This is how Majestic Cinema on Chamberlain Road in Ipoh looked in the early days.
The cinema had closed down in 1998 and it became a furniture store until this week when demolishing work started. Picture taken in early 2011.
Two days ago, a new reader of this blog by the name of M.P. cillin, alerted me that the old and abandoned Majestic Cinema on Chamberlain Road in Ipoh had been partly demolished that morning. A check with other blogs from Ipoh confirmed this tragedy. It was truly a sad day for the people of Ipoh.
This cinema was built-in the 1940s in the “Art Deco” style. Like Lido, Cathay, Rex and Odeon, it was designed by the famous Danish architect, BM Iversen. His daughter Ruth Iversen still made occasional visits back to Ipoh to visit her father’s designs. So, can you imagine how heart-broken she must be to learn of this latest vandalism? I think the people of Ipoh had let her down badly. Poor Ruth lamented that one day she will have no more reason to visit Ipoh again. One can only feel her pain and anguish.
Most of the cinemas in Ipoh were closed down in the 1990s and some were converted to furniture stores. Rex is one of them. Lido was turned into a Chinese dim sum restaurant. Cathay was rented out to a departmental store.
It is sad to see these buildings going away one by one. In their heydays, people flocked to these cinema halls to catch their favorite movies. It was a place for families and courting couples to spend their evenings together, munching on snacks while watching their idols in action.
Then came video tapes and later CDs. Today, we can just watch a movie at home without having to step out of the door again. The downside of course is that more and more cinemas closed down. And they were left abandoned.
I have seen Majestic Cinema turned into a store selling cheap shoes and school uniforms and later furniture for a couple of years before that fateful morning of 20th June when the hammer brought it down into bricks and stones. I read in the Ipoh echo that the owner had yet to get permission from the local council but he went ahead with the demolition anyway.
Perhaps the lure of money was too great for him. Greed knows no bound. In Malaysia, money comes first. Heritage does not have a place in this country. I wonder what will come out later from this site. Will it be another modern looking shopping mall?
Majestic Cinema was the place where I once went to watch those Bruce Lee Kung Fu movies with Dad. Other memorable ones are some vampire movies and also a few tear-jerker starring Lin Chin-Hsia and Chin Han.
Does Majestic Cinema too, held sweet memories for you the way it did for me?
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188 Hugh Low Street, Ipoh 
I read about this sad news on Wednesday via Ipohworld. I was shocked but then I shouldn’t because this is Malaysia, the word heritage is like a plague to them.
I, too, went to Majestic Cinema for Jackie Chan, Hung Kum Poh and Leslie Cheung movies. For some reason I love going to cinemas that has the old wooden seats.
Hi Dawn,
Sometimes you can find some bugs underneath those wooden seats, especially at Grand Cinema on Cowan Street. It is common to come home with a thigh full of bugs bites after a movie. My father used a towel soaked in hot water to reduce the itchiness and then applied some “minyak angin.”
Only Lido and Cathay have red velvet cushioned seats I think but sometimes you can still find a bug or two there! 🙂
Sad, sad, sad! Guess a lot of people doesn’t understand the word ‘Heritage’. This must be the work of people with cow brains. What permission do they need? I’m sure the new owner have done his/her homework. Like we Malaysian always like to use the phrase : Sap sap sui lah, kau tim liao!!!
Hi Tony,
Yes, a lot of people doesn’t understand the need to preserve for the next generation. 😦 All they care is to make profits now. FYI, owners of old buildings need permission from the local council before demolition. I read that in ipohecho.
Majestic No More
On 20 June I heard from my friend in Ipoh that the Majestic Cinema was being demolished that day. There was a sense of anger and despair in his message. And I can understand that feeling. The couple of times I was in Ipoh I saw the structures of old cinemas either abandoned or used for other purposes. They stood there as reminders of those hey days of the cinema and Shaw Brothers’ Movie News in which I remember the thrill of seeing the pin-up pictures of James Dean and Ricky Nelson.
In Singapore many cinemas of the past have been converted to churches or other commercial pursuits. There are modern cineplexes of course but they cannot replace our memories of those unsophisticated halls of entertainment of our times. So I do feel the utter sense of loss when I saw pictures of Ipoh’s Majestic Cinema being demolished. It is like the end of a chapter.
