The Gem Theatre became the Gem Cinema moving from English to Spanish language films on April 30, 1954 with “Susana” and “Ana Galena en Mexico.” After reverting to the Cinema Theatre moniker, the venue closed permanently with “Micaballo Prieto Revelde” and “Mi Esposa me Comprende” on September 7, 1969. Five years later it was still vacant and offered for sale. It was later demolished.
The State Theatre closed for the season on June 15, 1959 with “Ghost of Crossbones Canyon” and “Never Love a Stranger” with a hopeful message of, “See you next fall.” That wasn’t meant to be. The building became home to an auto dealer in 1960.
Cinemark left at the end of lease on August 26, 2024. It was rebranded as the Seneca Starvue with a soft launch on September 6, 2024 and a grand opening on September 25, 2024.
William Hamilton and William D. Grumbley reopened the theatre on January 17, 1964. On Christmas, 1,000 patrons showed up for the Theatrofilm concert, “The T.A.M.I. Show.” Unfortunately, a riot caused by a knife wielding teenager made the December 25, 1964 showing the final for the Michigan Theatre.
The Jeffers Theatre launched in 1902. On September 25, 1915, the venue switched from live plays to film reopening as the Jeffers-Strand Theatre with Edith Story in “The Island of Regeneration.” That didn’t work out well so it switched to vaudeville in 1916. The Jeffers-Strand Theatre turned to live plays and closed January 5, 1929 with a play. It remained empty until its signage was removed in 1932. I don’t believe it ever operated as the Strand Theatre.
The Wolverine Theatre was dropped after its second 20-year lease by Butterfield Theatres. It closed permanently on April 27, 1952 with “Father’s Little Dividend” and “Breakthrough.” The theatre was redeveloped for retail in 1954.
The Marr celebrated its 20th Anniversary but limped to a close three years later shutting after a double features of “Let No Man Write My Epitaph” and “The Wild One” on May 14, 1961. A week later it became a house of worship for the Gethsemane Evangelical Luthern Church. It has been converted to a multi-occupant business center still in use in the 2020s.
After a soft launch that lasted a period of time, the formal opening of Janes Theatre took place on December 27, 1934 with Joe E. Brown in “The Circus Clown.” Janes Theater veteran Frank D. Brown closed up on June 23, 1957 with “Loophole” and “Star of Texas.” It then became a house of worship called the House of Corinthian Church / Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church. In the 2020s, it was home to the Emmanuel Church of Deliverance.
Hoffman Brothers of Detroit brought Saginaw a first class vaudeville house in the Palace during World War I. The genesis for the project is directly tied to the Saginaw Hippodrome Company’s stock sale and concept to build a new construction 1,600-seat Hippodrome in the city. By 1915, plans for the Hippodrome stalled due to a single property owner not selling a building on the proposed Hippodrome lot. So the quickest solution was to convert an existing building to a live venue.
Saginaw got its new showplace in a converted, 1880-built building. It was originally a printing press operation owned by Charles Peters and Joseph Seemann. The converted space opened on April 24, 1916. Designed by C. Howard Crane, the 1,000 seat theater featured a variety of vaudeville acts on opening night. Unfortunately, the theater’s policy didn’t wow audiences as people in Saginaw preferred films. The Palace was a major misfire switching to grind runs of exploitation films by late 1916. To make matters worse, the never-built Hippodrome property was the subject of a contentious lawsuit.
Mecca Theatres, which had the smaller 400-seat Mecca movie house that opened in 1914 and the Dreamland Theatre both in downtown Saginaw, took on the failed Palace renaming it the Mecca-Palace Theatre on July 19, 1917 with Jackie Saunders in “Betty Be Good.” Seat count was reduced to 798 for comfort and the policy became first-run feature films. The former Mecca was closed though would return as a movie house some years later.
Mecca Theaters Inc. later sold the Mecca-Palace to Butterfield / Paramount in 1926 and the Dreamland in 1927 exiting theatrical exhibition. The Mecca-Palace was converted to sound to remain viable. A streamlined makeover update the venue in 1933. The theater closed for the summer of 1935 for a major renovation that removed the last vestiges of the Palace as the box seating was removed and the original stage was ripped out for a new stage. On October 12, 1935 the “new” Mecca Palace Theatre opened with Bette Davis in “Special Agent”. On July 1, 1936, the “Palace” was dropped with the operation called the Mecca Theatre. The Mecca closed early in 1955 without being converted to widescreen projection. Butterfield Theatres altered the property for retail use guaranteeing that the building’s exhibition era was over.
