Citizen Heylen. Opkomst en bloei van het Rex-concern binnen de Antwerpse bioscoopsector (1950-1975)

Citizen Heylen. The emergence and flourishing of the Rex concern in the Antwerp cinema sector (1950-1975)

For almost fifty years cinema-going in Antwerp was strongly influenced by one man, Georges Heylen, and his Rex cinema group. By means of a multimethod analysis, this article investigates the structures of Antwerp's inner city cinematic landscape, linking it to the cinemas' supply of films on the one hand and film reception on the other. Because of Heylen's powerful position, which went beyond the local market, the case of Antwerp lends itself to drawing conclusions on a micro-level about cinema history as well as to inviting comparative research on micro and macro-economic dynamics and the role of different players within the film industry.