Yeo Hock Yew
(Singapore)
23 June 2012
Hi Hock Yew,
It is always sad to see an old building being torn down. It is like losing an old friend and the happy times you both shared. Unlike Singapore, Malaysia is hell bend on erasing its colonial past, so these buildings have to go! 😦
An important feature of the night life around Tai Wah cinema is the presence of motorbike Don Juans in the 1950s-60s. These young fellas with shiny motorbikes parked their vehicle in front of the tricycle herbal tea stall managed by a young female called the “leong soi moi”. The act was known as “kowl leong soi moi”. If you had a bicycle, don’t bother, you are out of the competition because the leong soi moi had her sights set high. Of course if you parked your car in front of the stall, you not only block the motorbikes from coming in (cut the competitors out) but get more attention from her. However, you have to buy more tea than just one. I was conscripted to be part of the passenger load so as to buy more tea and give courage to the driver to talk to her. It was quite fun and I was too young to really appreciate what’s going on.
Second to that, would be the “look look” stall when pieces of seafood were put on a bamboo skew. You pay 10 cents and proceed to boil the seafood in an open pot. Then, you dip into the sauce. The rule was not to dip into the sauce a second time after you have eaten half the seafood. Sharing each other’s saliva is not really hygienic by today’s standards, but it was delicious though.
Many HK film stars and songstress often come to appear “on stage” after a film show. I believe R Chan did a performance there also. The older singers which appeared there were “Bai Kwong” and “Zhou Xien”. I have seen these 2 singers when my mother took me to the show. I remember one song which was my mother’s favourite – “Woh Ai Yeh – I love the night”.
Hi Ipohbornkid,
Thanks for those fantastic memories of a distant past 🙂
You know, there was a “leong sui tong” in front of 188 HLS too in the late 1960s and the nightly sight of some young men courting the “leong sui mui” is a familiar sight for many of us from Ipoh! 🙂
As for “look look tong”, this is mostly found near or outside a cinema. My dad and I used to patronise such stalls occasionally for a stick of fishball or squid. 🙂
Wow, I think it is a rare treat to be able to see Bai Kwong and Zhou Xien in person! They are such rare songbirds, icons of their time 🙂 Although I do not understand Mandarin but I too, love their songs. 🙂
See how they treated the Majestic Cinema in Singapore !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Majestic,_Singapore
Hi 16LeechStreet,
Thanks for the link! Same name but different fate, sigh! 😦
i feel so sad to know that they are tearing down this beautiful cinema. I remember going there to watch my favourite Chinese movies with my hubby during our dating days. The Perak govt. doesn’t care at all about these old buildings.
Hi Barb,
I think this won’t happen if the Perak Govt is still under PR 😦
Sad to hear about what happened to the Majestic in Ipoh although I’ve never been to the place. Born and bred in Penang, I can say the same is happening to the old grand cinemas here like the Rex (converted to a furniture store) and Cathay (now a dept store) just like in Ipoh. I guess the main reason for their demise is purely for economic reasons as u mentioned and when the multi-screen cineplexes began sprouting up all over. There’s only one stand-alone cinema in Penang called the Odeon but it screens only Hindi movies. I can remember going there to watch The sound of Music back in the mid-60s with my parents and siblings. Back then, we had 3 classes (first, second and third) and the balcony. A ticket then cost Rm1.40, RM1 and 60 sen (?) for the 3 classes and RM2 for a seat upstairs in the balcony. Yep, I got my share of bug-bites too…haha. Also, smoking was allowed in the cinemas then and one would leave the place reeking of smoke which clung on to yr shirt even after reaching home. This was how I got caught after I told my family I was going out to visit friends but actually sneaked out to watch Thunderball at the Federal. Ahh, sweet memories…..
Hi rawhide8,
Hahaha…..those were the days of going to the cinemas, thanks for your sharing! Indeed, being bitten by bugs and taking in second-hand smoke are some of the hazards of going to the cinema. There are two haunted cinemas in Ipoh – Odeon and Capitol; so some folks even encountered the third kind in the cinema halls. Too bad we could not relish those days again. 😦
And you know what? I missed those cigarette commercials before a show start – Marlboro, Rothmans and Dunhill. And also those for beers like Carlberg and Guiness Stout (is good for you!)
some of the photos I made last Saturday…
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150889689349998.418453.758084997&type=3&l=11b0cf5d5d
Hi M.P. cillin,
Thanks for alerting me on this. I feel terrible when I saw the photos you took 😦 I could still see in my mind’s eyes how it was like in those days…. 😦
I was passing the Majestic Theatre yesterday and make a passing comment to my other half about the demolished cinema.
