Cinema Comèdia

Cinema Comèdia was a landmark cinema and former theatre located in the Palau Marcet building at Passeig de Gràcia 13 and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 609 in Barcelona, Spain. It opened in 1941 as the Teatre de la Comèdia, a high-end theatre conceived by businessman Josep Maria Padró. The venue hosted contemporary plays, opera, zarzuela and concerts, with a seating capacity of 1,246 across a stalls area and two upper levels. In 1960 it was converted into a cinema under the name Cine Comèdia, becoming one of Barcelona's principal first-run movie houses. The cinema was later subdivided, first into three screens in 1983 and then into five in 1995, while retaining a large main auditorium of 839 seats. It closed permanently on 14 January 2024. At the time of its closure it was operated under the Yelmo Cines banner, as reflected by its listing on the Yelmo Cines website.

The Cinema Comèdia originated as the Teatre de la Comèdia, a project conceived in 1935 by businessman Josep Maria Padró, who already owned other entertainment venues in Barcelona with a group of shareholders. He envisioned a high-level theatre that would serve as the company's emblem. The chosen location was the Palau Marcet, but the Spanish Civil War interrupted the project. The architect Josep Rodríguez i Lloveras demolished the interior while preserving the original façade. Construction resumed in 1939, and the theatre was inaugurated on 2 April 1941 with a choreographic gala, El carillón mágico, choreographed by Joan Magriñà, which ran for four days and featured the ballet and orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu. On 12 April, the play Aves y pájaros, commissioned from Jacinto Benavente, premiered, with the author himself delivering the prologue. The venue had a stalls area and two upper levels with boxes and seats, with a total capacity of 1,246. Until 1960 it staged mainly contemporary works by Spanish and foreign authors, including Un soñador para un pueblo, Colombe, Panorama desde el puente, Diálogo de carmelitas, Las brujas de Salem, El diario de Anna Frank, Té y simpatía, La rosa tatuada, Testigo de cargo, La ratonera, El emperador Jones, Los padres terribles and Muerte de un viajante. Recognized actors and companies performed there, such as the independent groups Teatro Estudio de J.G. Schoeder, Teatro Club d'Antoni de Senillosa i Padró, Thule and Teatro de Cámara. Opera, zarzuela and music concerts were also held. In 1956 a chamber opera season took place with the Spanish premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and the Barcelona premieres of Ottorino Respighi's Maria Egiziaca and Mortari's Secchi e Sbrelecchi. On 2 March 1949, Arthur Honegger conducted some of his works with the Orquestra de Cambra de Barcelona. In 1960 the theatre was converted into a cinema under the name Cine Comèdia, becoming one of the city's principal first-run venues. The first screening was held on 19 November, showing the Mexican film Un grito en la noche. On 5 July 1983 it was adapted into three screens, and in February 1995 into five. In both cases a larger auditorium was preserved, which today has 839 seats; the others have 224 seats in one and 153 in each of the other three, totaling 1,670 seats. The cinema closed its doors on 14 January 2024. At the time of closure it was operated under the Yelmo Cines brand.

• 2024

  Cinema closes permanently on 14 January.

• 1995

  Expanded to five screens in February.

• 1983

  Adapted into three screens on 5 July.

• 1960

  The theatre is converted into a cinema named Cine Comèdia; first screening on 19 November.

• 1956

  Chamber opera season includes the Spanish premiere of Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors.

• 1949

  Arthur Honegger conducts his works with the Orquestra de Cambra de Barcelona on 2 March.

• 1941

  Teatre de la Comèdia inaugurated on 2 April with the choreographic gala El carillón mágico.

• 1939

  Construction resumes after the Spanish Civil War.

• 1935

  Businessman Josep Maria Padró projects the construction of a high-level theatre at Palau Marcet.

Historic first-run cinema and former high-end theatre in central Barcelona.

• Theatre performances (1941–1960)

• Opera and zarzuela

• Concerts

• Cinema screenings (1960–2024)

1. 1Cinema Comèdiawikidata.org
2. 2Cinema Comèdiaca.wikipedia.org
3. 3Yelmo Cines - Cine Comediayelmocines.es