When Douglas Fairbanks Visited Rangoon’s Excelsior Theatre – 1931

It’s very exciting to hear that a restoration plan appears to be in place for Rangoon’s Waziya cinema (formerly the Excelsior Theatre). You can see some pictures of the cinema inside and out here at the Yangon Heritage Trust’s page. It’s been shut up and falling to ruin for many years but plans are afoot to bring it back to its original glory (read here). The Excelsior is a classic beaux-arts cinema structure originally completed in the 1920s. The plan is restore many original features including the wooden banisters, decorative flooring and a steel staircase that spirals up to the projection booth. In 1931 there were scenes of incredible crowds outside the theatre when the Hollywood actor Douglas Fairbanks visited…here’s that story….

Fairbanks arrived in Rangoon in March 1931 en route to India and having already spent time in Manila. He stayed at the glorious Strand Hotel where crowds of fans camped outside hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Eventually Fairbanks came out onto the hotel’s porch to greet the fans who cried “Thief of Baghdad” – that movie had been a massive hit in Rangoon – and names of his other films. Fairbanks waved to the crowds and then retreated back into the hotel – fans pushed past the doormen and swarmed around the plush hotel’s lobby wanting more of the star. Hotel staff had to “rescue” Fairbanks and eventually managed to get the crowd out and lock the doors. For several days invitations and gifts for Fairbanks arrived at the hotel as well as requests for donations and autographs – Indian silks and Burmese teak lacquerware gifts were left in the reception for him. Fairbanks apparently donated $25 to the local Methodist Church. Women hung around outside the hotel hoping for a handshake, or maybe even a kiss from the movie star.

One evening Fairbanks ventured out  first for a display of traditional Burmese dancing at the Tivoli and then to the Excelsior Hotel were a massive crowd had gathered knowing that Fairbanks would be attending a charity performance in aid of the Shwe Dagon Pagoda. The theatre was packed to capacity with crowds outside. Police tried to form a cordon around Fairbanks crowd when he arrived to let him get into the theatre. He managed to get in, gave a speech praising Rangoon, “partook of some refreshments” and then was ushered out again through the police cordon.

Fairbanks speech, faithfully recorded by the local newspapers, told of his happiness to help preserve the Shwe Dagon (which had been damaged by fire shortly before), of his appreciation of the beauty and manners of Burmese women, “the brilliant sunshine of their smiles” (Fairbanks knew his audience!!), wished for world peace and hoped he would return some day. And with that he headed off for the next stop on his tour – India.

Perhaps the greatest single night in the Excelsior’s history….but hopefully not its last….