From the 1940s to the 1980s

During the Occupation, the Grand Rex was requisitioned by the German army, which turned it into a Soldatenkino, saving it for its troops of soldiers on leave. In September 1942 it was the target of a bombing by the Détachement Valmy.^[4] The cinema reopened on October 13, 1944, after the Liberation of Paris. It showed an American film, with chewing-gums available during the intermission. From April 12 to June 22, 1945, it temporarily closed, turned into a welcome center for the repatriate war prisoners. In 1946, Pinocchio became the first Disney feature film to be shown there.^[2]

At that time, the program of Grand Rex was divided into two parts, with an intermission in between: a first part with a musical opening and the news, a second part with attractions (waterfalls, erupting volcanos…) and then the proper film. Dancers, musicians, machinery and ushers were therefore necessary for the smooth running of the show.^[2]

Starting on December 4, 1953, the first feature film in CinemaScope, The Robe, directed by Henry Koster, was projected there in tandem with the Normandie cinema located on the Champs-Elysées.^[5] In 1950 already, during the screening of Gone with the Wind, the projectionist had enlarged the image during fire scenes.^[2]

After the failure of the "Le Miroir de Neptune" (The Neptune Mirror) attraction in 1953 (swimmers performing in a transparent pool placed on the stage), the "Féerie des eaux" (Magic waters) attraction is created in March 1954, during which 3,000 liters are projected twenty meters high with lighting effects and a musical accompaniment. It is a success: water shows have enlivened the great hall every year at Christmas since 1954, the "Féerie des eaux" (Magic waters), shortly before the screening of the end of the year Disney film.

In 1957, the escalator of the Grand Rex was inaugurated by Gary Cooper and Mylène Demongeot, superseding elevators.^[2] It was the first time a European hall was equipped with such material.

In 1960, the cinema experienced a better attendance level than the Louvre Museum. Eight years later, the combination of the "Féerie des eaux" (Magic waters) and of The Jungle Book enabled the Grand Rex to receive around 500,000 spectators.^[2]

In 1963, Alfred Hitchcock presented his new movie, The Birds there.

In 1974, three small halls are added to the complex, at the location of the dressing and rehearsal rooms. The Rex Club, a disco club, replaces the "Rêve" dancing, a chic establishment which was created in 1932.^[2]

Since the 1980s

In 1984, the Grand Rex includes seven halls, then eight in 1990, but without having needed to divide the great hall, going against a trend noticeable in other cinemas. The Grand Rex and its Art deco facade are listed in the inventory of the Monument Historique in 1981.^[2]

In 1988 "Le Grand Large" (The Great Large) was installed, a 300 square meters screen, making it the biggest (non IMAX) screen in Europe.^[6] Designed and created by Luc Heripret, it was inaugurated by Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, which totalled 700,000 tickets sold at the Grand Rex after months on the bill.^[2]

In 1997, the Grand Rex opens its program to festivals, concerts and solo performances of many artists who perform on stage.

In 1988, the director Peter Jackson receives an award for his film Bad Taste there, and, in 2002, the singer Britney Spears was present for the screening of Crossroads, causing a riot, during which some outside windows were shattered.^[2]

In 2009, the façade was equipped with digital signs, whose light showcases its Art deco column.^[2]

In 2017, the great hall was renovated.^[7]

While its contemporary attendance levels are usually close to a million spectators, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Grand Rex to close in August 2020, after attempting at the end of the first lockdown in June, to screen retrospectives and thematic marathons.^[8] Starting from December of the same year, the cinema is being fully renovated.^[9]

The Grand Rex now has a capacity ranging from 2,700 to 2,800 spectators in its great hall.

It is renowned for hosting premieres with the films’ crews^[2] as well as special events, called “Marathons”, which gathers the fans of a franchise (i.e. Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, various adaptations of Tolkien’s work, The Hunger Games).

In 2023, the film Oppenheimer premiered at the Grand Rex.

The Great Hall

• 2,700 seats,
• Large and comfortable leather chairs for the orchestra,
• A mezzanine equipped with the same chairs as the orchestra,
• A 2nd balcony with 1,200 seats,
• A luminous arch,
• A large adjustable stage (shows and concerts),
• A stage screen which is 16.9 meters large and 7 meters high, located on the stage (under the luminous arch),
• Three DP 32 4K projectors,
• A screen named “Le Grand Large” (The Great Large), which is 24.9 meters large and 11.35 meters high (about 280 m²). It is uncoiled and coiled in front of the luminous arch.

• The Grand Rex
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  Great hall.
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Le Grand Large (The Great Large)

This screen, one of the biggest in France and which takes up the entire available width of the hall, is hidden in the cinema’s ceiling and only comes out for screenings. While it is uncoiled in the dark, the spectators can discover an original presentation in 2D or 3D.

The audience is only seated on the 2nd balcony and ends up particularly close to the screen.

Projection: 2 Barco DP32 projectors in 4k.^[10]

The Rex’s other halls

Since 2017, the Grand Rex has renovated its halls every year. We can find:

• Hall 2: 500 seats
• Hall 3: 238 seats called the “Gotham” hall
• Hall 5: 163 seats called the “Matrix” hall
• Hall 4: 122 seats
• Hall 7: 109 seats called the “Tron” hall
• Hall 6: 78 seats called the “Love” hall

• The Grand Rex
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  Hall 2 - Photographer: Thomas Laconis
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External links

• Official website
• The Grand Rex history