Cinemark closed the venue at the expiry of its 25-year lease. B&B Theatres Macedonia 15 opened September 12, 2024 after a six-month, $6.75 million renovation.
E.M. Smith launched the Dreamland Theatre on March 28, 1908 replacing a retail music store. Managed by C.J. Wilder, the venue played movies and illustrated slides with singalongs. George E. Marr took on the venue before selling out to the competing Mecca Theatre Company in 1916. The Taffy Shop was built within the entrance of the theater becoming the de facto concession stand for the Dreamland.
George Wilbur took on the venue from Mecca Theatre Co. The Mecca had sold its Mecca Palace to Butterfield / Paramount in 1926 thus leaving the market after selling the Dreamland in 1927. On June 8, 1928, William A. Cassidy and Albert E. Zuchike took over the Dreamland Theatre from Wilbur which converted to sound to remain viable. The Taffy Shop closed with concessions handled in house from 1929 to 1936.
Cassidy and Zuchike opted to move the venue to the superior and larger, former Mecca-Palace location when Butterfield/Paramount opened a new Mecca-Palace. Cassidy and Zuchike discontinued the Dreamland on March 1, 1936 with “The Dark Angel.” They then moved to their new location opting to rename it there at 110 S. Washington as the DeLuxe Theatre. The newspaper account says that the space once occupied by the Dreamland was converted to retail just three months later in June of 1936.
A.J. Kerfoot launched the Princess Theatre on June 10, 1912 with live vaudeville that played the Orpheum in Memphis and the Majestic Theatre in Little Rock.Carson and Will Mack took on the venue turning into a movie house. On August 12, 1918, new owner Eli Whitney Collins changed the name of the Princess Theatre to the World War I favorite theater moniker, the Liberty Theatre. The Liberty would switch to sound presentations to remain viable.
In July of 1957, Malco’s Liberty became Malco’s State Theatre when “name that theater” contestant Glenda Willent thought that “State” should be its new name in honor of Arkansas State then College. Manager Jay Kimbro unveiled not only the new name but the State’s state of the art widescreen projection equipped to play CinemaScope titles and a new air conditioning system
Midcontinent Theatres Co. opened the Midco 10 on May 6, 1994 as Grand Forks' first modern megaplex. On September 13, 1995 Carmike Theatres bought the company’s theatrical portfolio with Midco keeping its television interests. AMC purchased Carmike Theatres in 2016.
AMC rebranded the vast majority of inherited Carmike and Kerasotes theatres as AMC Classics. The Classic brand generally meant the location would receive just modest updates and were likely not going to be candidates for lease renewals. This location became the AMC Classic Grand Forks 10. It closed along with most U.S. cinemas on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The AMC Classic Grand Forks 10 reopened September 3, 2020. But AMC closed here at the expiry of a 30-year lease on June 29, 2023.
Odyssey Cinemas took on the venue in 2024 and decided to gut the building in favor of a family entertainment center including theatrical films including a premium large screen format (PLF) three-story auditorium, duckpin bowling, live stage, and high-end bar. The Odyssey Cinemas Grand Forks would open in 2025 though is currently renovating. A picture of a new auditorium is in photos.
The Showboat Drive-In closed on September 15, 2024 with “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.” The land was sold and the operators vowed to utter “Beetlejuice” a third time and reappear in the Spring of 2026 in a new location.
Carmike Theatres was bought by AMC in 2016 with the official switchover to the AMC nameplate on March 24, 2017. It became the AMC Classic Ohio Valley Mall 11. The Classic designation was given to the bulk of acquired locations, including Carmike and Kerasotes venues, that generally would receive more modest updates and were likely not going to be renewed past the leasing expiry. The AMC COVM closed on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened September 3, 2020. It then closed at the end of a 25-year leasing period on September 8, 2024. The mall owners were in search of a new operator.
The Gem Theatre became the Gem Cinema moving from English to Spanish language films on April 30, 1954 with “Susana” and “Ana Galena en Mexico.” After reverting to the Cinema Theatre moniker, the venue closed permanently with “Micaballo Prieto Revelde” and “Mi Esposa me Comprende” on September 7, 1969. Five years later it was still vacant and offered for sale. It was later demolished.
The State Theatre closed for the season on June 15, 1959 with “Ghost of Crossbones Canyon” and “Never Love a Stranger” with a hopeful message of, “See you next fall.” That wasn’t meant to be. The building became home to an auto dealer in 1960.
