Alvin Theatre
13803 Grand River Avenue,
Detroit,
MI
48227
13803 Grand River Avenue,
Detroit,
MI
48227
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Advertised for sale in 1941 as Alvin Theatre, with Loyal mentioned as previous name. If it was still being reported in 1951 as Alvin, shouldn’t the CT listing be changed to Alvin, with Loyal as a previous?
If the Alvin closed as early as 1940 it was vacant for quite some time before being dismantled. Boxoffice of December 15, 1951, reported that the Alvin was one of five Detroit area houses being dismantled. Seats and other equipment from the Alvin had been sold to a theater in Savannah, Georgia.
Our family took over the theatre and the store to the east and it was combined into one business. My grandmother moved her junk yard/parts store, she started in the depression, from across the street and opened Grand Schaefer Auto Parts. The address was 13695. My grandmother and grandfather along with my mother and her sisters lived in a flat that was located above the east part of the store. In the late 1950’s my grandparents retired and moved to Palm Springs, CA. The store stayed in the family until the mid 1980’s when it was closed. Saw various uses of the building after that. Night club, some sort of vehicle repair business and last I saw the building supply business that was two buildings to the west has taken it all over. Also now a cell tower sits in the parking lot.
‘Motor City Marquees’ book about Detroit theatres by Stuart Galbraith IV (1965) lists: Loyal, 13803 Grand River, Detroit. 1926; 550 seats
‘The Loyal just missed the attendance boom during World War II. The theatre was re-named Alvin in 1940, but closed before the end of the year.’
The Film Daily Yearbook 1941 lists the ‘Alvin, Grand River, 440 seats’, but no mention of a Loyal Theater. I think FDY’s were typeset the previous year to their published year, so it could have closed after it went to press.