Draft:Théâtre de Belleville (1828–1962)

Théâtre de Belleville

48°52′23″N 2°22′53″E
Location	Paris
Type	Theatre
Inauguration date	1828

The Théâtre de Belleville is a theater inaugurated in 1828 and closed in 1962. It stood in the village of Belleville, cour Lesage, at the height of 46 rue de Paris (today, cour Lesage at 46, rue de Belleville).

In January 1860, it became a Parisian theater following the expansion of Paris which annexed the village of Belleville. In 1932, it was demolished and replaced by a new building of which only the ground floor offers a performance hall. From January 1937 and until the 1940s, theater and cinema alternated there, then it was just a cinema. In 1958, it was transformed into a music hall and closed definitively in 1962.

The name Théâtre de Belleville has been taken over today by a small performance hall located a few hundred meters further down at 94, rue du Faubourg-du-Temple (11th), previously called Théâtre du Tambour royal.

History

Geographical location of the Théâtre de Belleville on a map dating from 1860, top: rue de Paris.

Belleville once had at least two other theaters, also now defunct: the Théâtre populaire de Belleville and the Théâtre-Nouveau.

The Théâtre de Belleville has never been a leading Parisian venue like the Odéon or the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin, but it has held its place honorably.

Its repertoire initially responded to the dominant tastes of the time: historical drama, melodrama and vaudeville. While these theatrical forms declined in most Parisian theaters, the Théâtre de Belleville continued to honor them. Around 1900, this was, so to speak, its characteristic.

The Théâtre de Belleville was a sort of dramatic school where a multitude of young artists came to try their hand, some of whom later made their way: Boutin, Tétard, Étienne Mélingue, Louis Lacressonnière, Jules Brasseur, Paul Burani, Léonce, Jean-Hippolyte Tisserant, Julien Deschamps, Virginie Goy, Marie-Joséphine Chrétienno, Léonide Leblanc, Denis d'Inès... Firmin Gémier began his career there in 1888-1889.

The first decades

Announcement in 1859 of the magazine Les Souvenirs de Belleville.

In 1817, Pierre-Jacques Seveste was granted a privilege which gave him, as well as his two sons Jules and Edmond during their lifetime, the exclusive rights to dramatize the entire suburb of Paris. Construction work on the Théâtre de Belleville began in 1826 under the orders of Edmond Seveste. It was inaugurated two years later on October 25, 1828.

A few years later, the Seveste brothers, no longer worrying about exploiting their privilege by themselves, divided it into as many parts as they had rooms and leased each of them, in return for high royalties, to selected subdelegates by them. The Théâtre de Belleville suffered under the weight of the royalties owed to the Seveste brothers, eight of its managers being ruined in turn.

On the death of Jules Seveste on July 30, 1854, the Théâtre de Belleville was finally freed from this charge. In 1859, just before Belleville was attached to Paris, the Théâtre de Belleville gave a historical review summarizing the history of Belleville: Les Souvenirs de Belleville by Alexandre Flan and Émile Delteil. In January 1860, the integration of the village of Belleville into Paris made the theater a Parisian venue.

That year, the journalist Émile de La Bédollière gave the description:

The Théâtre de Belleville is located halfway up the side, to the right of rue de Paris and in an enclosure lined with greenery. Its facade, elegant and severe at the same time, is made up, on the ground floor, of an arcaded portico where the public is sheltered to take their tickets. On the first floor, five bay windows, also round-headed, and framed by Ionic pilasters, illuminate the large staircase, as well as the public foyer, which opens with two leaves onto a large terrace decorated with vases; above reigns an entablature in harmony with the style of the building. Inside, the arrangements are also elegantly simple, and the artists' dressing rooms are especially large, comfortable and extremely clean.

The fire of 1867

The fire at the Théâtre de Belleville in 1867.

On the night of December 11 to 12, 1867, the Théâtre de Belleville was destroyed by fire, as well as a nearby brewery to which it communicated the fire. The room is thankfully empty at this time, the fire having started to smolder at the very end of the performance without anyone noticing.