Cinemark left at the end of lease on August 26, 2024. It was rebranded as the Seneca Starvue with a soft launch on September 6, 2024 and a grand opening on September 25, 2024.
Website - https://senecastarvue.com/home
William Hamilton and William D. Grumbley reopened the theatre on January 17, 1964. On Christmas, 1,000 patrons showed up for the Theatrofilm concert, “The T.A.M.I. Show.” Unfortunately, a riot caused by a knife wielding teenager made the December 25, 1964 showing the final for the Michigan Theatre.
The Jeffers Theatre launched in 1902. On September 25, 1915, the venue switched from live plays to film reopening as the Jeffers-Strand Theatre with Edith Story in “The Island of Regeneration.” That didn’t work out well so it switched to vaudeville in 1916. The Jeffers-Strand Theatre turned to live plays and closed January 5, 1929 with a play. It remained empty until its signage was removed in 1932. I don’t believe it ever operated as the Strand Theatre.
The Goff Block was a three-story brick building that housed the Jeffers turned Strand Theatre long after the venue closed.
The Wolverine Theatre was dropped after its second 20-year lease by Butterfield Theatres. It closed permanently on April 27, 1952 with “Father’s Little Dividend” and “Breakthrough.” The theatre was redeveloped for retail in 1954.
Closed following the May 10, 1953 double feature of The Lion and the Horse and Moonlight Bay. It was converted to an upholstery shop soon thereafter.
The Marr celebrated its 20th Anniversary but limped to a close three years later shutting after a double features of “Let No Man Write My Epitaph” and “The Wild One” on May 14, 1961. A week later it became a house of worship for the Gethsemane Evangelical Luthern Church. It has been converted to a multi-occupant business center still in use in the 2020s.
After a soft launch that lasted a period of time, the formal opening of Janes Theatre took place on December 27, 1934 with Joe E. Brown in “The Circus Clown.” Janes Theater veteran Frank D. Brown closed up on June 23, 1957 with “Loophole” and “Star of Texas.” It then became a house of worship called the House of Corinthian Church / Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church. In the 2020s, it was home to the Emmanuel Church of Deliverance.
Closed March 2, 1952 with “Kon-Tiki”. Was remodeled for two storefronts in 1955 in Milton’s Clothes and Boston’s Shoes.
Final showtimes: April 3, 1955 with “The Nebraskan” and “Drums of Tahiti.”
The new-build Franklin Theatre opened with vaudeville on January 25, 1915 - and was sold out weeks prior to its launch.
Hoffman Brothers of Detroit brought Saginaw a first class vaudeville house in the Palace during World War I. The genesis for the project is directly tied to the Saginaw Hippodrome Company’s stock sale and concept to build a new construction 1,600-seat Hippodrome in the city. By 1915, plans for the Hippodrome stalled due to a single property owner not selling a building on the proposed Hippodrome lot. So the quickest solution was to convert an existing building to a live venue.
Saginaw got its new showplace in a converted, 1880-built building. It was originally a printing press operation owned by Charles Peters and Joseph Seemann. The converted space opened on April 24, 1916. Designed by C. Howard Crane, the 1,000 seat theater featured a variety of vaudeville acts on opening night. Unfortunately, the theater’s policy didn’t wow audiences as people in Saginaw preferred films. The Palace was a major misfire switching to grind runs of exploitation films by late 1916. To make matters worse, the never-built Hippodrome property was the subject of a contentious lawsuit.
Mecca Theatres, which had the smaller 400-seat Mecca movie house that opened in 1914 and the Dreamland Theatre both in downtown Saginaw, took on the failed Palace renaming it the Mecca-Palace Theatre on July 19, 1917 with Jackie Saunders in “Betty Be Good.” Seat count was reduced to 798 for comfort and the policy became first-run feature films. The former Mecca was closed though would return as a movie house some years later.
Mecca Theaters Inc. later sold the Mecca-Palace to Butterfield / Paramount in 1926 and the Dreamland in 1927 exiting theatrical exhibition. The Mecca-Palace was converted to sound to remain viable. A streamlined makeover update the venue in 1933. The theater closed for the summer of 1935 for a major renovation that removed the last vestiges of the Palace as the box seating was removed and the original stage was ripped out for a new stage. On October 12, 1935 the “new” Mecca Palace Theatre opened with Bette Davis in “Special Agent”. On July 1, 1936, the “Palace” was dropped with the operation called the Mecca Theatre. The Mecca closed early in 1955 without being converted to widescreen projection. Butterfield Theatres altered the property for retail use guaranteeing that the building’s exhibition era was over.
