On September 28, 1938, after closing for the usual summer recess for about two months, the Manoel Theatre started showing cinema films for the following season. The usual yearly repertoire as issued, advertising in advance the season's films for 1938-1939, was unfortunately the last one, on account of the war.
The Manoel Theatre, which had been showing cinema films since about 1930 and which took over from the short period of the Royal Opera House as a cinema, had as its manager Godfrey Caruana. The films shown at the Manoel Theatre were distributed to the other cinemas throughout the island.
Among them was the Gaiety and the Majestic in Sliema, the Rialto in Cospicua, the Trianon in Hamrun, the Roxy in Birkirkara, the Real at Paola, etc.
The films shown in this circuit were the best Hollywood could offer since they were supplied by the gigantic studios, such MGM, 20th Century, Warner Bros, Universal, RKO Radio etc.
The Manoel Theatre, although small in its seating capacity, was considered as a super cinema at that time. Suffice it to say that two uniformed ushers were daily employed to conduct patrons to their numbered seats.
Many patrons would book their seats for the Sunday evening showing for the whole film season. Previous to the showing of the main attraction, the programme included the showing of The March of Time news magazine, besides Walt Disney Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony cartoons in black and white and colour.
Walt Disney's first full-length feature in technicolour, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was shown at the Manoel in December 1938. And what a success it was!
Times of showing at the Manoel Theatre were at 5, 7.15 and 9.30 p.m. Some of the films shown during the season were Maytime, The Good Earth, Mad About Music, Dead End, Marco Polo, Michael Strogoff, In Old Chicago, Maria Waleska, Serenade, Firefly, Prisoner of Zenda, Of Human Hearts and so many others. We even had the showing of the biggest film production of Ben Hur in a silent black and white film, starring Ramon Navarro.
Entering the Manoel Theatre was like entering a palace, since patrons were assured of having a quiet and enjoyable evening. We are very lucky in this day and age to have this magnificent theatre still functioning, considering how almost all the buildings surrounding this theatre were destroyed in 1942.