[below, the Carlton in the early 1920s. Click on picture for larger image]
As movies grew in popularity as a form of urban entertainment, it was inevitable that someone would have the idea of building a theater specifically designed for the showing of motion pictures. On February 9, 1923, the first such theater in China opened its doors, the Carlton 卡尔登, built by a British entrepreneur, and located at No.2 Park Road (now Huang He 黄河 Road). The first feature shown was an American import, the 1922 Metro production "The Prisoner of Zenda," followed on February 19 by an interesting choice for showing to a Chinese audience, D. W. Griffith's "Broken Blossoms," the Chinese title of which was "Can hua lei" 残花泪 (literally "Broken Blossom Tears"). In the mid-1930s the Carlton became a popular venue for premiering top Chinese-made productions, including such notable films as "Song of Hate" (1936), "Back to Nature" (1936) and "Wedding Night" (1936). The Carlton also hosted major stage productions, such as the road company of Cao Yu's classic play "Sunrise" in April, 1937. During the "Orphan Island" period the Carlton showed a selection of American movies on a rotating basis, then later converted to stage productions only. On February 1, 1954 the Carlton's name was changed to the Changjiang 长江 (Yangtze River) Theater, and in 1984 it underwent a major renovation, with its seating capacity expanded to nearly 1000. While the theater's emphasis has been changed to stage productions, it occasionally shows films and videos as supplements to music concerts, private events, etc. Its address now is 21 Huang He Lu (Yellow River Road).