The modern cinema with its unodstructive stadium seating,acoustic hall, comfortable seats, bean bag, IMAX, 3D and all. This is a far cry compare to those days of wooden benches and carpetless floor. Seeing the cinema of old giving way to development, there is a sense of sadness dawn on me.
I can only reminisce those sob sob Taiwanese movies which steal much tears from my mum and me. With our friends, as kids, we would sneak in and pay the jaga 20 cents only(poor kids) after the show has started. All for the love of silver screen.
Something must be done to educate our local Government on preservation of heritage buildings. Stop approving demolition plan for heritage building or at least impose some conditions such preserve the facade but alllow some internal re-modelling. The private sector would look at profit maximisation at all cost. Politician of the day are too engross in getting more projects and the country dry, preservation/conservation is not in the priority list.
Anyway, goodbye Majestic Theatre.
Hi muscat,
Like you, I had shed some tears in Majestic Cinema – there was one movie I saw there which made me cried a bucket of tears – I think it was a Taiwanese movie starring Chin Han as a cerebral palsy patient who met his normal and rich wife played by Lin Fong Chiao. It was a true story and the protagonist eventually went to university and later, became a politician. Sorry, I have forgotten the name of the movie.
I think it could be quite futile to educate our local Goverment on preservation of heritage buildings, especially if such buildings have western or Sino flavour. 😦 It is almost like asking for the moon or the sun from them 🙂
Hi Ipohgal,
You definitely have better memory. I can only remember those moments of welling tears but not the storylines.
Yeah, you are right. These idiotic bunch of state administrators/politicians are beyond reasoning and should face the boot in the coming GE13. We probably can find more environmental friendly and compassionate politicians from Pakatan Rakyat pool of talents.
Hi muscat,
Having stretched my memory a bit, now I can recalled the name of the movie and it was in Cantonese, “Wong Yeong Jung Yat Tiu Suen” which means “A boat in the middle of the ocean.” Yes, some movies are memorable and thus, they remained longer in the deep recess of our minds.
As for giving Pakatan Rakyat a chance, I am all for a change! 🙂
It was a sad thing when I see the building being demolished. It was an unpleasant surprise when I passed by the building during my “balik kampung” trip to Ipoh last week. I can’t take this in as I really love the design of the building, I believed many of the Ipohian do love this building as it contained many happy moments of the locals, including myself. Can anyone tell me what development is going to have there? worth to tear down the builidng? gosh….
Hi Wing Cheong,
Yes, it was a sad day indeed for folks like us who loved heritage things but for those who don’t, they were like, “what the fuss?”
Really, Majestic Cinema and others like Lido, Cathay and Rex are truly architectural beauties. They are the classical examples of Art Deco buildings which had their beginnings in USA. Art Dedo simply means buildings with distinct geometric shapes, intense or bright colors that stands out, decorative look and most of all, simple and pleasant to the eyes. Lam Looking Bazaar in Ipoh near the Kinta River is another classical example of Art Deco buildings.
I think most probably they will convert it into another car park 😦
My senior, Dr. Wong, was at the site, and he wrote:
I was told the new development will be a new hotel complex.
Driving down Chamberlain Rd yesterday morning it was appalling and disheartening to notice only the back portion of the previous majestic “Majestic Cinema” was left and demolition work was still in progress.
Talking to an old man in his 70s who passed by and he confirmed the cinema was built just after the 2nd WW, and the new development will be a hotel complex which includes the hawker centre at the back, on Osbourne Street.
But the old man was of the noble opinion that it’s not a lost (to Ipoh/ Ipohites) that the old building had to go, as it was too old and any business activities in it over the years were all running at a loss!
Hi 16LeechStreet,
Oh, so it is going to be another hotel! If I am the new owner, I would have retain the facade. It is a shame that the whole building was demolished and nothing of its glorious past was retained 😦
If an old man opinioned that an old building had to go because it is too old and it does not generate a profit anymore, what can we expect from the younger generation? 😦
The way we educate our younger generation is way too theoritical.
Singapore used to be like that, but not anymore. The way to do history is to visit those old places, mosque, temples, churches and learn history from the stories told on the buildings. Then you’ll know, every bricks are trying to tell you something, something that is unique to the place and you would want to preserve this memories that, in-turn, uniquely define who you are.
