Cine Azul

The building was constructed in 1929 - 1930 to the plans of architects Jose Maria Mendoza Ossia and Jose de Aragon Pradera. It was ready to be occupied on 15th April 1931. In April 1933 plans were approved to construct a 500-seat cinema inside the building. It opened as the Cine Vellussia on 29th October 1933, screening a programme of documentary films and newsreels, continuous from 11am until midnight. On 16th November 1939 it was re-named Cine Azul and began screening continuous screenings of feature films, the first being “La llamaban eterna”. The seating capacity was reduced to 340.

On October 26, 1997, I saw a Spanish movie, the zombie horror flick "Memorias del Angel Caido" at the Cine Azul. The walls and ceiling of the auditorium were orange in color, not blue (Azul). The auditorium sat 266 seats, including a balcony, with the main floor having 12 rows of 16 seats each. No curtain was used before the not very huge screen, the size of which I estimated at 15 to 20 feet wide.

Last operated by Cinesa, the Cine Azul became a well known cinema to be patronised by gay men. In 2007, in the face of declining attendance for Gran Via cinemas, Madrid’s Municipal Council approved the conversion of the closed cinema to a restaurant. The Cine Azul was the smallest single screen cinema on the Gran Via. The former cinema is now a TGI Friday’s restaurant.

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