Cinemark closed the venue at the expiry of its 25-year lease. B&B Theatres Macedonia 15 opened September 12, 2024 after a six-month, $6.75 million renovation.
E.M. Smith launched the Dreamland Theatre on March 28, 1908 replacing a retail music store. Managed by C.J. Wilder, the venue played movies and illustrated slides with singalongs. George E. Marr took on the venue before selling out to the competing Mecca Theatre Company in 1916. The Taffy Shop was built within the entrance of the theater becoming the de facto concession stand for the Dreamland.
George Wilbur took on the venue from Mecca Theatre Co. The Mecca had sold its Mecca Palace to Butterfield / Paramount in 1926 thus leaving the market after selling the Dreamland in 1927. On June 8, 1928, William A. Cassidy and Albert E. Zuchike took over the Dreamland Theatre from Wilbur which converted to sound to remain viable. The Taffy Shop closed with concessions handled in house from 1929 to 1936.
Cassidy and Zuchike opted to move the venue to the superior and larger, former Mecca-Palace location when Butterfield/Paramount opened a new Mecca-Palace. Cassidy and Zuchike discontinued the Dreamland on March 1, 1936 with “The Dark Angel.” They then moved to their new location opting to rename it there at 110 S. Washington as the DeLuxe Theatre. The newspaper account says that the space once occupied by the Dreamland was converted to retail just three months later in June of 1936.
The Michigan Theatre’s Hammond Organ at its grand opening launch.
A.J. Kerfoot launched the Princess Theatre on June 10, 1912 with live vaudeville that played the Orpheum in Memphis and the Majestic Theatre in Little Rock.Carson and Will Mack took on the venue turning into a movie house. On August 12, 1918, new owner Eli Whitney Collins changed the name of the Princess Theatre to the World War I favorite theater moniker, the Liberty Theatre. The Liberty would switch to sound presentations to remain viable.
In July of 1957, Malco’s Liberty became Malco’s State Theatre when “name that theater” contestant Glenda Willent thought that “State” should be its new name in honor of Arkansas State then College. Manager Jay Kimbro unveiled not only the new name but the State’s state of the art widescreen projection equipped to play CinemaScope titles and a new air conditioning system
Midcontinent Theatres Co. opened the Midco 10 on May 6, 1994 as Grand Forks' first modern megaplex. On September 13, 1995 Carmike Theatres bought the company’s theatrical portfolio with Midco keeping its television interests. AMC purchased Carmike Theatres in 2016.
AMC rebranded the vast majority of inherited Carmike and Kerasotes theatres as AMC Classics. The Classic brand generally meant the location would receive just modest updates and were likely not going to be candidates for lease renewals. This location became the AMC Classic Grand Forks 10. It closed along with most U.S. cinemas on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The AMC Classic Grand Forks 10 reopened September 3, 2020. But AMC closed here at the expiry of a 30-year lease on June 29, 2023.
Odyssey Cinemas took on the venue in 2024 and decided to gut the building in favor of a family entertainment center including theatrical films including a premium large screen format (PLF) three-story auditorium, duckpin bowling, live stage, and high-end bar. The Odyssey Cinemas Grand Forks would open in 2025 though is currently renovating. A picture of a new auditorium is in photos.
The New Grand launched November 10, 1919 with Elsie Ferguson in “Witness for the Defense”
Mercifully closed by Look Cinemas September 2, 2024 likely putting this location out of its misery.
Look sprinted away from the building on September 2, 2024 undoubtedly ending this four time losing location
The Showboat Drive-In closed on September 15, 2024 with “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.” The land was sold and the operators vowed to utter “Beetlejuice” a third time and reappear in the Spring of 2026 in a new location.
Carmike Theatres was bought by AMC in 2016 with the official switchover to the AMC nameplate on March 24, 2017. It became the AMC Classic Ohio Valley Mall 11. The Classic designation was given to the bulk of acquired locations, including Carmike and Kerasotes venues, that generally would receive more modest updates and were likely not going to be renewed past the leasing expiry. The AMC COVM closed on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened September 3, 2020. It then closed at the end of a 25-year leasing period on September 8, 2024. The mall owners were in search of a new operator.
Closed for the season on October 19, 1980 with “Cheerleaders Wild Weekend” and does not appear to have reopened.