Ritz Theatre / 麗斯戲院 [1953-1972] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Ritz Theatre / 麗斯戲院 [1953-1972]

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Submitted by Admin on Sat, 2009-02-07 22:02
Current condition: 
Demolished / No longer exists
Date Place completed: 
1953-03-20
Date Place demolished: 
1972-06-01

625 Nathan Road.

Thanks to Raymond Lo for the history of this location:

Previously on this site was the cinema variously known as Portland Theatre / Victory Theatre / New East Asia Theatre.

1953: The site was redeveloped, and the new Ritz Theatre opened on 20th March, 1953. It closed on 1st June, 1972.

1970s: The site was redeveloped yet again and the Ritz Building, an office building, was built on this site.

Tags: 
cinema
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Photos that show this place

1945
1950
1950
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Comments

Submitted by OldTimer on Tue, 2017-03-28 09:51.

Greetings:  According to the Wikipedia source, "砵崙戲院（砵蘭街)" was the first to operate at this site (no opening date available).  I wonder if the property at that time extended to Portland Street.  Its Chinese name is not the same as the street name unless it was a mistype. 

Victory Theatre = 勝利戲院;  New East Asia = 新東亞劇場 (left photo above)

Ritz Theatre = 麗斯戲院

Source: Wikipedia's list of theatres no longer operating: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E5%B7%B2%E7%B5%90%E6%A...

Submitted by breskvar on Wed, 2017-03-29 01:09.

Hi OldTimer, a google search came up with this Chinese document (http://www.thevoice.org.hk/v0426/p2.pdf) written by Cheng Po Hung, a HK history expert, saying 砵崙戲院 opened in the 1930s.  It got changed to the Ritz Theatre in 1953.

This book (https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=MUWrCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq=%E7%A0%B5%E5%B4%99%E6%88%B2%E9%99%A2&source=bl&ots=oqfokyZ-95&sig=o4OfaeFfAIP37KlB0HVNt_R9ryk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwivxuf70_nSAhWLjLwKHeBGDesQ6AEIPzAF#v=onepage&q=%E7%A0%B5%E5%B4%99%E6%88%B2%E9%99%A2&f=false) says that 砵崙戲院 was called Portland Theatre in English.

Portland Theatre.png
Portland Theatre.png, by breskvar

Also, "砵崙" was once used to refer to properties round Portland Street.  See property information for this building down the road http://estate.centadata.com/pih09/pih09/estate.aspx?type=1&code=EEEEBPKYPW&ref=D.

breskvar

Submitted by OldTimer on Wed, 2017-03-29 04:30.

Thanks breskvar.  I have book-marked your book which will come in handy in the research, especially matching English and Chinese theatre names.  I have seen one page of it before and perhaps you were the one who posted it also.  The colour page about Hong Kong did not show up in my Google search, I need to try using more different search inputs.  Regards, Peter

Submitted by breskvar on Wed, 2017-03-29 19:04.

Yes OldTimer, I posted that other page earlier from a google book search also.  This book is actually available at the public library.  The HKPL page (https://webcat.hkpl.gov.hk/lib/item?id=chamo:3377199&fromLocationLink=true&theme=WEB) says they have 76 copies scattered throughout the libraries in Hong Kong. 

Now if someone will borrow it and get all the Chinese names of our English cinema pages ...

breskvar

Submitted by OldTimer on Wed, 2017-03-29 20:42.

Thanks breskvar.  Ritz Theatre was the last theatre I attended before leaving HK for Canada, so it is a special memory.  Its $1.20 ticket price was about the same as Paramount's and less than Broadway's both a block away.  Regards, Peter

Submitted by David on Wed, 2017-04-26 17:25.

This is the page for the Ritz, so we'll need a new page for its pre-decessor(s). Was there a single building that changed name from Portland to Victory, or were they different developments?

Submitted by OldTimer on Sat, 2018-01-20 23:08.

Greetings.  Dave, sorry for the late response.  Regards,  Peter

The page about the theatres that operated prior to Ritz Theatre at the site - https://gwulo.com/node/37756#17/22.31657/114.17753/Map_by_ESRI-Markers/100