Cathay Theater

Shanghai, China

870 Huaihai Zhong Lu Road

, Shanghai, China

(map)

02154040415

Status:	Open
Screens:	Triplex
Style:	Art Deco

Function:	Movies (First Run)
Seats:	584
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

The Cathay Theatre is one of the few historic 1930's Art Deco style cinemas that is still open in Shanghai. It opened on January 1, 1932, with 1,080 seats, all on one main floor, and with an American movie, the drama "A Free Soul" starring Norma Shearer. For a while, it was part of millionaire Victor Sassoon's holdings. In the early 1990's, it was granted municipal preservation status.

In 2003, the auditorium was triplexed, with no original internal decor remaining visible. The Cathay Theatre continues as a first-run cinema, screening a mix of Chinese and Western films.

Contributed by KenRoe

YOUR COMMENTS

Here is an exterior photograph (June 2005) of the Cathay Theater, Shanghai:
http://photo.thetechzone.com/computers.php?photo=11195

posted by KenRoe on Oct 25, 2005 at 3:59am

A night view here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/57846867/in/pool-cinemasignage/

posted by KenRoe on Nov 5, 2005 at 12:39am

The Cathay cinema was built during 1930 and 1931, and opened on January 1, 1932, with an american movie called 'Free Soul'. Until 1949 it played mainly English and American Films, using Chinese subtitles and earphones for spoken translation to Chinese. The original technical outfit from the US ('Simplex'?) was used until 1964.

Originally the Cathay had 1080 seats, placed in ca. 30 rows in a flat, rectangle hall without balcony. Ceiling structure and lights were squares - I don't remember to spot anything round in that room. In the early ninetees it looked as if nothing had changed for 60 years; only seating had been reduced to 978.

In 1986, 1997 and 1999 there was an upgrade of the speaker system, the last one adding surround sound and DTS, earning the Cathay an official 'four star' cinema status.

A remarkable oddity of the Cathay is the entrance opening to the center of the intersection of Huai Hai Lu and Mao Ming Lu - it made some headlines in architectural magazines of the thirties. Maybe this contributed to its municipal preservation status in the early nineties - which apparently only applied to the outside of the building, as its protected status did not prevent the splitting of the screening hall: The original one was cut into three smaller rooms, which reopened on June 28, 2005, with 225, 236 and 123 seats. The new floor plans look quite unattractive, with long and narrow screening tubes. No trace of the original decoration remains visible.

posted by Robert Burger on Dec 11, 2005 at 2:06am

Sorry, the splitting was done in 2003, not in 2005.

posted by Robert Burger on Dec 11, 2005 at 2:09am

Another exterior night shot:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/372397482/372397482OvbdLU

posted by KenRoe on Jan 17, 2006 at 11:33am

This is a 2005 daytime photo of the Cathay Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Mar 19, 2006 at 2:35pm

Here is another recent night view of the Cathay Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Jun 18, 2007 at 9:23am

This is a 2007 photo of the Cathay Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Nov 21, 2007 at 6:04pm

A more recent photo can be seen here.

posted by Lost Memory on Jan 7, 2008 at 7:08pm

This link has another photo and it gives the architects name as C.H.Gonda.

posted by Lost Memory on Jan 23, 2008 at 7:03pm

Here is a 2008 photo.

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 7, 2008 at 12:34pm

This is a more recent photo.

posted by Lost Memory on May 6, 2008 at 9:52am

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