Alhambra Theater
9428 Woodward Avenue,
Detroit,
MI
9428 Woodward Avenue,
Detroit,
MI
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The Alhambra, which opened in 1915, was an early design by C. Howard Crane, for the affluent neighborhood of Boston-Edison. It could seat about 1475 and was originally operated by the Kunsky Theaters circuit.
In the late 30s, Crane’s firm completely remodeled the Alhambra. Besides movies, the theater hosted live acts on its stage. Among the celebrities to perfom there was Gypsy Rose Lee.
After its days as a movie house ended, the Alhambra was converted into a recording studio in the mid-70s.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The Alhambra WAS, and had been a recording studio (Artie Fields productions) when I was there in 1975 (the mid 70’s) I would guess the studio took over the theatre in the mid to late 60’s. There were stud frame walls dividing the lobby areas into the studios, and the auditorium was one huge echo chamber and tape library. The place was positively ancient backstage—the switchboard looked like 1900, not 1915, and the rigging was a true all-rope pinrail. All gone now.
I lived at 74 Kenilworth street around the corner from the Alhambra from 1940 to 1943. I went to the Alhambra regularly particularly on the Saturday matinees. I was born in Detroit in 1930. I remember seing Errol Flynn in Robin Hood and John Wayne in several WWII movies. The last movie I saw there before moving to California in 1943 starred Rudy Valley he sang a song which was the title of the movie but I can’t remember it.
A Hillgreen-Lane theater organ opus 371 size 2/11 was installed in the Alhambra Theater in 1914 at a cost of $2,900.
Here is a photo of the Alhambra Theater.
Described in this 1916 trade article: archive