For many years the cinema, or the talkies, was a great source of entertainment for locals.
Even now, with much fewer cinema screens present on the islands compared to the past, cinema remains a solid attraction for families.
And, while the move theatre experience has modernised over the years, WhosWho.mt delves into the cinemas of yesteday, those that provided the space where people good enjoy movies that connected them to the rest of the world.
Ħamrun: Hollywood, Radio City, Trianon, The Odeon and Rex cinemas
The most prominent and populated towns in Malta all had multiple cinemas, and Ħamrun was no different with five located in the town.
According to records shared by Vince Peresso, a researcher at the National Archives, two cinemas called the Odeon and Trianon were already open during World War II.
In fact, records show that according to a circular dated 5th January 1942, cinema owners were ordered to restrict customers to not more than 250 people at a time to ensure that all passages and exits were free in case of an air raid.
Commentors chiming in on a cinema group, who also lived in Ħamrun at the time, remember the cinemas vividly. Indeed, one commentor explained that the Trianon was situated in front of St Gaetan’s church but had closed down by 1958.
Later, the cinema was used by Żgħażagħ Ħaddiema Nsara, and was then used as a part time movie theatre and renamed San Remo Theatre.
Described as the most modern, Ħamrun also hosted the Hollywood cinema, formerly situated in one of the most prominent areas of the locality, High Street.
The cinema operated regularly between the 1950s and 1960s but was replaced by Daniel’s Shopping Complex, which was officially inaugurated in 2012.
Similarly, the Odeon Theatre operated during the same period but, like many other cinemas, was redeveloped into apartments. Interestingly, the Odeon sign was kept on the building, intertwining the new development with the ghost of its past.
Locals highlighted that both the Odeon and Rex (also in Ħamrun) movie theatres were owned by the Baldacchino family. Like Odeon, Rex was popular in the 50s but had closed down for a brief period in the 60s.
Many remember the cinema re-opening back in the 70s and occasionally hosting singing fesivals until its closure in the 80s.
Furthermore, Ħamrun also featured another popular cinema, Radio City. Originally, the cinema was built as an Opera House with the layout of the building suggesting so.
The cinema temporarily replaced the Royal Opera House in Valletta after it was destroyed during the war.
As popularity for opera houses dwindled, it was converted to a cinema in the 70s with occasionally transforming into a dancing hall as well as a boxing and wrestling ring.
What’s interesting for this particular cinema is that now it houses the Labour Party headquarters, making it the second cinema-turned-political party-location in Malta’s history.
The Rialto saga: The future is still unkown
The Rialto, located at Triq il-Pellegrinaġġ in Cospicua, was constructed in 1954 and designed with the art-moderne style by Edwin England Sant Fournier.
Originally, the Rialto stood a few streets away from where it is found now, however, like many other buildings in Malta, it was highly damaged by bombing from World War II. Locals had wished to have another cinema in the area and so, the second Rialto, the one we know now, was established.
It officially opened its doors to the public in May 1956 and was considered as one of the biggest cinema halls in Malta with a capacity of 1,100.
The Rialto closed its doors to the public in 1988 and was bought by the Labour Party. In fact, it was used as headquarters for conferences by the party under Dom Mintoff’s leadership, before moving to Mile end.
Despite closing its doors, Rialto’s story is far from finished.
In 2009, local NGO Cinema Heritage Group started talks with the Planning Authority to start restoration works, including the Rialto.
Despite so, for years the Rialto remained an abandoned space, an area where pigeons claimed it as their home a possible victim of vandalism.
Things took a turn in 2021, when the Labour Party issued a call for expressions of interest for the lease of the building with the intention of retaining ownership.
While the details for the call were not made public, in 2023, Rialto Operations Ltd were chosen to restore and operate the site.
The majority shareholder (90 per cent) of the company is Borg Holdings Ltd, a ready-mix concrete supplier. The remaining 10 per cent is owned by Charlon Gouder, lawyer currently representing former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in the Vitals case, and the CEO of the Malta Federation for Aquaculture Producers.
Plans submitted with the authority show the company’s restoration plans while introducing a new theatre with catering facilities, a restaurant, a rooftop multipurpose venue, an interconnected social club along with a boutique hotel, which would be linked to an adjacent townhouse.
Following these plans, various residents and NGOs filed objections against the development over fear of excessive noise disturbing residents in the area.
Additionally, the opponents had reiterated that the building resides in the centre of the locality, where parking spaces were already limited.
Speaking on the matter, Charlon Gouder had said that the investment carried out on the Rialto “will be based on a long-term vision for the neighbouring community and the local artistic community, offering the best facilities and the most modern technology.”
In January 2024, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage asked developers to decrease the height of a roof structure as it would impact urban views of the parish church.
To this day, Rialto still has a projection room including equipment and other related paraphernalia used in traditional cinemas. Moreover, the Superintendence insisted with applicants for the preservation of such valuable items.
No further updates were made on this project, keeping the Rialto, once more at a standstill.
For sale: Looking for a cinema to buy?
Birkirkara was home to four cinemas: Metropole, Prince, Ritz and Roxy.
Recently, Prince Theatre was put up for sale for €850,000. In comments given to WhosWho.mt, Sean Busuttil Cordina, the real estate agent who listed the property, said that the property had been inherited by the current owners, and had been leased for decades but recently regained control over it.
The original owners of the Prince Theatre were the same owners behind another popular cinema destination in Birkirkara, Metropole cinema.
The cinemas were owned by three brothers Paul, John and Fred Baldacchino, from Birkirkara known as Tan-Navar, stemming from their family business named Navarro.
For a brief period, the theatre was used as a warehouse and storage space by a local band club in addition to a space used specifically to build props.
The building is now in a derelict state, looking for an investor to revive it.
The Metropole theatre in Birkirkara / Metropole
As for the Metropole movie theatre, it's claim to fame was that for a time, it was the only cinema with a panoramic screen as well as the second in Malta to have a sliding roof.
The cinema was inaugurated in 1954 by the Minister for Industry and Commerce, T. Caruana Demajo.
It had two Gaumont-Kalee projectors with dual sound system and held a capacity of 800 cinema goers, offering the option of balcony seating.
The first movie ever shown at the cinema was Slaves of Babylon. Unlike today’s cinemas, films and showing times changed every few months.
The cinema closed its doors in 1979 and was replaced by an electrical and plumbing warehouse.
