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Ngai Chan Panorama No.27 - The Art Deco Majestic Theatre, Ipoh
This panoramic photograph by Ngai Chan Photo Studio, shows the Art Deco styled Majestic Theatre, Ipoh standing almost isolated in Chamberlain Road. Apart from a few pedestrians and bicycles, the streets are virtually empty.
The Majestic Theatre, was designed by Danish architect Berthel Michael Iversen and built in the late 1940's. It finally closed on Feb 25, 1998. The theatre was a single screen movie house seating 867 patrons with 626 downstairs and 241 in the large balcony. The Theatre started out showing Chinese movies until 1983 when it diversified into English, Malay, Hindi and Tamil movies. In 1983, it was also rented out to the 'Cathay Organisation' which kept the theatre until its 3rd 5-year lease term expired in February 1998.
Our database editor adds: 'This cinema was described to me as a popular Chinese movie cinema with old style elegance and functionality. Its upstairs seating was impressive. It was well known for its Wong Fei Hung, Kwan Tuk Hing martial art movies in the 1960s and also some Japanese horror films.'
The image on the right was taken on the first day of the theatre's illegal demolition. The elegance and functionality had gone for ever to be replaced by a modern high-rise building. The illegal demolition was brushed aside by the then Datuk Bandar (The Mayor) as "very unfirtunate". Such is the value of heritage in Ipoh.
To read more about Berthel Michael Iversen, click here
To go to the next Panorama, click here.