This week I take a look at the Thalia cinema, which used to be located on Kruiskade, opposite of the Lumière cinema. This was the third location where the cinema was located under that name. In 1911 the cinema opened at Coolvest 44. Within a year the boss, Tuschinksi, was forced to close it down because the area was needed to build the new city hall.
He opened Thalia again in august of 1913, but now at the Hoogstraat. During the bombing of Rotterdam in the second world war it was destroyed an although plans were made to rebuild it, there were some issues and the decision was made to built at a different location. On July 7, 1955 it opened its doors again (Kruiskade) and its opening movie was the Disney movie 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea. It could offer seats for 800 visitors. Unfortunately it closed down on the 27th of March, 1996. The building itself is a monument and is now called The Thalia Lounge and is used for various events.
A look into the past:
The same place, then and now:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab1T5Ny4PqA]
Sources:
“Fantasie, illusie en betovering, herinneringen aan Rotterdamse bioscopen” by Herman Romer
“Over stalles, Rotterdam en het witte doek en parket” by Henk Berg
City Archive Rotterdam
Related articles:
[cgview tags=rotterdam num=6 orderby=rand lightbox=0 size=120×120]
Nederlands of Engels…? I hope you do not mind English. Although the connection is rather distant…I was trying to find information about the Americain Bioscoop (Rotterdam) from early 1910-1923, Hoogstraat.
One of the managers / directors, Jacob Schustirowitz is distantly related but a search has so far failed to produce a photograph of this theatre.
One source (http://www.joodsamsterdam.nl/rotterdam/gebbedrbioscoopamericain.htm) suggests that Jacob was a director until 1923, however I am certain that he died in 1918. Possibly his wife may have maintained involvement after his death. I am just curious if you have additional information about Schustirowitz or the bioscoop.
Met vriendelijke groet uit nieuw zeeland,
John
Hello John,
May I ask you to please contact me (e-mail address: kelvin.wilson [at] tip.nl), as we are in the starting phase of organising either an exhibition or some other event around the Rotterdam family of Schustirowitz– you may perhaps know they had one very remarkable descendant…. Of course, I had come across the name Blankenstein (from Ijsselmonde, near to my present house) in doing the genealogy of the family, so it would be nice to spar with you on this. Thank you
Did you ever put together an exhibition about Jacob Shustirowitz, my great geandfather, and the Imperial Bioscoop?
Please let me know everything!
Hi John, Jacob Schustirowitz was my great grandfather. I see you state that you were distantly related. I know that his second wife had the same last name as you and that she perished at Auschwitz. I am also looking for additional information about the old Imperial and Americain Bioscoops on Hoogstraat. Please get in touch.
Hi Jacqueline, I’ve forwarded your information to John. Hope he’ll get in touch with you.
Great resources for finding information online are:
http://www.cinemacontext.nl and http://www.film-bioscoopbranche.nl/ and of course newspapers using http://www.delpher.nl