of the Grand Rex, Jacques Haïk files for bankruptcy and sells it to Gaumont, before Jean Hellmann, Alan Byre and Laudy Lawrence buy it themselves. From the 1940s to the 1980s During the Occupation, the Grand Rex is requisitioned by the German army, which turns it into « Soldatenkino », saving it for its troops of soldiers on leave. In September 1942 it is the target of a bombing by the Détachement Valmy. The cinema reopens on October 13, 1944, after the Liberation of Paris. It shows an American film, while chewing-gums are available during the intermission. From April 12 to June 22, 1945, it temporarily closes, turned into a welcome center for the repatriate war prisoners. In 1946, Pinocchio is the first Disney feature film to be shown there. At that time, the program of Grand Rex is divided in two parts, with an intermission in between: a first one with a musical opening and the news, a second one with attractions (waterfalls, erupting volcanos…) and then the proper film. Dancers, musicians, machinery and ushers are therefore necessary for the smooth running of the show. Starting on December 4, 1953, the first feature film in CinemaScope, The Robe, directed by Henry Koster, is projected there in tandem with the cinema located on the Champs-Elysées. In 1950 already, during the screening of Gone with the Wind, the projectionist had enlarged the image during fire scenes. After the failure of the "Le Miroir de Neptune" (The Neptune Mirror) attraction in 1953 (swimmers performing in a transparent pool placed on the stage), the "Féerie des eaux" (Magic waters) attraction is created in March 1954, during which liters are projected twenty meters high with lighting effects and a musical accompaniment. It is a success: water shows have enlivened the great hall every year at Christmas since 1954, the "Féerie des eaux" (Magic waters), shortly before the screening of the end of the year Disney film. In 1957, the escalator of the Grand Rex is inaugurated by Gary Cooper and Mylène Demongeot, superseding elevators. It is the first time a European hall is equipped with such material. In 1960, the cinema experiences a better attendance level than the Louvre Museum. Eight years later, the combination of the "Féerie des eaux" (Magic waters) and of The Jungle Book enables the Grand Rex to receive around 500 000 spectators. In 1963, Alfred Hitchcock presents its new