Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Japanese cinemas

original Cine Niteroi.
Cine Niteroi. 
Cine Niteroi on Rua Galvão Bueno.
new Cine Niteroi on Avenida da Liberdade, next to the Methodist Church - 1968

Cine Niteroi at the corner of Avenida da Liberdade & Rua Barão de Iguape, in 1974. It closed its doors in 1988
Cine Niteroi on the corner of Avenida Liberdade & Rua Barão de Iguape
Cine Nippon opened in 1959
Cine Nippon on rua Santa Luzia, 80.
Rua Barão de Iguape at Liberdade at night. 

http://www.portalnikkei.com.br/literatura-alexandre-kishimoto-faz-pre-lancamento-do-livro-cinema-japones-na-liberdade/

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Movie-theatres in S.P. in 20 April 1952 - Cine República

Cyll Farney, Anselmo Duarte, Vinícius de Morais & Pedro Verdi, owner of Condor Filmes at Cine República.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Cine Paisandú opens on 20 December 1957

20 December 1957 - after only 11 days after Cine Boulevard was inaugurated and exactly one week after Cine Olido opened its doors for the 1st time - luxurious and huge Cine Paisandu is inaugurated with Paramount's 'War and peace' (Guerra e paz). 
Yvonne De Carlo & Clark Gable in 'Band of angels' (Meu pecado foi nascer) released on the 3rd August 1957, in the U.S.A.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

CINE BOULEVARD opens on 11 December 1957

In the space of one single week the city of Sao Paulo saw 3 major movie houses inaugurated. Cine Boulevard that was a totally refurbished Cine Paratodos that had its entrance on Rua Santa Efigenia now had its box-office on Rua Antonio de Godoy opened on Wednesday, 11 December 1957. Three days later - on Friday, 13 December 1957, brand-new Cine Olido opened its luxurious facilities to the public... and finally on the next Friday, 20 December 1957, it was Cine Paisandu that opened its doors to the public. Mind you that all 3 cinemas were all around Largo do Paisandu. 
1st December 1957 - daily 'O Estado de S.Paulo' announces the opening of Cine Boulevard, a brand new cinema house in downtown São Paulo on Wednesday, 11 December 1957.

11 December 1957 - Wednesday - Cine Boulevard is inaugurated on Rua Antonio de Godoy, 83. Actually Cine Boulevard was the result of totally refurbishing Cine Paratodos that closed at the end of 1956. 
16 December 1956 - by December 1956 Cine Paratodos, on Rua Santa Efigênia shut its doors to be completely refurbished. After one year it opened its doors again as Cine Boulevard having its entrance on Rua Antonio de Godoy.
Cine-Theatro Paratodos in the 1940s, at the corner of Rua Antonio de Godoy and Rua Sancta Efigênia.
Cine-Theatro Paratodos blueprint: Entrance at the corner of Largo Sancta Ephigenia and Rua Antonio de Godoy. There was a long hall (sala-de-espera) that led to the main hall (sala-de-espetáculos); one entered it by the side of the main stage or screen (palco or tela). The main exit was at the back of the theatre and it led to Rua Antonio de Godoy. 
Cine-Theatro Paratodos main projecting room
Paratodos stage and screen.
Paratodos waiting hall (sala de espera).
Cine-Theatro Paratodos box-offices on its opening day with RKO's 'No, no, Nanette', directed by Herbert Wilcox opened in New York on 13 December 1940
Cine-Theatro stairs leading to the balcony. 

According to 'Revista de Engenharia Mackenzie' nº 54 pages 184 /191, Cine Theatro Paratodos opened on 12 September 1930; then it says Paratodos was re-opened after being re-furbished on 4 May 1947. In the early days there were concerts before film sessions with pianist Antonieta Rudge and singer Anita Gonçalves. Cine-Theatro Paratodos was demolished sometime in 1950. A partir de 11 December 1957 no lugar dos balcões (plateia superior) funcionou o Cine Boulevard. 
Rua Antonio de Godoy is a one-block street between Avenida Rio Branco & Rua Santa Efigenia. 
Cine Boulevard near the end of its life in 1968. 'O filho de Godzila' opened in Tokyo on 16 December 1967. 
17 May 1958 - Cine Boulevard dubbed 'Cinema de Elite' showed only choice European productions like 'Sinfonia de amor' (Symphonie inachevée), a French-Italian co-production shot in 1954, released in 1956 with Claude Laydu and Lucia Bosé. It is a biopic portraying the life of composer Franz Schubert.
14 November 1960 (Monday) - After 37 weeks at Cine Ipiranga, Cecil B. De Mille's 'The 10 Commandments' (Os 10 Mandamentos) starts showing 3 times a day at Cine Boulevard. My uncle Claudio took me to see it at Cine Boulevard sometime in January or February 1961. I was so impressed by such a spectacle I've never forgotten the experience. I'm really grateful to my uncle for having taken the time (almost 4 hours) and trouble. I have seen 'The 10 Commandments' many a time since then... but that first time is priceless. I remember when I lived in the USA in 1971-1973, I went to see it again at a cinema near the Journal Square train station in Jersey City, NJ. Half way through the 4 hour projection someone shouted Fire!... they stopped the session, opened all the doors and out we the crowd went into the street. Luckily no one was hurt but one could smell the smoke but didn't see the actual fire... 
1st December 1957 - on the same day, OESP announces the inauguration of  Cine Olido yet another brand new movie-house in downtown Sao Paulo... 
13 December 1957 - inauguration of Cine Olido on Avenida São João with 'An affair to remember' (Tarde demais para esquecer) with Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr. 
20 December 1957 - inauguration of Cine Paisandú with 'War and peace'.


Monday, November 7, 2016

Rock around the clock (Ao balanço das horas) - December 1956

'Rock around the clock' (Ao balanço das horas) premiered at Cine Ipiranga on a Wednesday, 19 December 1956. Soon there were reports saying that kids who went to watch it vandalized the cinema so the police force were called in to curb the violence. Newspapers and radio stations pounced on such outrageous news and it became a hot issue during the last weeks of 1956. 

Identical scenes had happened in the USA when 'Rock around the clock' was released there on 21st March 1956.

Sao Paulo's conservative mayor Janio Quadros helped putting gasoline to the fire by inciting the police to use force against juvenile 'delinquents'... so the matter would not die down and so rock'n'roll end up having a bad name even before people knew what it actually was. 

police patrol cars were summoned up to maintain order at Cine Paulista on Rua Augusta.
queueing up to get into Cine Paulista to watch 'Rock around the clock' - 23rd December 1956.
kids inside Cine Paulista ready to watch 'Rock around the clock' and destroy property. Kids this old were banned from entering the cinemas after the first week of depredation.
inside Cine Paulista kids are expecting trouble from the police force - December 1956.
Cine Paulista patrons waiting for Godot...

'O Estado de S.Paulo' 5 January 1957
'Ao balanço das horas' premiere on 19 December 1956 at Cines Ipiranga, Trianon, Esmeralda, Paulista, Arlequim, Liberdade, Sabará, Carlos Gomes, Piratininga, Riviera & Penha Palace. The newspaper ad would add to the supposed violence that was attached to rock'n'roll reminding patrons that: 'orquestras maluquíssimas executando o ritmo selvagem do rock'n'roll'.... or 'esse é o filme cuja musica alucina'... it was just like an invitation to destroy the cinemas...

27 December 1956 - 'Ao balanço das horas' (Rock around the clock) that had initially been rated 'suitable to be seen by those 14 years-old or older' had its rating changed and only adults older than 18 years would be admitted.