EMPIRE
Johannesburg
CINEMA
SOUVENIRS
The Empire Theatre was situated in Commissioner Street at the corner of Kruis
Street - diagonally opposite the Colosseum Theatre. It was a very impressive
building and opened in September 1936 to form part of the African
Consolidated Theatres chain. Photo below shows the Empire during the 1960s
with a significant change to its marquee.
The very stately and ornate auditorium had both stalls and circle seating and when
used as a cinema had a single screen set halfway into the vast stage area. The total
seating capacity was 1562. The Empire was also used during the 1950s and 60s  
as a live theatre venue and presented such Broadway smashes as 'My Fair Lady'
(with Diane Todd) 'West Side Story' and 'Fiddler On The Roof'. It was also the
Johannesburg home of the fabulous minstrel shows devised by Joan Brickhill and
Louis Burke.
The Empire closed in April 1971 and the building was then demolished to
accommodate a new three-cinema complex known as the Kine Centre.
The Empire was managed during the 1960s by Mr. ‘Bunny’ Adams who was
known for his fabulous showmanship. The photo above was taken during the
splashy premiere of the South African film 'The Second Sin' in 1966.