Palace Theatre Cinema
After being converted from a nightclub, Palace Theatre Cinema was opened on 14 November 1979 by Shaw Brothers Studio. The cinema was regarded as one of the most extravagant in Hong Kong; whereas normal prime seats would cost 10 Hong Kong Dollars (HKD), the cheapest seat in Palace Theatre costs 12 HKD. The 1060 larger and wider seats, the luxurious lobby, and the middle to upper class clientele signalled the birth of high-end cinemas for Hong Kong movie-goers.
The films shown were primarily from the West; the first film was Aliens. In 1981, Palace Theatre showed Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve, which remained in cinemas for 223 days, a record length for Hong Kong at the time. Between the period of 12 September 1981 and 22 April 1982, the box office at Palace Jade made 9.38 million HKD, also establishing a new record for foreign movies . Among other films, Palace Jade showed American Gigolo and A Clockwork Orange exclusively.
Read more about this topic: World Trade Centre (Hong Kong)
Famous quotes containing the words palace, theatre and/or cinema:
“For the Christ-child who comes is the Master of all;
No palace too great, no cottage too small.”
—Phillips Brooks (1835–1893)
“I think theatre should always be somewhat suspect.”
—Václav Havel (b. 1936)
“Compare ... the cinema with theatre. Both are dramatic arts. Theatre brings actors before a public and every night during the season they re-enact the same drama. Deep in the nature of theatre is a sense of ritual. The cinema, by contrast, transports its audience individually, singly, out of the theatre towards the unknown.”
—John Berger (b. 1926)