Sadly Abandoned

Some time ago I wrote about "El Palacio Chino", a once magnificent movie theater that now stands abandoned on a side street of downtown Mexico City.  The other day, as I was wandering in the city, I stumbled upon another grand movie theater from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.

The "Cine Orfeón" is just a couple blocks away from Juárez Avenue and the Alameda Park in the heart of the city.

After seeing this abandoned gem of art deco architecture, I did some research on its history.  The Orfeón opened in 1938 during an era when movie houses, in Mexico as well as in other countries, were elegant palaces.  The Orfeón was one of the city's largest with a seating capacity of more than 4,500.  The art deco building was designed by two architects from the United States.

Searching the internet, I found this old photo of the theater during its heyday.

In 1944 the movie star María Félix, sometimes referred to as the Elizabeth Taylor of Mexico, starred as a "femme fatale" in the film "La Mujer sin Alma" (The Woman Without a Soul).

Looking through the gate, you can see the art deco entrance.

With the rise of television and of multiplex movie theaters, the grand movie palaces went into oblivion.  In the 90s the Orfeón was converted into a stage theater, but that enterprise did not last long, and the building was abandoned.  At least it has not been torn down, as has been the case with so many of the old movie houses.  Perhaps, someday, someone will restore and reopen this wonderful building from a past era.