Golden era of the silver screen
18/10/2005 8:44
The opening of the Shanghai SFG Village Cinema City on the 11th floor of
the Shanghai New World emporium is a good reason why visitors should take a
closer look at this 90-year-old historic building on the busy Nanjing
Road.
"It is the 'highest' cinema in Shanghai," says Jiang Yuehua, who works
for the cinema's owners. "And it adds to the charm of the old building."
It
also seems that the placing of a "new" cinema inside an "old" building may be a
selling point with some movie fans.
The SFG Village features soft lighting,
romantic background music, art-deco furniture and luxurious interior decoration,
which all combine to evoke a nostalgic mood in moviegoers.
"It seems that the
theater is trying to make a name for itself as both a fashionable spot and a
nostalgic venue for the older generation who remember Shanghai in the 1930s when
it was a paradise for filmmaking and screenings," says Tao Yindi, an
80-something movie fan.
And it seems that even for the younger generation,
nostalgia can be an attraction and another reason for going to the cinema -
especially when it's fresh and full of fun.
"When I was watching 'Stealth' (a
Hollywood movie), I was also in a reminiscent mood evoked by the glamor of the
cinema," says Chris Yu, a 20-something movie buff. "You know, it was a fantastic
experience."
In total, there are only 280 seats in the theater's six "mini"
screening halls, less than the number for a single screening hall at Paradise
Warner Cinema City in Xujiahui or Studio City Cinema in Westgate Mall.
The
opening of SFG Village Cinema City is a cause for concern about the future of
the city's other old cinemas - what will happen to them in the face of fierce
competition from the up-to-date theaters?
One of the classic old movie houses
is the Grand Theater. The cinema boasts a butter-maize-colored outer facade
built like a huge sail, a smooth arc that curves to encompass the whole theater
under a glittering, folded water lily-shaped three-tiered roof. The use of
Italian marble in the auditorium and lobby adds a touch of luxury.
"In the
early 1930s, the building was designed by renowned local expatriate architect
L.E. Hudec," says Fan Xiaozhou, an official with the cinema. "His designs
embodied imaginative originality and a creative modern style."
Shrinking
sales
Covering an area of more than 7,000 square meters, the cinema first
opened to the public in the winter of 1928 on what was then called Park Road
(now Nanjing Road E.), and five years later, it shifted to a new location on
Bubbling Well Road (now Nanjing Road W.).
For a long time, it was claimed to
be one of the most advanced cinemas in the world with a simultaneous translation
system installed on all of its 1,913 seats (now around 1,500 seats) and an
air-conditioning system. In the 1930s, most of the movies being screened were
American and European productions.
"Going to films was a stylish form of
entertainment during that period and giving people the chance to enjoy seeing
attractive Western pictures in a magnificent movie palace," recalls Tao, the old
lady. "Children were usually dressed in their best clothes. I remember the
ticket price was 2 yuan - one-fourth of an ordinary worker's monthly salary. For
many ordinary families, it was such a luxury."
Once crowned as "The No. 1
Cinema of the Far East," Grand Theater has had its ups and downs but still
retains its grandeur. However, ticket sales have been shrinking over the past
five years ever since state-of-the-art cinemas started to open around
town.
"During 1988-99, our theater had some of the highest box office
receipts in China, more than 10 million yuan a year on average," Fan says. "In
1998, the Hollywood blockbusters 'Titanic' and 'Saving Private Ryan' helped to
create a record in annual ticket sales - 20.2 million yuan."
But its position
was largely threatened with the opening of Studio City Cinema and other modern
cinemas in the downtown area. Studio City, one of the first local cinemas to
open with multiple screening halls and advanced facilities, immediately
attracted white-collar workers, an important customer group and the annual box
office returns at the Grand Theater dropped to 7.5 million yuan last year. By
comparison, Studio City took in 24 million yuan in ticket sales last
year.
"We struggle to keep pace and keep alive the brilliance of this great
old cinema but it isn't easy," Fan says. "The building is protected as part of
the city's historical heritage and any renovation projects have to carefully
thought out and must have official approval."
Now the cinema has plans to
build an "entertainment world" around it while restoring its unique huge
hall.
The Grand Theater, when compared with other old cinemas, has been
lucky.
"In the past few years, a few old cinemas such as Xinhua Cinema and
Jiangning Cinema have vanished because they couldn't compete with the modern
theaters," says an old employee at the Jing'an District's Peace Cinema who
declined to be named. "That was a pity and should raise the alarm for
others."
Changing tastes
Take the Cathay Theater for example. Located on
the hustle and bustle of Huaihai Road M., the theater seems a success after its
renovation in 2003. The art-deco theater, once part of millionaire Victor
Sassoon's holdings, opened in January 1932, showing a mix of Chinese and Western
films.
Earlier this year, it was named a "Five-Star Cinema" by the State
Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
"People come here also to enjoy
the old-fashioned glamor of Shanghai," says Han Bilang, vice manager of Cathay
Theater. "That can well explain why in 2003 we invested 13 million yuan
ex-panding our single screening hall to three while maintaining the original
flavor."
Dr Liu Haibo who teaches film art at Shanghai University attributes
the slowdown in ticket sales at the old cinemas mainly to their comparatively
out-of-date facilities and the ever-changing tastes of cinemagoers.
"The
point is, a lot of old theaters have only one large screening hall, which
obviously doesn't offer many choices to the audience," Dr Liu says. "A brand-new
mode of operation with multiple screens is vital for their survival."
Experts
also note that a feasible alternative is to move these cinemas from downtown to
the residential areas.
On the general attitude of youth towards the old
cinemas, Chen Xiaochun, a student at Fudan University, says: "The modern cinemas
may suit the taste of young people but if I want to see a nostalgic film that
focuses on local culture, I might choose to see it in an old
cinema."
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