Agora Cinema
Rue du Marche aux Herbes 105,
Brussels
1000
Rue du Marche aux Herbes 105,
Brussels
1000
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Additional Info
Architects: A. Dumont
Previous Names: Agora Palace Cinema, Roosevelt Cinema
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This was the largest first run movie theatre in Brussels, located near the Grand Place. It was under the same operator as the Plaza Cinema. It opened in 1922 as the Agora Palace Cinema and it soon became the Agora Cinema. The Plaza Cinema was originally named Albertum Cinema. Those two cinemas were the leading theatres before Eldorado Cinema and Metropole Cinema.
After World War II, it was renamed Roosevelt Cinema (the Plaza Cinema became the Churchill Cinema). Post war blockbusters “The Best Years of Our Lives” was showed first run in those cinemas. First run films to play here include; “The Third Man” in 1949, “An American in Paris” concurrent with the Cameo Cinema and Queens Hall Cinema, Charlie Chaplin’s “Limelight” concurrent with the Beaux Arts Cinema and Roy Cinema, “From Here to Eternity”, “To Catch a Thief”, Stanley Donen’s “Funny Face”, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”.
Overnight on 4th & 5th May 1959 it was destroyed by a fire and it was demolished. The final film screened had been Ava Gardner in “The Naked Maja”. On the site was built the Galerie Agora with the 3 former entrances on Rue Marche aux Herbes, Rue des Fripiers and Rue des Peronniers, it opened in 1966. This commercial gallery was considered the equivalent for Brussels, the trendy London Carnaby Street and it is still the rendezvous of the international tourists, due the proximity of the Grand Place.
Contributed by
bette andré
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
When I was in Brussels decades ago I wandered thru the shops at the Agora. Interesting to learn of it’s previous life so many years later. At the time I was surprised by this modern expanse in a city of antiquities. Now I know why.
Histoire des cinemas Bruxellois records that the name Roosevelt was used for two years then in 1947 the architect A Dumont transformed the Louis XVI interior into “un style aux lignes epurees”