Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
Date closed / demolished
Seating capacity: unknown
Address: One source gives its location on Nathan Road while another source on Kimberly Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The location marker is approximate.
Kowloon Theatre opened to business on June 13, 1921. It showed its last film on March 1, 1923; and on the same day there was an advertisement in the Hong Kong Telegraph informing that the site is available for club or private dance.
Sources:
- Cinema Treasures: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/17903
- 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%…
Later place(s) at this location
Comments
A Timeline of the Kowloon Theatre
1. 1920 - Prior to the construction of the Kowloon Theatre, open-air cinema shows under the management of H. W. Ray of the Coronet Theatre were held on the grounds of Club de Recreio (K.I.L. 535). Source: Lingnan University - A History of Film Exhibition and Reception in Colonial Hong Kong 1897-1925. See here
2. 1921 - A cinema theatre was erected on K.I.L. 535 (1921 Report of Public Works). It was known as the Kowloon Theatre. A portion of the grounds of Club de Recreio was used for the erection of the single-storey theatre (see here ). The Kowloon Theatre opened on 13 June 1921 (see here ) under the management of Hong Kong Amusements Ltd, which also operated the Coronet Theatre in Central and Eastern Theatre on Queen's Road East. See here
3. 1923 - Kowloon Theatre closed down with effect from 1 March 1923 due to loss of earnings and as a result of the acquisition of the Star Theatre by Hong Kong Amusements Ltd. The latter was to become the principal theatre in TST. Source: China Mail 5 March 1923. See here
4. 1924 - Duro Motor Company moves into the old Kowloon Theatre building and alters it into a garage. See here
Based on Moddsey's timeline,…
Based on Moddsey's timeline, I've nudged the marker north to the corner of Nathan and Kimberley Roads.