A hundred years ago | A new cinema theatre at Colombo
The Elphinstone Picture Palace, a new cinema theater owned by Madan Theatres Limited, officially opened in Colombo, Ceylon, in August 1924. The facility features a capacity of over one thousand seats and represents a significant modernization of the city's entertainment infrastructure.
Why it matters
This historical report highlights the expansion of early 20th-century cinema culture and the growth of commercial entertainment venues in colonial-era South Asia.
Colombo, August 11: The new Elphinstone Picture Palace, Colombo, the finest of its kind in Ceylon, owned by the Madan Theatres Limited, was formally opened tonight by the Mayor of Colombo. The building has seating accommodation for over a thousand. The new cinema provides Colombo with a thoroughly uptodate house of entertainment. It marks an important step forward in improving Colombo’s attractions in a direction sadly neglected hitherto.
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