Empire

41 Avenue de Wagram,
Paris 75017

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CSWalczak
CSWalczak on May 12, 2010 at 1:06 am

Exterior of the Empire showing when “This is Cinerama” played there: View link

xavier
xavier on April 25, 2006 at 4:51 am

An other big capacity theatre in the center of Paris vanishing
with such a long story in French show business.
The empire was surrounded by Seven theatres no one survived.
lutetia, royal pathe, theatre de l'etoile , univers, ternes ciné, cineac ternes (a huge concrete art deco building) salle wagram.

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on February 13, 2005 at 4:28 pm

Noted Paris theater gutted by mysterious blast

By Samantha Bordes, Associated Press, 2/13/2005 16:56

PARIS (AP) An explosion ripped through a well-known Paris theater Sunday morning, gutting its first two floors and slightly injuring seven people, officials said.

The cause of the blast at the 3,000-seat Theatre de l'Empire, or Empire Theater, near the Champs-Elysee was not immediately known. Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin said nothing was being excluded. He did not address the possibility of a terrorist attack.

Seven people, primarily passers-by, suffered minor injuries in the explosion, mostly scrapes from shards of glass and shock to the eardrums, said Olivier Delplace, spokesman for rescue workers. Two watchmen inside the building were among those slightly injured, police said.

Authorities rushed to the scene shortly after 6:30 a.m.

Police used sniffer dogs to try to determine the origin of the blast and to ensure that no one remained trapped in the theater or in surrounding buildings. The occupants of a neighboring six-story apartment block were able to escape without assistance.

Built in the 1920s, the theater had served in recent years as a venue for concerts, dinners and fashion shows. Designer John Galliano was to present his ready-to-wear collection there March 5.

The theater had been sold several years ago to private investors with plans to transform it into a luxury hotel, Girard said.

In its prime, the Empire Theater was a noted music hall for jazz stars and the likes of actor, crooner and dancer Maurice Chevalier.