Bijou Theatre

Roger what a great web site cinema treasures is. Are you familiar with this theatre? How long has it been closed? Is it worth re opening as a movie theatre? Hope you can help me with this befor Idecide on calling the seller.

Kevin, I think it is too late. I stopped by the Downtown Cinema (which opened as the Bijou nearly 100 years ago) in January and the marquee had been removed along with the for sale sign. It is also no longer listed on the John D Hastings Realty web site. Who bought it or what the future holds, I have no idea.

P.S.: Kevin, it seems you must live in Connecticut as do I. E-mail me by clicking on my name and following the E-Mail link in my profile.

If anyone knows any information that would assist me in buyinb the building, please contact me at drivnak@msn.com or drivnak@collegiatechurch.org I live nearby and grew up in Brdgeport spending most of my weekends at the movies.., What about Loews Poli and Palace Theater, the best of them all, anywhere. Also in Bpt.

Philip Kuchma of Kuchma Corp. os working to save this theatre according to a recent Connecticut Post article. Try giving him a call.

This listing should be changed to Bijou Theatre and listed as renovating. It is scheduled to reopen this summer.

Here are the latest articles on Kuchma and the renovations. http://fairfieldweekly.com/gbase/Arts/content.html?oid=oid:108694 is from April 21 and http://fairfieldweekly.com/gbase/Arts/content.html?oid=oid:89279 from November 11.

My friend gave me this flyer about the Bijou and its hiring.

Nuts to You! The historic Bijout Theatre in downtown Bridgeport is seeking 60 overeducated, underemployed culture vultures to staff its restaurant, bar, cafe, offices, music halls, torture chambers and indie/arts cinemas. Come be a part of the re-opening of the oldest movie theatre in America this October in mutherfuckin' downtown Bridgeport! Experience helpful...but we will train the right peeps. Email Keith Rodgerson at keithrodgerson@post.harvard.edu to set up an interview or call 203-522-0040. Of note, Keith is on the City Council and is only 30 years old.

There is a picture of the interior of this theater in today's NY Times Real Estate section. The article is about some of the re-hab work being done in an attempt to revive downtown Bridgeport's fortunes.

In any even, the group Philip Kuchma is involved with in the "Bijou Square" rehabilitation project included Phil Harman, an owner of the Two Boots restaurants in New York as well as the Two Boots cinema in the East Village, where I'll be going tonight to catch "Miracle in Milan."

Actually, there are about 5 or so old theatres in downtown Bridgeport that are still historically intact and vacant. The future of the Bijou will determine the fate of the other theatres.

New updates on the Bijou and the new owner at http://wvof.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=113&Itemid=69

I am so excited, no matter what movies they play they already have my business!

Here's the NY Times article from late May mentioned above. http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/05/29/realestate/29sqft.html?ex=1128312000&en=e5c983b1228c7147&ei=5070

A Robert-Morton organ was installed in the Bijou Theater in 1919.

When will the Bijou reopen?

Shortly. It was just mentioned in this week's Fairfield Weekly article on Phil Kuchma. http://fairfieldweekly.com/gbase/News/content?oid=oid:140113

"The Bijou, the oldest independent movie theater in the country, and the upstairs ballroom next door, once known as Colonial Hall, are architecturally interesting places worth preserving. And he's adamant that the interior of the ballroom space remain intact, with its large windows, balconies and chandeliers--a place that has not seen renovation in 40 years and may become home to a new catering hall. The Bijou, an independent movie venue; the Spotless Mind Café, a bar and eatery; and Two Boots Roadhouse, a music hall and restaurant, are all being designed by renowned architects who will maintain the beauty of the brick facades while bringing the interiors into the 21st century.

While watching movies at the new Bijou, patrons will drink creative (even alcoholic) milkshakes and specialty drinks, and relax on couches and loveseats in a raised lounge area behind the traditional theater seats."

