Urania National Filmhouse
Rakoczi ut 21,
Budapest
1088
Rakoczi ut 21,
Budapest
1088
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Le cinéma Urania de Budapest fut construit en 1894. Il fut d' abord une boîte de nuit, le “Caprice”, puis devint le théâtre l' “Alhambra” jusqu' en 1899, date à laquelle eurent lieu les premières projections, attractions du Théâtre des Sciences Urania qu'il était devenu. En 19O1 était tourné sur la terrasse de son toit le premier film de l' histoire du cinéma hongrois, “La danse”. C' est en 1916 que les projections de films deviennent la principale activité de l' Urania. Epoustouflant cinéma que l' Urania qui combine dans son architecture l' Art nouveau, le style Renaissance italienne et le style arabo-mauresque présent partout dans les bâtiments de Budapest. L' intérieur de la salle, extrêmement élégant, autant qu' une salle d' opéra classique, est tout de bois sombres et de rideaux rouges, dans le style oriental prononcé. La salle pouvait accueillir 700 spectateurs. Deux salles plus petites ont été adjointes. Le cinéma Urania de Budapest, s' il vient après l' Eden Théâtre de la Ciotat comme plus vieux cinéma du monde, n' en demeure pas moins le plus prestigieux et le plus beau, par son authenticité, sa beauté fidèlement conservées. L' Urania entre évidemment dans mon panthéon des huit plus vieux cinémas du monde.
Max Régnier. Villeneuve de la Raho
Max Régnier. Aniche
And some photographs of the beautiful auditorium from the same visit:–
PANORAMA
STAGE
PROSCENIUM
SIDE
BOX
Very friendly and stunning venue – must rank in the top 10 of the most beautiful cinemas in the world!
Photographs from November 2013 CAFE
STAIRCASE
STALLS FOYER
STALLS ALCOVE
INDIAN LOUNGE
Amazing architecture, although since it is 100% Moorish/Moroccan, one cannot begin to fathom how come the Urania is the one that became the Hungarian National Film Theater. Anybody knows?
Beats circles around most other Budapest old-school film theaters, especially that God-awful, kitschy multiplex, the Corvin.
I had one of the worst cinematic film presentations at the Urania Filnmszinhaz, however. As a child, my mother took me there to see “The Wizard of Oz.” Well, this was in the summer of 1958 or 1959, and the Urania had recently been equipped with a wide screen and projector capable of showing CinemaScope films. It also had some sort of a “cooling system” installed for the auditorium. Although “The Wizard of Oz” was not a CinemaScope production, somehow the Urania projectionist had left the anamorphic lens on the projector. I guess he must have figured that since the movie was American and shot in color, it must have been in the CinemaScope format and therefore needed the anamorphic lens attachment.
So, we were perhaps the only movie audience in history who have watched “The Wizard of Oz” theatrically in the then prevalent 2.55:1 aspect ratio CinemaScope, instead of in 1.37:1 normal frame. I remember really getting a mega-headache looking at the distorted human shapes on-screen.
I did not know all the technical details of why the picture looked as funky as it did back then, but in the intervening years figured it out. :~))
Not my favorite movie house in Budapest, but it certainly has the finest architecture (a close second is Corvin).
If in Budapest, this really needs to be seen. Amazingly the cinema retains splendid and really ornate entry spaces worth a visit alone. An Indian themed cafe in the crypt like basement, though new, is amazingly appropriate while another cafe upstairs on the first floor is also worth a visit.
Photo of exterior:
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Lit up at night:
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auditorium:
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A photograph of the foyer:
http://flickr.com/photos/potala/310201243/