Historical movie theaters in Madrid
One of the many reasons to visit Madrid is the fact that this city allows us to experience the history of Spanish cinema. The capital city has staged many stories, like the recent Pain and Glory directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Likewise, Madrid’s movie theaters have witnessed the evolution of cinema throughout the years. In fact, some of them have been opened for a century, providing a service of great cultural significance, as well as giving a tangible form to the past.
The movie theater Cine Doré. | Shutterstock
The first movie theater in Madrid was the first one in Spain too. It opened its gates in the old Hotel Rusia, in the street Carrera de San Jerónimo, in 1896. However, this theater is no longer there, hence Madrid’s oldest movie theater is now Cine Doré, which currently holds the Filmoteca Española, an institution of the Ministry of Culture. It was formerly called Palacio de las Pipas, and it was founded in 1912 with the aim of displaying all kinds of shows. The current movie theater Cine Doré was established a decade later, with a modernist style that was so popular at the time, and which we can still enjoy today. The place was abandoned, in the mid-20th century, for the next 20 years. The City Council of Madrid eventually restored it in 1982, and Cines Doré reopened in 1989, turning into the Filmoteca Española. It is truly a special place.
Four years later, the movie theater Cine Ideal opened to host no less than 3000 viewers. It has gone through different phases since 1916, always standing in front of the popular square of Jacinto Benavente. Cine Ideal is perfect for staging theater performances, and it mainly hosts zarzuelas and musical shows. When they faced a time of decline at the end of the 20th century, Cine Ideal ventured to screen horror movies, and they stuck to that genre almost exclusively. Although those movies didn’t really connect with their audience, they were able to overcome the time of crisis, and nowadays it’s one of the most beloved movie theaters in Madrid, mostly because they present movies in original version and film series that take place there every once in a while.
The movie theater Cine Callao. | Shutterstock
We have already visited the oldest movie theaters in Madrid, but this tour isn’t over yet. We couldn’t possibly miss Cine Callao, resting in the square with the same name. It was founded in 1926, designed in the Art Deco style that was so popular during the twenties. Cine Callao is not only important thanks to its location in the very center of the city, but also due to the fact that it screened the first sound film in cinema history: The Jazz Singer (1927). Nowadays, apart from working as a regular movie theater, Cine Callao embodies one of the most remarkable red carpets in the city. Indeed, many movie premieres, both national and international, take place in those stairs.
The movie theater of Palacio de la Prensa is also worth mentioning. Right in the Gran Vía, it was the city’s highest building for many a year. In addition, the 2nd January 1929 a movie theater opened there, which has never stopped screening since. In 2017, it was declared Bien de Interés Patrimonial, an important heritage category in Madrid.
Palacio de la Prensa. | Shutterstock
If we talk about evolution, we must definitely mention Sala Equis. Located in the popular neighborhood of La Latina, it started screening adult cinema in the eighties, and now it’s one of the most original movie theaters in Madrid. There are different screens in the theater, each of them offering a unique way of screening movies: accompanied by a show, with people talking, etc. Of course, there are also traditional screenings. This is just another example of a movie theater in the capital city that promotes cinema and also helps preserve a historical building.
