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Birmingham Theatre

Birmingham, MI

211 S. Old Woodward Avenue

, Birmingham, MI 48009 United States

(map)

Status:	Open
Screens:	Multiplex (8 Screen)
Style:	French Renaissance

Function:	Movies (First Run)
Seats:	1250
Chain:	Independent

Architect:	George Leslie Rapp, Cornelius W. Rapp
Firm:	Rapp & Rapp

Recent exterior view of the Birmingham Theatre

Photo courtesy of Greg Kacir/DetroitPix

Designed by the famed architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp, the Birmingham opened in 1927.

It was built for the Kunsky circuit, who opened two other nearby theaters that same year, the Redford and the Royal Oak. The theater's construction was delayed over a year because of the widening of Woodward Avenue.

Like most of the Rapp's theaters, it was designed originally in the style of the French Renaissance, and sat over 1,250 in its auditorium.

It once contained a Barton organ and featured vaudeville in addition to movies.

By the 1960's, it was showing second-run fare, and when it was purchased by the United Detroit Theatres chain later in that decade, it was given a drastic modernization inside, ridding it of all traces of the original decor, though its facade remained intact.

In the 1970's, it was acquired by the Plitt chain.

Later in the 1970's, the Birmingham Development Company took over operation of the theater, and remodeled it at a cost of $750,000 adding new seats, curtains, lighting and sound equipment to feature live stage shows in addition to continuing to screen movies.

In 1979, the Birmingham was leased to the Nederlander Theatrical Corporation and Broadway productions were staged there for several years.

In the late-1980's, the Birmingham was carved up into eight small screens and returned to showing first-run features.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft

YOUR COMMENTS

I remember attending one of the live plays around 1982, a quite good production of "Deathtrap" starring David McCallum. It's good that this theater was preserved, and even better that it doggedly continues to reserve a few of its screens for independent and foreign films, one of only 3 commercial Detroit-area venues to do so. The largest auditorium, used for standard first-run films, incorporates much of the original theater auditorium; it is spacious and has a lovely chandelier and period decor. The smaller rooms, however, are far less pleasant Not much can be done about small size and unfortunate geometry, but the owners should consider equipping them with modern sound systems. In 2002 a glitzy modern multiplex opened a few blocks away offering stadium auditoriums, some of which serve food and alcohol right at your seat -- catnip for Michiganders. My wife and I continue to patronize the Birmingham whenever we can, praying that it survives the competition.

posted by stukgh on Jul 18, 2004 at 1:20pm

If you like the Birmingham Theatre, you must visit the Birmingham Palladium. Its run by the same management, and was built just down Woodward. It is definitley my favorite place to see a new movie. I suggest the dinner and a movie package, in the "PEA" which stands for Premier Entertainment Auditiorium.

posted by snooze on Aug 17, 2004 at 8:49am

Suprizingly this theater is owned by Mike Illitch, the one who owns the United Arists and Adams, and lets them sit and rot.

posted by SNWEB.ORG on Dec 3, 2004 at 2:36pm

Old postcard:
http://www.moviepalaces.net/

posted by TC on Mar 17, 2005 at 10:55am

Let's try that again:
http://www.moviepalaces.net/Birmingham%20-%20Oakland%203.jpg

posted by TC on Mar 17, 2005 at 10:56am

Here is a link to a photo fo the Birmingham Theatre.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/i_am_jacques_strappe/9964604/in/pool-cinemasignage/

posted by Chuck1231 on Jun 4, 2005 at 5:52pm

Color photo of the Birmingham Theatre.
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/6/birming.jpg

posted by Chuck1231 on Sep 27, 2005 at 9:00pm

This website will give you a virtual tour of the Birmingham Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Dec 2, 2005 at 1:39pm

Here is a recent 2006 photo of the Birmingham Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Jun 27, 2006 at 1:39pm

A 2007 night view of the Birmingham Theater can be seen here.

posted by Lost Memory on Jan 21, 2007 at 7:21am

This is another 2007 photo of the Birmingham Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 27, 2007 at 1:35pm

Here is a mid-90s photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2ve3qq

posted by ken mc on Aug 9, 2007 at 10:52pm

Here is another recent photo of the Birmingham Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Aug 13, 2007 at 5:24pm

This is a close-up view of the Barton theater organ.

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 14, 2008 at 8:03pm

This website has some nice photos of the Birmingham Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Jul 17, 2008 at 12:42pm

Here is an August 2008 photo.

posted by Lost Memory on Aug 16, 2008 at 10:01am

1979 Photo

posted by Lost Memory on May 5, 2009 at 8:06pm

A 2009 photo is here.

posted by Lost Memory on Jul 12, 2009 at 1:18pm

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