The Colosseum - Revision history

Darryl at 08:55, 10 August 2024

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Darryl at 08:51, 10 August 2024

2024-08-10T08:51:51Z

Satj: /* Origins */

2023-11-08T15:26:56Z

Origins

Satj: Created page with " The '''Colosseum Theatre and Picture Palace''' (or more popularly known simply as '''The Colosseum'''), was an Art Deco style cinema in in Commissioner Street, Johann..."

2023-11-08T15:25:08Z

Created page with " The '''Colosseum Theatre and Picture Palace''' (or more popularly known simply as '''The Colosseum'''), was an Art Deco style cinema in in Commissioner Street, Johann..."

New page

The '''[[Colosseum Theatre and Picture Palace]]''' (or more popularly known simply as '''[[The Colosseum]]'''), was an Art Deco style cinema in in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg.,

The name is also found as [[Coliseum]] or [[Collosseum]] in some sources.

= Origins =

Built in 1933 by [[African Consolidated Theatres]], it was designed by [[P. Rogers Cooke]], with a fantasy-inspired "atmospheric" interior designed by [[William Mitcheson Timlin]] of [[Greatbach and Timlin]]. The Colosseum Theatre in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, was opened by General Smuts on 4th October 1933 and became the flagship of African Consolidated Theatres. It occupied an entire city block with a west and east wing containing offices. The theatre had a distinct 'Egyptian' motif on the facade.

= Structure =

[[Colosseum Theatre]]
Johannesburg, South Africa
Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, South Africa(map)
Status: Closed/Demolished
Screens: Single Screen
Style: Atmospheric, Egyptian
Seats: 2279
Chain: Unknown
Architect: Percy Rogers Cooke

Inside the auditorium, designed by interior designer William Timlin in a 'castleated' style with turrets and fairy dragons, the stage opening had a large rouged festoon curtain made from crushed velvet material adorning the procenium arch in later years.

It could accommodate full-fledged stage shows as well as movie presentations. A distinct feature was the ceiling of the large auditorium which contained hundreds of tiny concealed lights giving the effect of looking up at a night sky with stars twinkling.

= Productions=

Among the productions staged there over the years are **. International performers who appeared there include Florence Desmond (1950), * George Formby, comedian and entertainer, appeared here for ACT in 1946. Frances Day did a season here in 1948. In 1950 audienced enjoyed the British entertainer Florsence Desmond, the Irish songstress Anne Shelton, Tessie O’Shea and the South African Eve Boswell. Sophie Tucker played here on her South African trip in 1962. ACT brought The Seekers to the Colosseum in 1966. Henry Ascar was the Colosseum’s manager circa 1967. Jerry Lewis came to the Colosseum circa 1970. Welcome Msomi’s Umabatha starring Welcome and Thuli Dumakudewas staged here in January 1974. Spike Milligan performed here for the Quibells in 1975. Tony Factor produced Robert Sherwood’s The Petrified Forest starring William Smith at the Colosseum in April 1978. The Quibells presented Spike Milligan here in 1979. **** (Tucker, 1997)

= The end =
On the verge of being demolished in 1981, but due to strongly expressed public sentiments this was prevented. However, it finally succumbed to developers anyway in 1985, when it closed, demolished and an office block named '''Colosseum''' built on the site.

== Sources ==

Contributed by John Ferreira at http://cinematreasures.org/theater/12569/

== Return to ==

Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Venues|South African Theatre Venues, Companies, Societies, etc ]]

Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]

Return to [[Main Page]]

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 =The Colosseum, East London=
-[[The Colosseum]] was a large 1,739-seater cinema built in 1938. It was later converted into two smaller cinemas called [[Cine 1]] and [[Cine 2]]. These cinemas later closed down, and the building was converted into an office block, Westbank House.
+[[The Colosseum]] was a large 1,739-seater cinema built in Caxton Street in 1938. It was later converted into two smaller cinemas called [[Cine 1]] and [[Cine 2]]. These cinemas later closed down, and the building was converted into an office block, Westbank House.
 = Sources =

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 The '''[[Colosseum Theatre and Picture Palace]]''' (or more popularly known simply as '''[[The Colosseum]]'''), was an Art Deco style cinema in in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg.,
@@ Line 4: / Line 7: @@
 The name is also found as [[Coliseum]] or [[Collosseum]] in some sources.
-= Origins =
+== Origins ==
 Built in 1933 by [[African Consolidated Theatres]], it was designed by [[P. Rogers Cooke]], with a fantasy-inspired "atmospheric" interior designed by [[William Mitcheson Timlin]] of [[Greatbach and Timlin]]. The Colosseum Theatre in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, was opened by General Smuts on 4th October 1933 and became the flagship of [[African Consolidated Theatres]]. It occupied an entire city block with a west and east wing containing offices. The theatre had a distinct 'Egyptian' motif on the facade.
-= Structure =
+== Structure ==
 [[Colosseum Theatre]]
@@ Line 24: / Line 27: @@
 It could accommodate full-fledged stage shows as well as movie presentations. A distinct feature was the ceiling of the large auditorium which contained hundreds of tiny concealed lights giving the effect of looking up at a night sky with stars twinkling.
-= Productions=
+== Productions==
 Among the productions staged there over the years are **. International performers who appeared there include Florence Desmond (1950), *  George Formby, comedian and entertainer, appeared here for ACT in 1946. Frances Day did a season here in 1948. In 1950 audienced enjoyed the British entertainer Florsence Desmond, the Irish songstress Anne Shelton, Tessie O’Shea and the South African Eve Boswell. Sophie Tucker played here on her South African trip in 1962. ACT brought The Seekers to the Colosseum in 1966. Henry Ascar was the Colosseum’s manager circa 1967. Jerry Lewis came to the Colosseum circa 1970. Welcome Msomi’s Umabatha starring Welcome and Thuli Dumakudewas staged here in January 1974. Spike Milligan performed here for the Quibells in 1975. Tony Factor produced Robert Sherwood’s The Petrified Forest starring William Smith at the Colosseum in April 1978. The Quibells presented Spike Milligan here in 1979. **** (Tucker, 1997)
-= The end =
+== The end ==
 On the verge of being demolished in 1981, but due to strongly expressed public sentiments this was prevented. However, it finally succumbed to developers anyway in 1985, when it closed, demolished and an office block named '''Colosseum'''  built on the site.
-== Sources ==
+= Sources =
 Contributed by John Ferreira at http://cinematreasures.org/theater/12569/
 == Return to ==
 Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Venues|South African Theatre Venues, Companies, Societies, etc ]]