Historic Cinemas of Penang

Majestic Theatre, George Town (3 June 2012)


On this page, I describe the historic cinemas of Penang, particularly those that are no longer standing.

Capitol is one of these cinemas. I found an article about it in the Malayan Saturday Post dated 8 October, 1932. The article is archived by the National Library of Singapore here: https://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/malayansatpost19321008.2.24.aspx

That is before the cinema was built. It is interesting to note that the article refers to the cinema as "talkie house", a term referencing the screening of talking movies. In comparison, we now live in an age where all movies are assumed to be talkies, and in full colour, and those that aren't - The Artist being one - are more the exception than the expected. Also, today's Penang audience is now more accustomed to reading "cineplex" than "cinema".

From the article, I learn that Capitol, which was to be sited at the junction of Penang Road and Maxwell Road, between the Anglo-Chinese School and the Anglo-Chinese School Union. It was going to "eclipse all other talkie houses in Penang", and mention was made of the existing ones: Majestic, Queen's and King's.

By the way, Queen's was reincarnated as Cathay, but today's shoppers know it as Mydin.

Of these three, only Majestic Theatre retains its name, albeit as I write this (Nov 2013), the building is also undergoing restoration (or should I say, renovation), and the cinema itself isn't operating. Capitol holds the distinction of being the first theatre that is entirely a "talkie hall", as opposed to Majestic, Queen's and King's.