... The Standard, Friday September 27, 1985).

A different post covers Edward Rodwell's article titled 'the fast and furious place'!!

Shan & Casino Cinemas, Nairobi play Taj Mahal on Dec 12th 1963 Kenya Independence day!!

 

Moons Cinema, Mombasa & the display/posters of Sholay!

 

some comments by movie patrons on facebook: 

                

 I remember the first screening of Sholay. It was screened alternatively on three screens: Moons, Kenya and the Drive in. A rafiki of mine used to do the delivery of reels in three cinema houses. The time slot was very professionally arranged where the person responsible delivered the reels on time so as not to keep the projectionists waiting

Samji Kala..Mombasa Cinema Pioneer

Mohanlal Samji Kara was a pioneer in the Kenyan cinema industry. He built Kenya cinema and Majestic cinema in Mombasa. When he died at 98 years in 1998 it was front page news ..see a copy of the Coastweek below