L'Arlequin

L'Arlequin is a cinema and cultural venue in Paris's 6th arrondissement. Its history reflects several phases of French film exhibition, architectural modernization, and international programming. The venue opened in 1934 under the name Lux Rennes in a building associated with the Compagnie parisienne d'électricité, its patron at the time. The original cinema was designed as a relatively luxurious urban picture house for the period, with an air-conditioned auditorium seating approximately 500 people, a twelve-metre screen, and an adjoining bar. These features helped distinguish it from more modest neighborhood cinemas and gave the venue a strong architectural and experiential identity. In 1962, filmmaker Jacques Tati acquired the cinema and renamed it L'Arlequin. Tati's ownership connected the venue to one of France's most distinctive film artists, although the cinema's later identity was shaped more by its programming history than by a single filmmaker's personal brand. In 1978, the property was acquired by a company specializing in import-export with the Soviet Union. Under that ownership it was renamed Le Cosmos and became particularly associated with the presentation of Soviet films. This period gave the cinema a specialized international role, making it a Paris venue for audiences interested in film from the USSR and in cultural exchange through cinema. The L'Arlequin name returned in 1992. In 1998, two additional screens were created by incorporating part of an adjacent cabaret theater, transforming the venue from a single large auditorium into a multiplex-style site while retaining its historic core. The expansion allowed the cinema to offer a broader and more flexible schedule without abandoning its established identity as a repertory and international-film venue. L'Arlequin is chiefly positioned around curated film exhibition rather than a proprietary product line. It is recognized for specialized programming, particularly German and Russian films, and for its role as a neighborhood cinema with historical and architectural significance. Its offering consists of screenings, film seasons, and other programming organized around the venue's screens and cultural profile. The cinema's current operating structure, ownership, financial performance, executive leadership, and detailed contemporary schedule are not established in the supplied reference material. The venue's official listing is maintained through Les Écrans de Paris.

L'Arlequin began operations in 1934 as the Lux Rennes. It occupied a building connected with the Compagnie parisienne d'électricité, which served as the cinema's patron. The original venue was conceived as a substantial and comparatively upscale cinema for its era. Its principal auditorium accommodated about 500 spectators and included air conditioning, a twelve-metre screen, and a neighboring bar. The combination of modern technical facilities and hospitality amenities made it an identifiable destination within Paris's cinema landscape. The venue changed both ownership and name during the postwar period. In 1962, Jacques Tati acquired the cinema and gave it the name L'Arlequin. This marked the beginning of the venue's best-known naming phase and associated it with a major figure in French film culture. The cinema did not remain under Tati's ownership indefinitely. In 1978, it was purchased by a company involved in import-export trade with the Soviet Union. The new owners renamed the cinema Le Cosmos and reshaped its identity around Soviet-film exhibition. During this period, the venue served as a showcase for Soviet cinema, giving it a specialized cultural function beyond ordinary commercial film programming. The cinema recovered the name L'Arlequin in 1992. Its physical configuration subsequently changed in 1998, when two extra screens were added through the incorporation of part of an adjoining cabaret theater. This adaptation preserved the original large auditorium while increasing the venue's ability to show several films or programs at once. The result was a multi-screen cinema retaining a historically important main theater. In its established public identity, L'Arlequin is associated with international and art-oriented film exhibition. It is particularly noted for German and Russian films, building on the earlier Soviet-film specialization while broadening the geographic scope of its programming. The cinema's significance therefore rests on three connected attributes: its long Parisian history, its modernist architectural character, and its use as a platform for films from outside France. The supplied sources do not establish a complete account of later ownership, management, renovation history, financial results, or current programming policy. The venue is listed by Les Écrans de Paris, which provides its official cinema portal.

• 1998

  Addition of two screens

  [1]L'Arlequinen.wikipedia.org

  Two screens were added by incorporating part of an adjacent cabaret theater, expanding the cinema beyond its original single-auditorium configuration.

• 1992

  Return to the L'Arlequin name

  [1]L'Arlequinen.wikipedia.org

  The venue resumed using the name L'Arlequin.

• 1978

  Renaming as Le Cosmos

  [1]L'Arlequinen.wikipedia.org

  A company specializing in import-export with the Soviet Union bought the cinema, renamed it Le Cosmos, and developed a programming emphasis on Soviet films.

• 1962

  Jacques Tati acquires and renames the cinema

  [1]L'Arlequinen.wikipedia.org

  Filmmaker Jacques Tati acquired the venue and changed its name to L'Arlequin.

• 1934

  Opening as Lux Rennes

  [1]L'Arlequinen.wikipedia.org

  The cinema opened in Paris as the Lux Rennes in a building associated with the Compagnie parisienne d'électricité. Its original facilities included an air-conditioned auditorium of approximately 500 seats, a twelve-metre screen, and an adjoining bar.

A historic Parisian cinema combining a distinctive modernist venue with curated international-film programming, especially German and Russian cinema.

• Cinema auditorium · 1934

  Main auditorium

  The venue's historic principal theater was created as a substantial modernist auditorium with capacity for approximately 500 people. It was equipped with air conditioning and a twelve-metre screen when the cinema opened in 1934, and remains central to L'Arlequin's architectural identity.

• Cinema exhibition · 1998

  Multi-screen cinema

  Since the 1998 expansion, L'Arlequin has operated with additional screens created from part of a neighboring cabaret theater. This configuration enables concurrent programming and a wider schedule while preserving the original main auditorium.

• Curated film programming

  International film programming

  L'Arlequin is known for presenting international cinema, with particular associations with German and Russian films. Its programming history also includes a notable period devoted to Soviet films when the venue operated under the name Le Cosmos.

• 1998

  Expansion from one auditorium to multiple screensGeneration change

  Background

  The historic single-auditorium cinema required additional capacity and programming flexibility.

  Action taken

  Two screens were added through the incorporation of part of an adjacent cabaret theater.

  Aftermath

  L'Arlequin became a multi-screen venue while retaining its original main theater and historic identity.

  Source

• 1978

  Shift toward Soviet-film programmingStrategy

  Background

  After acquisition by a company involved in trade with the Soviet Union, the cinema was repositioned around Soviet-film exhibition.

  Action taken

  The venue was renamed Le Cosmos and operated as a showcase for Soviet films.

  Aftermath

  The period established the cinema's long-standing association with Russian and wider international film programming. The original L'Arlequin name returned in 1992.

  Source

1. 1L'Arlequinen.wikipedia.org
2. 2L'Arlequin - Les Écrans de Parislesecransdeparis.fr