Le Petit Journal writes:

Here are some additional details about yesterday's disaster.
We had performed the Canal Saint-Martin, a play in which a pistol is fired. We suppose that the flaming wad went to lodge itself in a setting, where it would have tindered, and that is how the fire would have started.
At midnight, the fire corporal on duty had retired after having, in accordance with instructions, made a general and careful round with the concierge. Around half-past three in the morning, neighbors were awakened by the repeated barking of a dog belonging to the director of the theater, and, having noticed a light appearing to escape from the set store placed at stage height, they hastened to sound the alarm. The first two people to arrive at the scene of the disaster were Mr. Cauchepin, the neighborhood police commissioner, and Mr. Créneau, his secretary. They immediately called for the firefighters and the troops.
Around half-past five, we had managed to sort out the fire, when, without any sign to wake up, the roof collapsed with a crash on the ceiling of the fireplace, shattering the latter and caused the floor of the first floor to fall from fall to fall, leaving only the four walls standing. It was at this moment that firefighters and soldiers were so cruelly injured. It is worth noting Fire Sergeant Milson, who, along with a theater employee named Blessant, removed the powder from the props store. The two hunters on foot, whose absence had caused so much fear, are safe and sound. They worked so ardently that they did not hear the bugle which called them back when, after several hours of work, the detachment was relieved. They later returned to the barracks.
All that remains of the theater is the back wall with the artists' dressing rooms, entirely preserved, and the bottom of the front wall with the marquise. A large number of curious people were stationed yesterday during the day around the scene of the disaster, the approaches to which were defended by the police. Firefighters and soldiers continued to work during the day, and at night by torchlight, to put out the partial fires that were still burning.
This morning, we were working on demolishing the remaining sections of wall that are threatening to fall. Mr. Hollacher, the director of the theater, asked yesterday for authorization to give performances at the Folies-Belleville. According to the information we received at the Couvent des Récollets de Paris, we can assure you that fire lieutenant Fournier, who had a broken leg, although seriously injured, is on the road to recovery. It was therefore wrong that some newspapers announced his death. The same goes for the Lazergue hunter, from the 8th battalion, who has burns on his hand. Firefighter Lonteau, who has a broken thigh, is already doing better, and, finally, the fourth firefighter, whose face was affected, is also receiving the best care. We hope that all these brave soldiers will soon recover.

Reconstruction, continuity and disappearance

The theater at the bottom of the Cour Lesage seen from rue de Belleville.

The place in 2015.

The director of the theater, Joseph-Édouard Holacher, through all kinds of financial efforts, with the support of the Belleville population, the professional community and the town hall of the 20th arrondissement, managed in less than a year to have it rebuilt identically. under the direction of architects Lehman and Fernoux.

In the fall of 1870, during the siege of Paris, a performance was given there, the proceeds of which were intended to be used to purchase a cannon or a machine gun for a Belleville battalion of the National Guard.

From 1862 to 1907, the Théâtre de Belleville was directed by Joseph-Édouard Holacher, then his sons Édouard and Louis, and finally Marie Frileux, playwright and one-time wife of Edouard Holarcher. After the death of Joseph-Édouard Holacher, the two directors who succeeded him had great difficulty in continuing to keep the theater alive. This is because it was no longer the only theater in its sector. There was also the Théâtre populaire de Belleville and the Théâtre-Nouveau, located near it on the edge of rue de Belleville.

The journalist Henri Avenel also tells us that in 1889 there was the famous « goguette » of Lepilleur just behind it, at 12, rue du Théâtre.

In 1932, the owner at the time, Paul Caillet, had the building destroyed and erected in its place an art deco style building with a 1,300-seat theater on the ground floor included in a complex including a restaurant, a dancing and a garage.

From January 1937 and until the end of the 1940s, the theater alternated with theater evenings and film screenings. Then it's just a pretty picturesque cinema with two balconies in the room. However, it retains the name of Théâtre de Belleville.

Until 1958 and while maintaining a cinematographic program, it regularly hosted the famous television program by Jean Nohain: 36 chandelles. The dancing in the basement also continues its activity every weekend. In 1962, it closed to be transformed into a supermarket (Grand Marché SOGEGRAM). After several brand changes, the building was sold in the 1970s to an Asian food distribution company.

Externals links

• Notice at data.bnf.fr
• « Souvenir du théâtre de Belleville » at des-gens.net

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• Belleville, Paris
• Theatres in Paris
• Former theatres in Paris
• 20th arrondissement of Paris