Norwest 1 & 2 Theatres

The Art Deco style Norwest Theatre opened in 1936, designed by Hector Payne, who also designed the Varsity Theatre the same year. The Norwest Theatre could seat 1,366, and was a first run house until closing around 1978.

In 1979, it was reopened as a bargain second-run house, by Robert Sloan, who also operated the sadly-demolished Art Deco style Metro Mercury Theatre as well, which was located not far from the Norwest Theatre.

At some point during the 1980s, the theater was twinned, becoming the Norwest 1 & 2, with total seating reduced to about 1,100.

The Norwest 1 & 2 was closed in 2000 and torn down in August of 2004 to make way for a fast food restaurant.

Recent comments (view all 17 comments)

bvos on August 26, 2004 at 12:17 pm

Here are some links to interesting articles on the Norwest Theater:

Detroit Free Press article on the history and impact the demolition has had on the neighborhood

View link

An urban explorer catches some interior pictures and some excellent history the day before the place came crashing down:

View link

kencmcintyre on August 10, 2007 at 2:25 pm

Here is another photo from the Detroit blog mentioned above:
http://www.detroitblog.org/images/norwest.gif

lostmemory on July 17, 2008 at 11:21 am

This is another photo of the former Norwest.

kencmcintyre on December 16, 2008 at 4:53 pm

From Boxoffice magazine, January 1938:

Detroit-Further shifts of managers have been completed by United Detroit Theaters, with the transfer of Robert Salter from first assistant at the Michigan, ace house of the circuit, to management of the Norwest, taking the place of Gil Green, who becomes assistant at the United Artists, replacing Frank Perry, who takes Salter’s ex-post at the Michigan.

lostmemory on December 16, 2008 at 5:17 pm

Getting into the mundane stuff now.

kencmcintyre on April 16, 2009 at 5:07 pm

Here are photos from 1979 and 1983:
http://tinyurl.com/c9zdeb
http://tinyurl.com/d387c2

lostmemory on May 8, 2009 at 7:03 pm

1984 Night Photo

Chuck1231 on January 18, 2010 at 9:22 am

Was operated by United Detroit Theatres when the Norwest opened in 1936 thru 1961.

MustangMan on February 2, 2010 at 9:26 am

I saw “Planet of the Ape’s” & “The lengend of Boggy creek” here. The theatre was located across the street from my elementary school. I always miss seeing the Norwest sign as I drive down Grandriver, but great memory’s!!!!!

Tinseltoes on August 24, 2012 at 10:30 am

Described in this 1936 trade report: Boxoffice