“Marie du Port,” French movie starring Jean Gabin, will open at 11:30 p. m. New Year’s Eve at the Palmer Park Theater.
Tuesday gives the last chance to see “The Emperor’s Nightingale” in color, in which puppets relate the Hans Christian Andersen fable of a little Chinese emperor.
The Bloomfield hosted the premiere of Anne of the Thousand Days on March 11, 1970. By 1970, most movies were opening at multiple locations in the Detroit area, but the Bloomfield got to exclusively premiere this movie. Ad in Photos section.
The name of the RKO Downtown changed to the Downtown in 1936. The RKO Downtown temporarily closed after the Wednesday, May 20, 1936 screening of the musical “Dancing Pirate”. The theater reopened as the Downtown on Friday, October 16, 1936 with the drama “The President’s Mystery” and the comedy “Sitting on the Moon”. (From the Detroit Free Press archives of Newspapers.com)
As the RKO Downtown, it hosted the Detroit premieres of many famous RKO films of the early 1930s, including Cimarron (1931), King Kong (1933), and Top Hat (1935). It also hosted first runs of the classic Universal horror films Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Invisible Man (1933). (From the Detroit Free Press archives of Newspapers.com)
According to the Detroit Free Press archives on Newspapers.com, the last movie shown at the Miles was The Patent Leather Kid with Richard Barthelmess. It had a successful run from October 29, 1927 to December 4, 1927. The opening day of The Patent Leather Kid was also the re-opening day of the Miles as what was described as a “road show” theater.
In the 1930s, Poverty Row movies that never made it to the Detroit area often had their Michigan premiere at this theater. These movies included Law of the Rio Grande (1931, Bob Custer); Tombstone Canyon (1932, Ken Maynard); Gigolettes of Paris (1933, Madge Bellamy); The Woman Condemned (1934, Claudia Dell); and Rich Relations (1937, Ralph Forbes). (Source: Newspapers.com)
On June 16, 1928, the State became “the first theatre in the world devoted primarily to the newest sensation in entertainment—TALKING PICTURES,” according to an advertisement in the Detroit Free Press. The movie was “Glorious Betsy” with Dolores Costello and Conrad Nagel. See the Photos section for more information.
In the early and middle 1960s, exclusive first run movies at the Mercury included Exodus (1960), The Longest Day (1962), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Charade (1963), and A Shot in the Dark (1964). After that, the Mercury participated in wide area releases of new movies, including Thunderball (1965) and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1967). (From the Detroit Free Press archives of Newspapers.com)
Slight correction to the overview. During the 1950s, the Broadway-Capitol showed many first run films, mostly drive-in type movies like science fiction (Creature from the Black Lagoon, I was a Teenage Frankenstein), crime (The Big Combo, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt), and exploitation (Women’s Prison, Hot Rod Girl). Towards the end of the decade, it hosted the Detroit premiere of many American International Picture movies like Hot Rod Gang and Attack of the Giant Leeches. The Palms had similar programming at that time, and both theaters provided entertainment for second shift workers with all-night programming. (All information from the Detroit Free Press archives on Newspapers.com)
According to Newspapers.com, which includes the Indianapolis Star, Return of the Jedi opened on May 25, 1983 at the Glendale, Lafayette Square, Greenwood, and Eastwood theaters. When it went into second run, it did play at the Arlington in December 1983 and January 1984.
Art film theater in the early 1950’s.
From Detroit Free Press (12/30/52):
Palmer Park Changes Film
“Marie du Port,” French movie starring Jean Gabin, will open at 11:30 p. m. New Year’s Eve at the Palmer Park Theater.
Tuesday gives the last chance to see “The Emperor’s Nightingale” in color, in which puppets relate the Hans Christian Andersen fable of a little Chinese emperor.
The Bloomfield hosted the premiere of Anne of the Thousand Days on March 11, 1970. By 1970, most movies were opening at multiple locations in the Detroit area, but the Bloomfield got to exclusively premiere this movie. Ad in Photos section.
The name of the RKO Downtown changed to the Downtown in 1936. The RKO Downtown temporarily closed after the Wednesday, May 20, 1936 screening of the musical “Dancing Pirate”. The theater reopened as the Downtown on Friday, October 16, 1936 with the drama “The President’s Mystery” and the comedy “Sitting on the Moon”. (From the Detroit Free Press archives of Newspapers.com)
As the RKO Downtown, it hosted the Detroit premieres of many famous RKO films of the early 1930s, including Cimarron (1931), King Kong (1933), and Top Hat (1935). It also hosted first runs of the classic Universal horror films Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Invisible Man (1933). (From the Detroit Free Press archives of Newspapers.com)
Detroit Free Press article about last day of last movie at Miles theater on December 4, 1927. Accessed from Newspapers.com.
Detroit Free Press advertisement for last day of last movie at Miles theater on December 4, 1927. Accessed from Newspapers.com.
Detroit Free Press article about opening of last movie at Miles theater on October 29, 1927. Accessed from Newspapers.com.
According to the Detroit Free Press archives on Newspapers.com, the last movie shown at the Miles was The Patent Leather Kid with Richard Barthelmess. It had a successful run from October 29, 1927 to December 4, 1927. The opening day of The Patent Leather Kid was also the re-opening day of the Miles as what was described as a “road show” theater.
In the 1930s, Poverty Row movies that never made it to the Detroit area often had their Michigan premiere at this theater. These movies included Law of the Rio Grande (1931, Bob Custer); Tombstone Canyon (1932, Ken Maynard); Gigolettes of Paris (1933, Madge Bellamy); The Woman Condemned (1934, Claudia Dell); and Rich Relations (1937, Ralph Forbes). (Source: Newspapers.com)
On June 16, 1928, the State became “the first theatre in the world devoted primarily to the newest sensation in entertainment—TALKING PICTURES,” according to an advertisement in the Detroit Free Press. The movie was “Glorious Betsy” with Dolores Costello and Conrad Nagel. See the Photos section for more information.
In the early and middle 1960s, exclusive first run movies at the Mercury included Exodus (1960), The Longest Day (1962), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Charade (1963), and A Shot in the Dark (1964). After that, the Mercury participated in wide area releases of new movies, including Thunderball (1965) and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1967). (From the Detroit Free Press archives of Newspapers.com)
Slight correction to the overview. During the 1950s, the Broadway-Capitol showed many first run films, mostly drive-in type movies like science fiction (Creature from the Black Lagoon, I was a Teenage Frankenstein), crime (The Big Combo, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt), and exploitation (Women’s Prison, Hot Rod Girl). Towards the end of the decade, it hosted the Detroit premiere of many American International Picture movies like Hot Rod Gang and Attack of the Giant Leeches. The Palms had similar programming at that time, and both theaters provided entertainment for second shift workers with all-night programming. (All information from the Detroit Free Press archives on Newspapers.com)
Klaus, that’s a great article, but it looks like it is about the Strand theater at Grand River and 14th: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4120
According to Newspapers.com, which includes the Indianapolis Star, Return of the Jedi opened on May 25, 1983 at the Glendale, Lafayette Square, Greenwood, and Eastwood theaters. When it went into second run, it did play at the Arlington in December 1983 and January 1984.