Hi 16LeechStreet,
The government wanted so badly to erase our colonial past. That is why, Hugh Low Street became Jalan Sultan Iskandar, for example. And that is why so many colonial buildings were brought down. It is the mentality of those in power plus the greed to make money building new ones that heritage was put aside. 😦
I am quite impressed so many readers have been mourning the loss of the Majestic Theatre. Yes, for those who visit Ipoh now and then, the changing landscape, in terms of street names and now the disappearance of landmarks, can be quite disconcerting.
I visited a former classmate in the early ’70s at Anderson Road. For old time’s sake I went back searching for that location just a few years ago, even though I knew she had emigrated. But she took away the name of the road, leaving a native name in place. Well, only the rocks live forever, according to James Michener.
Hock Yew
Hi Hock Yew,
You’re such a sentimental soul and she must be a very special girl indeed! 😦
Ah, yes she was. Because she was from Ipoh.
But it’s all so long ago. These Ipoh ‘exiles’ all over the world, do they know that some of the beloved buildings that they grew up with have disappeared?
Hock Yew
Hi Hock Yew,
It warms my heart to hear that girls from Ipoh are such a special breed! 🙂
As for your question, those still in the country might shed a tear or two but I guess for those in other parts of the world, many are not even aware of this intrusion.
Talking about preserving the old buildings, there is an interesting article about Kong Heng coffeeshop along Jalan Bandar Bijih Timah.Renown landscvape architect Ng Sek San pull out yet another exciting ventures with a few friends to revitalise this part of the old town charm. Sekeping Kong Heng, are there more good things to come for Ipohan?
Hi muscatplace,
Sek San is doing a favor for all Ipohans. I hope to drop by Sekeping Kong Heng on my next visit back. By the way, its name is rather strange, I mean “Sekeping!” 🙂
Thank you for this inspired post, and blog.
The great irony is that over the past few years, the Art Deco style and its modern variations and echoes have become “all the rage”, all around the world!
Look up Miami and its world-famous historic district (South Beach, Ocean Drive etc.) – it was all created, not too long ago, through imagination and loving restoration, precisely from buildings like Ipoh’s now-demolished Majestic Cinema (as well as its stunning, and also demolished, KL’s namesake in Jalan Pudu).
In other words, a building like Majestic would nowadays – in Miami, New York, LA, London, or Sydney – very likely be transformed into a “hip & happening” club or restaurant, attracting celebrities and other glitterati. More and more so, this is also the case closer to our shores – Shanghai, Singapore, even Ho Chi Minh.
In Malaysia, for some reason we seem to be devoid of imagination. Case in point – a similarly resplendent Art Deco building which used to house the Jemima Film Studios in KL’s Jalan Tun Razak, just vanished a few weeks ago, to make way for an MRT station and a “much-needed” KL International Financial District. Not only that, we like to laud this mindless destruction of our history and heritage in fancy, uplifting terms like “development”, “revitalization”, “rejuvenation” etc. etc. Ah well.
Hi Martin, you’re welcome!
Now, we can only watch in horror as the goverment bulldozes it’s way through more Art Deco buildings. Very soon, iconic buildings like Stadium Negara, Chin Woo Stadium and BP House (all situated along Jalan Hang Jebat in KL) will have to make way for the Warisan Merdeka project. 😦
My most vivid memory of this cinema is the sheer number of “lok-lok” and kangkong-cuttlefish stalls in front of it. had my fair share of those there, even though it wasn’t too hygienic. there was also this one mobile stall selling “mua chee” from a porcelain pot. pity that they didn’t even plan to retain the facade with the new hotel block at the back.
Hi kcwai,
Yes, lok-lok stalls are aplenty in front of cinemas. People in those days are not so bothered by hygiene. All they care is to satisfy their gastronomy. Now people will think twice but still, you can find these stalls around although not in great abundance like back in those days. As for your last sentence, yes, it is indeed sad that such a brilliant Art Deco building went unappreciated by the owners. 😦
Majestic Cinema comes under the Heritage building protection and yet it was demolished! Sad!
i go to cineplex these days not because i want to but these independent cinemas are no more. lots of memories flash in the bk of my head when i see the picture as i hv been there for a movie with my father. hate to see how people are so ignorant and insensitive to the preservation of many iconic building or cinema hall like this.