The Great World Theater

In 1935 after the Taiwan Exposition ended, the economy in Taiwan took off. The entertainment industry also developed in its wake. In just 1935 alone there were three theaters—the Taiwan Theater, the International Hall, and the Great World Theater that opened in Ximending.
Of these, the Great World Theater was known then as the Great World Hall due to its state-of-the-art projectors. In January 1941, Japan movie star Li Xiang-lan (Yoshiko Yamaguchi) came to sing a concert at this hall, causing quite a sensation throughout the city.
This picture was taken before 1963. At the time, the romantic war film “Gone with the Wind” from America was playing in Taiwan. A long line had formed in front of the theater to see it.