Rex Cinema Then and Now

Then: Rex Theatre at MacKenzie Road c 1948. Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Walking down memory lane in Selegie Road today, I took this opportunity to blog on "Rex Cinema Then and Now".

Both "Rex Theatre" and "Rex Cinema" mentioned in the old and new photos refers to the same place. From the latest photo on the blog, it is shown as "Rex Cinemas".

It doesn't matter. Its the same building 60 years ago then and now is the same "Rex" for screening movies at this place.

Now: Rex Cinemas on 29 Sep 2011

Now: Rex Cinemas on 29 Sep 2011

Then: The coffee shop and restaurant opposite Rex Theatre in 1971. Source: National Archives of Singapore

Then: The queue at Rex Theatre c 1975. Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Then: The queue at Rex Theatre c 1975. Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Here's a "Spot the Difference" quiz on this blog:

1. The film-goers to queue for cinema tickets.

2. What is "New Sensurround"?

3. Why you will "FEEL" the "Earthquake"?

4. What is "70MM" as advertised on the banner?

5. What is "black market" for the sales of cinema tickets?

Then: The queue at Rex Theatre c 1975. Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Then: The queue at Rex Theatre c 1975. Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Then: The queue at Rex Theatre c 1975. Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Then: The "roti prata" stall at backlane beside Rex Theatre c 1971. Source: National Archives of Singapore.

"On a little street in Singapore" Group on Facebook created by Jerome Lim, I posted here on 25 Mar, 2011.

The Indian stall at the corner of this coffee shop was one of the best "chapati" stall in Singapore, not forgetting the "chendoh" push-cart stall with undiluted coconut milk and concentrated "gula Melaka" at the backlane of Rex Cinema.

Now: The backlane beside Rex Cinemas (Mackenzie Road) on 29 Sep 2011. The hawker push-carts for chendol, mee goreng, satay, Indian rojak, roti prata and other food stalls have disappeared.

Now: The backlane beside Rex Cinemas (Rochor Canal Road) on 29 Sep 2011. Another view of an empty and unblocked backlane now.

Now: The Rex Cinemas facing Rochor Canal Road on 29 Sep 2011.

Now: The Rex Cinemas carpark facing Rochor Canal Road on 29 Sep 2011.

I hope nostalgia bloggers and readers enjoy this blog of Singapore memories as much as I posted it.

Thanks to National Archives of Singapore and the many contributors for the old photos to share here, without which our "memory aids" are not made possible.

As the "Singapore Memory Ambassador", I used to lament about the lack of old photographs of my childhood days to help the stories of Singapore memories. Simply I did not own a simple camera until I earned my first pay cheque in my 1970s.

Everyone has a brain but not everyone has a camera in those early days. Thank God I own one too, albeit shrinking a smaller brain now as my age grows older; and memories no longer as sharp as I was younger. Just at 63 years old yesterday.

On the "memory aids" of Internet, Google, so many like-minded bloggers and special interest groups of Facebook and social media channels, there are many helpful friends I have learnt.

Every person's memomories in one's lifetime is priceless. Memories and various "memory-aids" of individuals are not for sale, loan or lease.

There are many people who lock their private memories and stored in their functioning brains throughout their lives and not a world uttered publicly to tell the world. When they die, their memories die with them. Me too!

Obviously, I share only selective memories as blog to express only of interest and worthwhile and if not else, for myself.

During my young days in Bukit Ho Swee, I spent most evenings at the community centre.

I was a few years older than most teenagers then and had many young friends. I was kinda a "gin na tau" (childish leader) at the community centre to tell stories I had learnt in school. We are teachers and learners all at the same time, to and from other people at the same time; to acquire knowledge from my teachers.

Children like stories, just like me. I guess I was a story-teller in my past life, like those days my father told me about story-tellers along the Singapore River in the 1950s to the workers in the evening.

Then: Story teller at the Singapore River in the 1950s.

If I were to be a story-teller today, its a vanished trade and I would be out of business at Singapore Memory Project , where you can read so many interesting Singapore memories which the Memory Corps contributors to share with us. Please join me to tell "grandfather" or "great grandfather" stories or those to be told through the grandchildren and great grandchildren. Its a fun family-bonding activities for everyone.

I understand that there were no lady story-tellers in public in the olden days.  However, nowadays, great grandmother and grandmother story-tellers have very good and captivating stories to share with us.