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The former Venus and Golden City Theatres were Queenstown’s first two cinemas. On one hand, the former Venus Theatre was officially opened on 29 September 1965 by then President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Soon Peng Yam. The theatre was owned by Kong Ngee Co. Ltd and it could accommodate around 1,200 cinema goers. On the other hand, the former Golden City Theatre was opened a month later in November 1965. It was owned by Golden Star of Malaysia.
Both cinemas screened popular Cantonese, Teochew and Hokkien films. Tan Siew Tho (b.1939) frequented the cinemas with her husband and family during the 1970s. She recalled:
"I was a big fan of Li Lihua. I would always watch her movies at the cinemas."
In the early 1980s, both Venus and Golden City Theatres were facing dwindling returns in the face of competition from videotapes and colour television. Golden City’s monthly net collections, after entertainment tax, had steadily deteriorated from a high of $70,000 in 1979 to only $20,000 in 1984.
