The Bijou was a distinct theatre for a couple of reasons . The Bijou was the first theatre in the United States to be elementarily lighted by electricity , which Thomas Edison personally installed and supervised . It also was unique for the fact that it did not have a traditional exit to the outside . Since it was on the second floor , the exits led to the lobbies of the two surrounding theatres , the B.F. Keith Theatre ( later the Normandie and Laffmovie ) and the newer Keith Memorial ( later known as the Savoy and is now the Boston Opera House ) . After the tragic 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire ( 492 deaths ) , Boston heavily enforced new fire laws , and since the Bijou did not have adequate exits , it was forced to close
Cocoanut Grove fire
Cocoanut Grove fire
Bijou Theatre (Boston)