Le Splendid

A bright red marquee hangs over the sidewalk outside this building, marking the entrance to Le Splendid. Originally built as a theater in the early twentieth century, the venue hosted cabaret performances and boxing matches before becoming a hub for French comedy. In nineteen seventy-four, a troupe of actors including Thierry Lhermitte and Christian Clavier took over the space. They used the stage to launch their careers, writing and performing sketches that grew into massive hits like the film Les Bronzés.