Théâtre de Cluny
Former theatre and cinema in Paris that operated from its inauguration in 1864 until its closure in 1989.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Théâtre de Cluny, also known as the Théâtre Cluny, was a Parisian entertainment venue situated at 71 boulevard Saint-Germain in the 5th arrondissement. It was inaugurated in 1864 and remained part of Paris’s theatrical and popular-entertainment landscape for more than a century before closing in 1989. The venue is documented as both a theatre and, during part of its later history, a cinema, reflecting the changing business model of urban entertainment halls in Paris. Its location on boulevard Saint-Germain placed it in a dense cultural district on the Left Bank, close to major educational, literary, commercial, and tourist sites. The venue’s repertory was not limited to one dramatic style. Surviving production references include opera, prose drama, comedy, adaptations, and works associated with popular literature and cinema. This range illustrates the role of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Parisian theatres as flexible presentation spaces rather than narrowly specialized institutions. The documented productions include Le Juif Polonais, an opera in three acts, in 1869; Père et mari, a three-act prose drama, in 1870; George Sand’s Claudie in 1879; Albert Carré’s Le Docteur Jojo in 1888; and Le Gant rouge, a one-act comedy by Edmond Rostand, also in 1888. The repertory continued to include works by prominent French writers and dramatists. Georges Courteline’s Boubouroche was presented in 1893, while La Dame du commissaire appeared in 1901. During the twentieth century, the theatre presented Chantecoq by Arthur Bernède and Aristide Bruant in 1917, Judex by Arthur Bernède after the film and story associated with Louis Feuillade and Bernède in 1923, and Ma veuve s’amuse by José de Bérys and Benjamin Rabier in 1929. These examples show the venue’s connection to several strands of French popular culture: stage drama, comedy, literary adaptation, serialized or detective-oriented storytelling, and material derived from cinema. The inclusion of Judex is particularly indicative of the interaction between theatrical and film culture during the interwar period. The theatre’s later identification as a cinema also places it within the broader transition in which Parisian venues combined or shifted between live performance and screen entertainment. The Théâtre de Cluny is no longer operating. Its documented closure in 1989 places it among the historic Parisian theatres that disappeared during the late twentieth century. The venue is treated in reference works on vanished Paris theatres, including Philippe Chauveau’s survey Les Théâtres parisiens disparus (1402-1986) and a historical study devoted to the Théâtre de Cluny published in Paris et Île-de-France. Because available reference material primarily records the venue’s dates, location, selected productions, and closure, information about its legal ownership, management, financial performance, architectural changes, and precise cinema programming remains unavailable here.
History
The Théâtre de Cluny, also called the Théâtre Cluny, was an entertainment venue at 71 boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris’s 5th arrondissement. It was inaugurated in 1864 and closed in 1989. Over that period it functioned as a theatre and, in its later history, as a cinema, making it an example of the changing forms of commercial entertainment available in central Paris. The venue’s surviving repertory references demonstrate considerable programming breadth. In the nineteenth century, it presented opera, prose drama, comedy, and works by established literary figures. Le Juif Polonais, an opera in three acts, was presented in 1869, followed by Père et mari in 1870. George Sand’s Claudie appeared in 1879. In 1888 the program included Albert Carré’s Le Docteur Jojo and Edmond Rostand’s one-act comedy Le Gant rouge. Georges Courteline’s Boubouroche was presented in 1893, and La Dame du commissaire followed in 1901. The theatre continued to host productions in the twentieth century. Chantecoq, associated with Arthur Bernède and Aristide Bruant, was presented in 1917. In 1923 the venue presented Judex, attributed to Arthur Bernède and derived from the film Judex and its associated creative work by Louis Feuillade and Bernède. This production illustrates the exchange between stage and screen culture in an era when cinema was becoming increasingly influential. Ma veuve s’amuse, associated with José de Bérys and Benjamin Rabier, was presented in 1929. The listed works suggest that the Théâtre de Cluny served a broad audience and accommodated several popular forms rather than maintaining a single specialized artistic identity. Its programming moved across serious and comic drama, opera, literary adaptation, detective and adventure-oriented material, and stories connected with cinema. The venue’s later role as a cinema further reflects the pressures and opportunities created by the growth of film exhibition in Paris. The Théâtre de Cluny ultimately closed in 1989. It is therefore part of the history of Parisian venues that disappeared during the twentieth century. Scholarly and historical references include Philippe Chauveau’s Les Théâtres parisiens disparus (1402-1986) and a two-part study titled “Le théâtre de Cluny, acte I et II,” published by the Fédération des sociétés historiques et archéologiques de Paris et de l’Île-de-France. The available material does not establish the venue’s founder, detailed ownership history, individual managers, financial results, or the exact date on which cinema operations began.
- 1989
Venue closed
[1]The Théâtre de Cluny closed, ending its operation as a theatre and cinema.
- 1923
Judex stage adaptation presented
[1]The venue presented Judex by Arthur Bernède, based on the film and related work associated with Louis Feuillade and Bernède.
- 1917
Chantecoq presented
[1]Chantecoq, associated with Arthur Bernède and Aristide Bruant, was presented on 10 October.
- 1893
Boubouroche presented
[1]Georges Courteline’s Boubouroche was presented in September.
- 1888
Rostand comedy enters the repertory
[1]The venue presented Le Gant rouge, a one-act comedy by Edmond Rostand, alongside other recorded productions that year.
- 1879
George Sand’s Claudie presented
[1]Claudie by George Sand was presented at the theatre.
- 1869
Presentation of Le Juif Polonais
[1]The venue presented Le Juif Polonais, an opera in three acts.
- 1864
Venue inaugurated
[1]The Théâtre de Cluny was inaugurated at 71 boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris’s 5th arrondissement.
Products and positioning
A historic Parisian entertainment venue with a broad repertory spanning theatre, opera, comedy, literary and cinematic adaptations, and later cinema exhibition.
Performing arts · 1864
Live theatre
The venue’s principal activity was the presentation of live stage works. Its recorded repertory includes prose drama, comedy, literary adaptations, and works connected with popular storytelling. Examples include Père et mari, Claudie, Boubouroche, and Chantecoq.
Opera · 1869
Opera and musical-stage productions
The Théâtre de Cluny also hosted musical-stage material. The documented production Le Juif Polonais, presented in 1869, is identified as an opera in three acts and demonstrates that the venue’s early repertory extended beyond spoken drama.
Cinema
Cinema exhibition
The venue later operated as or included a cinema, broadening its role from live performance to screen entertainment. The available references do not specify the date of conversion, programming volume, ownership arrangements, or the exact relationship between the theatre and cinema operations.
Brand decisions
1989
Closure of the venueOtherBackground
After operating as a Parisian theatre and cinema since its inauguration in 1864, the Théâtre de Cluny was documented as closing in 1989.
Action taken
The venue ceased operations.
Aftermath
The closure ended the venue’s activity and placed it among the historic Paris theatres that no longer operate.
Sources2 sources
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