Old cinema splendour no more
- Published: 21/05/2010 at 05:04 AM
- Newspaper section: News
It was one of the greatest losses of cinema lovers. After 44 years of service, Siam Theatre, also known as Apex, met its inglorious demise in the raging inferno of May 19 at Siam Square, reduced by the blaze into ashes and memories.
Wires, cables and steel rods are all that remain of the historic Siam Theatre in Siam Square, scene of much of the destruction. post photo
The news has left a knot in the throats of film-goers. The 800-seat Siam Theatre - with its cavernous foyer, manual ticketing, dank concession stand and heavy, possibly unwashed curtains guarded by yellow-jacketed ushers as ancient as the place itself - had been one of the only two remaining stand-alone, palace-style cinemas that had served the population since before the multiplex boom of the mid-1990s.
Owned by Pisit Tansajja under the brand Apex Group, Siam Theatre raised its curtain on December 15, 1966, with the film Battle of the Bulge. Two years later, Lido opened next door (the single-screen giant was transformed into a three-screen mini multiplex in the 1990s). In 1969, Scala, also in Siam Square area, came into service.
With Siam gone up in smoke, Scala now becomes the last survivor of the stand-alone era.
To many, Siam was more than a movie house. It was a palace of memories, a rendezvous of friends, and a venue where, as children, we came to marvel at the magic of movies. It will be irrevocably, heartbreakingly missed.
About the author
- Writer: Kong Rithdee
- Position: Real Time Reporter
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