Friday, December 24, 2010

THE LIDO THEATRE / CINEMA AT BIRZEBBUGA


Many of you may still remember the LIDO CINEMA in St Edwards Street / Triq San Edwardu in Birzebbuga. The building of this Theatre began towards the end of WW2, about 1945. At that time the only other Cinema was the BELLE ISLE Cinema which was situated further up at the top end in Edwards Street. The LIDO was a much larger then the BELLE ISLE and one can say it was a proper modern Cinema.
On every Saturday and Sunday it used to be packed with Cinema goers and one needed to book early to secure seats especially on Sunday evenings. I believe it was operating till about 1980. Today in 2010 the place is locked up and deserted. Maybe one day it may come back to its glorious past which was a place for entertainment to the locals at Birzebbuga. (Photo taken July 2010)




The very last show that I remember seeing at the LIDO Cinema was a 1949 Hollywood Western film called " Calamity Jane and Sam Bass " This western featured Yvonne De Carlo - Lloyd Bridges and Howard Duff and it was shown on Sunday evening in July 1950. A few months before I left Malta.