Throughout the fifties and into the seventies, Iknew this as THE RIVOLI. They had a program venue similar to that of the STRAND, with the shows changing three times weekly, and plenty of movie posters to dream about on the outside. The inside was unpretentious, but you always got your money's worth. In the Sevenites, they changed to the STUDIO CINEMA, and added the Chaplin silhouette on the marquis. Then, it changed to the DOWNTOWN FAMILY CINEMA and quietly passed away. Hardly anyone wanted to go to that part of town anymore, let alone park your car nearby. One thing I remember is attending a showing in the seventies, and in the coming previews, there was a trailer of "Godzilla Vs The Thing". The narrator began the trailer with, "It started out innocently, as a giant egg..." My friend turned to me and said, "How can a giant egg be innocent?"

Anyone know when this will reopen? It has been a year since the original reopening date.

I can't find it in this week's Weekly, but I read it. It's still under renovation. Two Boots will be opening by this month's end, though.

Was mentioned again in the Weekly. New stage erected in Two Boots will open soon and as with his other Two Boots in the East Village, will offer music AND burlesque acts!

Bijou set to open sometime in summer.

I'll believe it when I see it. They've been saying for over 2 years that this theatre will open soon, and the date keeps getting pushed back.

I know. It's annoying.

Dear All,

Sorry it's taken me so long to visit this site and read the comments about the Bijou...it's been a long haul getting this project going and I appreciate your patience...renovating any old theater is hard, especially in an urban context riddled with decades of neglect; added to that is the fact that we're also building a restaurant and a performance space, that it's in two different buildings and that I, the owner, have been trying to complete a couple of other projects in the interim, and you can see why it's taken so long. But it is finally happening! Two Boots of Bridgeport will open in the next few weeks, and the Bijou Theater a couple of months after that. The Bijou will have restoration of its original pressed tin cavorting nudes, a gorgeous event-space of a lobby, a full liquor license and two sky boxes up above with casual seating for large groups. We'll program a combination of mainstream independents and off-beat cult films, and work with as many local organizations as possible -- arts groups, ethnic organizations, gay/lesbian filmmakers, etc.
Please stay in touch, through Two Boots.com, or call us at 212-777-2668. We look forward to seeing you all up in Bridgeport soon!

Best,

Phil Hartman, Two Boots/Pioneer Theater/Bijou Theater, etc.

http://bridgeport.ct.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=20810

From the Fairfield Weekly last week.

Westport resident and documentary filmmaker Larry Locke announces plans to relocate his TV production and editing company from NYC to downtown Bridgeport's Bijou Theatre this fall. Locke is producing a documentary about Beepo as seen through the eyes of the mayor's office, which can only get more bizarrely Babylonic by the time it's released in 2008.

the upper floors are now used for an architectuarl firm of about 20 people. it is a beautiful space, if you want more info emaol me at rappi1@optonline.net

Rode by there last week. Still under construction.

Passed by it the other day and it's still under construction, but a nice sign is in the window talking about what will be offered there. I lost my notes but if I recall it was midnight matinees, stuff catering to all film buffs, soccer moms, etc. Documentaries, cult classics, etc.

There's a picture of this on page 71 of Images of America: Bridgeport.

I have decided that this theatre will never reopen. Originally it was supposed to be like three years ago, but from what I've heard there has been NO renovation work at all done in the inside yet.

This website has alot of information about the Bijou Theater.

Still empty on the inside. A few posts ago it says it will open a few months after Two Boots opens, which was around Christmas. So April?

Nope.

The latest news (from two months ago) is that instead of renovating this into a three screen complex by adding two more screens in other parts of the building it will be kept a one screen theatre with only the original auditorium due to financial reasons.

Okay. New update, Summer 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/realestate/12zone.html?ref=connecticut

As for the Bijou movie house, which dates to 1909, Mr. Kuchma says he has at last found a tenant for it. He was not prepared to give further details but said he was hopeful of a summer opening. (The theater already has one nonthespian tenant: its second-floor ballroom and viewing balcony house the architecture offices of Antinozzi Associates.)

Hahaha - it has been opening "this summer" for the past five summers now.

Here is a 1968 photo of the Rivoli.