Welcome to the Grand Rex, the largest cinema in Europe. And yes, before you ask, it really is that big. When it opened in 1932, Parisians walked in and simply stood there with their mouths open. The auditorium seats thousands of people beneath a ceiling that looks like a night sky, complete with moving clouds and sparkling stars. Green marble, glass artwork, gleaming metal staircases. This place was built to make you feel something.
But not everything in its history was glamorous. During World War II, the Nazis took over the Rex and turned it into a "Soldatenkino", a cinema for German soldiers on leave. They hung a permanently lit clock in the auditorium and blasted train schedules over the loudspeakers mid-film. In 1942, the French Resistance had enough and bombed the building.
The Rex bounced back. By 1960 it attracted more visitors than the Louvre. The biggest cinema in Europe was outselling the biggest museum in the world.
After recent restorations, the Grand Rex shines like it did on opening night. World premieres, classic films, concerts. It has seen everything. Go inside and feel it.
Sources. Story: https://www.boxofficepro.com/a-moviegoing-icon-paris-historic-le-grand-rex-projects-movie-magic-into-the-future/ https://10best.usatoday.com/destinations/france/paris/2-me-arrondissement/attractions/le-grand-rex/ https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/what-to-do-in-paris/cinema-series/articles/210018-le-grand-rex-europe-s-largest-cinema https://www.languageandluxury.com/articles/history-of-french-food-and-wine Photos: A.hellmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
