sayang ang mga sturctures na ito specially, gawa ng mga magagaling na artists. kaya minsan nakakainis magbalik-tanaw because it will break our heart kapag nalaman ang ganitong actions/situations.

kung sana ay maibalik sa dati ang lahat…

nakakapanghinayang talaga ang mga theater houses na ito.

nakakalungkot isipin na ilan sa kanila ay napabayaan na.

sa maynila na ako nagkamalay at lumaki.napatira kami sa calero,san lazaro,m.natividad,at oroquieta at noong high school ako sa arellano sa t.alonzo tanda ko pa na ang avenida ay animo ang katapat ng ‘broadway’ sa amerika dahil sa neon lights nito at masidlang pagyaot dito ng mga tao.sayang at nasira na ang kagandahan ng avenida.sana ay mabalik sa dating ayos ang pusod ng maynila.

list of moviehouses along rizal avenue[carriedo to blumentritt circa 60]
ideal,state,ever,dalisay,universal,avenue,
odeon,roxan,galaxy,opera house,capri,scala,pearl,apolo,alegria,lotus,
manila,noli.
[azcarraga street][recto ngayon]moviehouses
circa 60
royal,vista,hollywood,podmon,azcarraga,cinerama,maxim,miramar
other moviehouses in sta.cruz:
esquire,mayfair,palace,sta.cruz,majestic,,zest,society,illusion,clover
And did you know that one of the best hamburger house then was Toms Dixie Luncheonette st Echague across Clover theatre.oh those were the days

my mom used to work at aguinaldo’s department store along avenida rizal. Recently, she visited the area for some nostalgia trip but was disappointed. She was unable to recognize or locate the famous landmarks and could not tell where the old department store once stood. She recalls it was beside the funeraria nacional and was near the ang tibay shoes shop. I wonder if you have a record of shops that used to line the avenue or a map of the area in the 50’s. It’s such a pleasure to view the old photos in your weblog. Hope we could locate the exact spot next time we visit the area, with your help.

Thank Liz, such an interesting post… Never been there during those days, but I think the Ang Tibay Shoes Shop (country’s leading footwear manufacturer at that time) was located beside the Manila Grand Opera House, same as w the Funeraria Nacional. Ive been in the area a month ago, and unfortunately, famous landmarks were already demolished. It would be easier if you could post an old picture of the Aguinalo’s. For the meantime I’ll try to look its exact location the next time I visit Avenida.. ^_^

heartbreaking talaga! a cross between las vegas and broadway ang recto ad avenida dati! Grabe! 1975 nung first time ko nanood sa Universal theater sensurround palabas nun Earthquake by Charlton Heston. Then followed by Kingkong vs Gadzilla sa Dilson! Natakot pa nga ako kasi uso nun yung billboard nila may mechanism na gumagalaw ang mga figures! Kakatuwa i reminisce!

i remember there’s still movie theaters stood in line of avenida when im in college(its not so long ago in fact mid 90s lng po he he he) i used to go there with my classmate. some had nice and some not. its kinda sad today that they one by one diminished in our sight.

The selection of Avenida Rizal as the route of the LRT was in a way a blunder. It could have been along Oroquieta or Misericordia streets to preserve Avenida Rizal.But, its already there.Nothing we can do about it. My most vivid memory of Rizal Avenue was during the late 50’s when the film The Ten Commandments was being shown at the Galaxy Theater. The people lining up for tickets reached up to Azcarraga street. And the film was shown for almost a year! Really amazing. The memories are so many I dont know where to start. Just give me a line if I can help.Will be glad to.

Though I was never a resident of Manila, I can say that I also somehow grew up there especially along Rizal avenue since my father worked in one of the theaters there. Every weekend I would go with him to watch free movies, buy my school needs there…from elementary up to college…

I also feel sad that Rizal Avenue has somewhat died ever since the LRT was constructed…
During its construction, that avenue already showed signs of death…
Business was slow, the cinemas were having hard competition from the new theaters in Cubao…

Even though Atienza banned vehicular traffic on one stretch of Avenida, the old glory of that place never returned…..

Yes, we only have photos to reminisce the glory days of Avenida Rizal….

all historical buildings at sta. cruz area especially along avenida rizal must be preserved and restored.