A tribute to a small piece of Malta's early cinematic culture
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Located on Bishop Labini Street, the Metropole theatre, or 'talkies' as it was commonly referred to, was the latest and largest cinema in Birkirkara, Malta. It was established in 1954 and stood as the only cinema with a panoramic screen and sliding roof.
The term 'talkies' emerged in the 1920s as slang for 'talking pictures' that featured synchronised sound and dialogue, distinguishing them from the earlier silent films that had relied only on music and intertitles (text on screen).
The theatre seated around 800 people and was split into two levels with a single balcony.
The Metropole closed down in 1979 and has since then been gutted from the inside, now serving as an electrical and plumbing warehouse.
The theatre was one of its kind in Malta at the time for its retractable roof and ceiling.
The sliding roof was 80 feet long by 48 feet wide and ran on iron rails driven by a mechanical winch which was slid open during warm summer evenings or to clear the thick smokey air inside the theatre during performances.
The Metropole had two state of the art Gaumont-Kalee projectors with dual sound system, which could project 3-D and Cinemascope films.
The interior of the theatre was decorated in moro-plastic with fluorescent lights and its walls were specially designed to optimise the sound system.
This page is dedicated to the Baldacchino brothers, John, Fred, and my grand-father, Paul, who ran the business devoutly.
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