THE Coliseum in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, one of Kuala Lumpur's oldest and busiest roads, is the country's oldest film theatre.

The neo-classic building was built 88 years ago in 1920 by Chinese businessman and property developer Chua Cheng Bok. The cinema screened its first film a year later.

The Coliseum was constructed using reinforced concrete with a double roof and a multitude of columns. There were wide verandas upstairs with balcony seats and private boxes tastefully fitted with separate fans and lights.

After his death in 1940, Chua's estate managed the cinema hall until his nephew Dr Chua Boon Teck took over from the estate in 1973.

In 2006, the government proposed closing the theatre and turning it into a cultural centre but changed its mind following a public outcry to the scheme. The government then decided to maintain the cinema, with a plan to build a parking lot nearby.

At the same time, Boon Teck's eldest son, Dr Chua Seong Siew, successfully appealed for the cinema hall to remain open. And it continues to operate till today.

In its earlier years in the 30s, the cinema staged bangsawan performance (Malay opera) and in the 40s, screened Malay and Hindi films.

These films were brightly advertised through colourful hand-painted billboards. In fact, as late as 1992, paintings on canvas banners were still widely used and the skill was passed on from one generation to the next.

With only one hall that can seat more than 800, the Coliseum was affected badly by the opening of modern cineplexes. Before that, it recorded high collections from Hollywood, Bollywood or local box-office films.

Today, The Coliseum has found its niche in Tamil, Hindi, Malay and Indonesian films, and fans of such films are making a beeline into its cinema hall.

Near the cinema is another iconic building, Coliseum Cafe and Hotel, which houses one of the oldest eateries in the country.