Patra without cinemas
Shops, supermarkets and apartment buildings were built where Patras once enjoyed masterpieces of the 7th art
The second part of the “Choices” tribute together with “P”
The last show
Issue – nostalgia
The 7th art was born in Patras
At the end of the 19th century, more than one movie theater was operating in Patras.
Years later, in 1970 in Patras and at the height of cinema, we had a total of 44 cinemas in use.
Today things have changed dramatically. All but all the rooms were closed, some were demolished, others changed use. Except for one, Pantheos, which continues to operate, with a double hall in fact. The multipurpose hall in Veso Mare was also added and that’s it.
What happened to the city’s old cinemas in the meantime? The journey concludes with the second part in the current issue of “Elections”.
PS
One thing we already miss is the process of choosing a project: You went to the newsstand, opened (without buying) the newspaper, watched the screenings and chose, first the time: Nine or ten? And then room: Omonia? Maybe in Elpis? Further down the Rex? Let’s go Ideal or Elite. City;
The first cinemas in Patras
In 1910, the first cinema in Patras opened in Olgas Square.
Kostas Triantafyllou has more to tell us in the “Historical Dictionary of Patras”.
Analytically:
“The first (1910) was the winter “Polytheama” on the south side of Olga Square (now “Asti”), and the summer, the “Achaikon” cinema.
THEATER: In addition to the “Apollon” already in 1880, the “Orpheus” Theater was operating. Also in 1910 we have the “Polytheama” on Olgas square, where melodramatic performances were also given, later there was the Odeon Lialiou with amateur artistic performances, and finally the hall became a cinema (now “Asti”) on the meridian. side of Olga square.
The current “Ideal” cinema, which was built in 1912, was originally used as a theater (1912). Open-air theaters (in summer), in addition to the many puppeteers, also operated in front of the old passenger railway station and on the platform of the quay of Kalavryton Street, in front of Synora (cafe Lala), in Ypsila Alonia (next to the now “Alhambra” cinema), in property of Kollyros and another at the beginning left of Koumaniotou Street (“Achillion”), also on Korinthos Street (in front of the Kaimaka olive mill). But the oldest of the summer theaters was “Paradisos”, where today the “Pantheon” cinema is. And this gymnasium was turned into a summer theater “Lux”, where the Courthouse is now built and where the Greek melodrama was performed for the first time (in the others we already have Greek operettas).
“Achaikon” was a summer cinema. In 1930 it was founded under And. Loverdos the “Lyrikon”, where the National Theater also performed bis and Arma Thespidos. The former “Krystal” cabaret (now “Aigli” cinema) was also used as a theater. In 1927-30, 6 summer theaters, 3 open-air ghettos, 2 summer cinemas and 6 nightclubs operated simultaneously in Patras”.
First screenings in 1899
In May 1899, four years after the screening of the first film in Paris, we had the first film screenings in Patras, by businessmen passing through the city.
What we had and what we lost
On the following pages, the trip to the old cinemas of Patras is completed. What is their use today, if and when they were saved…
ESPEROS (June 1945 – September 1966)
One of the most characteristic and also the most popular cinemas in Patras was Esperos. It operated shortly after the liberation of the city from the Germans and for two decades.
It was located in the heart of Patras, in Georgiou Square in a privileged position, on the roof of a building at the northeast corner with Corinth.
For years, the carcass of the building has belonged to the Postal Savings Bank
ZENITH (June 1921 – September 1988)
Iconic cinema of Patras, with a long run of seven decades. It dominated on the eastern side of Ypsile Alonia, exactly on the same plot where the patrino children learned sports at the GEP (= Panachaiki) gymnasium.
Autumn 1988 closed its circle with the screening of “The Last Emperor”. Immediately after, the construction of a residential complex began…
IDEAL (November 1914 – 2008)
In 1914 we have the operation of “INDEAL” down in Agios Nikolaos. The cinema that was to leave its mark on the culture of Patras opened for the first time on November 9, 1914, a landmark day for the cinema in the capital of Achaia. Over time, it was to be rebuilt several times, while it has been destroyed twice by fire: The first time in 1932 and the second time during the occupation.
In 1939 it was rebuilt to plans by the Armenian engineer Nubar based on the plans that cinemas were being built in Germany at that time.
Nubar was influenced by the modern movement for this and IDEAL was a very important architecture for his time.
In 2005 it stopped operating but after a change of ownership and a new reconstruction it reopened in 2006 and continued for 2 years with a new small hall inside.
Then it became a cafe, today it houses a clothing store
CAMELIA (June 1967 – September 1987)
For about twenty years, Camelia operated at the end of Ag. Io. Corner of Pratsika and Sekeri, just before Agios Charalambos (Papathoma area).
It served the slums of the time.
DRIVE IN (1983-1987)
American fashion which, however, did not catch on in our parts, neither in Patras, nor in the rest of the country.
The reason for the summer drive-in cinemas, where you watched the movie from your car.
In the mid-80s, the first drive-in cinema appeared, between Rio and Agios Vassiliou.
It did not last long and so in 1987 it was closed.
Today, 30 years later, the plot has changed use and only the giant screen refers to its glorious past, the warm (and “hot” if we consider the type of films that were mainly shown) summer nights
PANTHEON (August 1923 – present)
The only cinema in the city that remained in operation, out of dozens over the years.
Iconic building opened its doors in 1923 and continues to this day, despite the damage it suffered.
On the plot where the Pantheon is located today, in 1885, a Sadan coffee shop called Paradisos operated. In 1900 it was converted into an open theater with the same name which operated only in the summer and until 1910.
In 1923, the Pantheon was built, which operated on the roof of the building and was in summer, while in 1924, the winter room also operates.
On October 28, 1940, most of the building was destroyed after being hit by a bomb during the bombing of Patras by the Italian air force. After the end of the war, it was reconstructed and the REX cinema operated on the ground floor. On the roof of the building, the Pantheon continued to operate as a summer house, until 1961 when a new reconstruction took place and a closed hall was built on the floor, which houses the Pantheon to this day.
In recent years, a 2nd room has been created in the same area of the upper floor.
With “Pantheon” we also have the first advertisements in the press. On August 23, 1924, we find an advertisement stating that the following Monday, August 25, the venue is celebrating its birthday with a showing of the film “Into the Storm” with Lillian Gice.
PARADISE (May 1900-Sept. 1910)
On the plot where the Pantheon is located today, (W. Gounari and Kanakari), originally, since 1885, there was a Sadan cafe under the name PARADEISOS. (Sandan Cafes were well-known “refined” luxury cafes where even small troupes presented a rich artistic program),
In 1900, the Cafe Sadan was converted into an open-air theater with the same name (PARADEIS), which operated only in the summer and until 1910.
It was also where we had the first movie screenings, and it was the first – in a fixed location, non-touring – cinema of the city.
*From the “Choices” of “P” on Saturday, January 18, 2020
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