Cinéma Bretagne

Le Bretagne (also known as Cinéma Bretagne) was a two-screen movie theater located at 73, boulevard du Montparnasse in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. Opened on 27 September 1961, it was the third cinema founded by Joseph Rytmann, following the Mistral and the Miramar, and was part of the Rytmann circuit that also included the Bienvenüe-Montparnasse and Les Montparnos. The name "Bretagne" referenced the Breton character of the Montparnasse neighborhood, whose train station served as a gateway to the Brittany region of northwestern France. The cinema was built on the site of the former Brasserie Dumesnil and opened with the film "Le cave se rebiffe." Its main auditorium seated 850 people, making it the largest cinema on the Left Bank of Paris and the third largest in the city after the Grand Rex and UGC Normandie. A second smaller 200-seat screen was added in 1973. In the 1960s, the Bretagne was a prestigious venue for exclusive, original-language film screenings, described by Axel Huyghe as "the beautiful hall of Montparnasse." After Joseph Rytmann's death, his daughter Benjamine Rytmann-Radwanski took over operations in 1983 and ran the cinema until 2021. Over the decades, the Bretagne became known for its unchanged 1960s decor and later as a showcase for blockbusters in French-dubbed versions (VF). Closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bretagne was sold to Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont in 2021, along with the four other Rytmann cinemas. Facing a sharp decline in attendance and lacking modernization, Pathé Cinémas permanently closed the Bretagne on 14 November 2023, after a final screening of "The Marvels." The closure marked the end of a 62-year history that had made the Bretagne an emblematic Parisian cinema of the 1960s.

Le Bretagne was a two-screen cinema located at 73, boulevard du Montparnasse in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was the third cinema founded by Joseph Rytmann, after the Mistral and the Miramar, during a period of restructuring in the Montparnasse area and around the new train station. The name "Bretagne" was chosen because of the Breton character of the Montparnasse neighborhood, whose station provided access to the Brittany region in northwestern France. The cinema was built on the site of the former Brasserie Dumesnil and opened on 27 September 1961 with the film "Le cave se rebiffe." In the 1960s, the Bretagne was a prominent venue for exclusive, original-language film screenings. Axel Huyghe, co-author of a book on Joseph Rytmann, recalled: "All the great films played at the Bretagne or the Miramar. In the 1960s, everyone went to the Bretagne because there were exclusive films, in original version; it was the beautiful hall of Montparnasse." In addition to its large 850-seat auditorium, a second small 200-seat screen was added in 1973. After her father's death, Benjamine Rytmann-Radwanski took over the cinema's operation in 1983 and ran it until 2021. At that time, the Bretagne had the largest auditorium on the Left Bank of Paris, making it the third largest in Paris after the Grand Rex and UGC Normandie. Huyghe further noted in 2020: "This cinema is emblematic of 1960s cinemas, through its decoration, which has not changed. Currently, the hall is a bit out of fashion but it still leaves a mark, especially on spectators fond of action films because this cinema has become the showcase for blockbusters in French-dubbed versions." Closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bretagne was sold to Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont in 2021, along with the four other Rytmann cinemas. Facing a sharp drop in attendance and an absence of modernization, Pathé Cinémas permanently closed the Bretagne on 14 November 2023 after a final screening of "The Marvels."

• Le Bretagne opens with the film Le cave se rebiffe.

• A second 200-seat screen is added.

• Benjamine Rytmann-Radwanski takes over operations after her father's death.

• Le Bretagne is sold to Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont.

• Le Bretagne closes permanently after a final screening of The Marvels.

Historic Montparnasse cinema known for exclusive original-language films in the 1960s and later for blockbusters in French-dubbed versions.

• Main auditorium (850 seats)

  The largest cinema auditorium on the Left Bank of Paris, third largest in Paris after Grand Rex and UGC Normandie.

• Second screen (200 seats)

  Added in 1973 to expand programming capacity.

1. 1Wikidata: Cinéma Bretagnewikidata.org
2. 2Wikipédia: Bretagne (cinéma)fr.wikipedia.org