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Dynasty, who reigned between 1735 and 1796. It is one of the earliest
Hong Kong films to be filmed entirely on the Chinese mainland.

The venue at 108 Lonsdale Street became the first long-term Melbourne
base for Chinatown Cinema, from 1986 to 1993.
The 1980s and 90s was a golden era of Hong Kong cinema. A vast array
of quality films were watched by large audiences. Such was the supply
Mid City Cinema, Bourke Street
of reputable product that many films would only screen for one week in
Melbourne before being replaced, usually by something as good. productions between the mainland and Hong Kong. For example,
Farewell My Concubine (1993) in which Beijing Film Company utilised
Chinatown Cinema mostly exhibited Cantonese films from Hong Kong, the popularity of Hong Kong singer and actor Leslie Cheung in the lead
typically with Chinese subtitles for Mandarin speakers placed above role. However, his voice is dubbed by Mandarin speaking Beijing actor
English subtitles. Only occasionally were films from the Mainland Yang Lixin.
screened during the 1980s and 1990s. There were sometimes co-
Despite the thriving Hong Kong film business, Chinatown Cinema
lacked penetration into the broader Melbourne community. Programs
Capitol Theatre, Swanston Street
were not advertised daily in the mainstream newspapers. Instead,
promoters relied upon ethnic press and radio or prominently displayed
posters for promotion. Chinatown Cinema utilised weekly flyers and
sometimes stunning film posters.
Cantonese film directors of the 1980s sometimes took the opportunity to
mix genres, such as martial arts, triad gangsters and sci-fi. Perhaps the
best Hong Kong films are those which impact audiences emotionally.
That could be as a result of frenetic martial arts or other riveting action.
However, intense drama, sensual romance and even comedy might be
equally as poignant. Alas, Jackie Chan was perhaps the only Chinese
actor who could regularly draw western audiences to Chinatown Cinema
during the 1980s, but that was about to change.

In December 1989, the Capitol Cinema in Swanston Street closed,
following an experiment of re-runs and art house films. It was the last of
Melbourne’s pre-World War 2 city cinemas to cease regular screening
of films.
In the first half of the 1990s, businessman Raymond Yu commenced
screening Chinese films at the Capitol Cinema. Raymond Yu had
exhibition rights to the films of Stephen Chow, while Joe Siu at
Chinatown Cinema had exclusive rights to the films of Jet Li. Both Yu
and Siu also screened movies in Sydney. The Cantonese cinema business
was flourishing, but also highly competitive.
In 1993, Melbourne’s Chinatown Cinema relocated from 108 Lonsdale
Street to the former Hoyts Mid City 3-screen complex at 200 Bourke
Street. Chinatown Cinema 1 at Mid City had previously been Hoyts
largest Mid City auditorium (Cinema 5), originally seating 932 patrons.
It was scaled back to about 600 seats when Chinatown Cinema
commenced at Mid City. Hoyts had previously numbered the Mid City
auditoria following in sequence with those at the Cinema Centre.
Winston Leung became manager of Chinatown Cinema on behalf of
Joe Siu. With three screens at Mid City and one at the Capitol, a vast

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