Comments from jennyrodin

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jennyrodin
jennyrodin commented about Eastown Theatre on Dec 7, 2014 at 8:33 pm

(Correction: The Eastown Bijou had approximately 800 seats.)

jennyrodin
jennyrodin commented about Eastown Theatre on Dec 7, 2014 at 7:57 pm

Actually, the Eastown Theatre did not become the “Eastown Bijou” until the early 1980s, when it was leased and managed by Merrill Rodin (owner) and John Yoder (GM), who were the operators of Grand Rapids' very first art film house, the Bijou Theatre (which opened in the 70s, and was located a couple blocks away on Lake Drive). After the Eastown’s heyday, which likely spanned from the 30s through the 50s, the Eastown had become a B-movie and second-run film house. By the 70s, it was known as a place to watch double-feature horror and martial arts films, and it had acquired a reputation of being in a “bad” part of town and prone to hold-ups at the box office and muggings in the men’s room.

In the early 80s, once Rodin and Yoder began running the Eastown as the Eastown Bijou, they introduced art films, second-run blockbusters like ET and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saturday matinees of old classics, and special family events that featured movies like Bugsy Malone and The Wizard of Oz. Sadly, the Eastown Bijou was never a huge money maker — it was hard to fill a nearly 600-seat theatre! But the new operators were dedicated to bringing the magic of of the movie theatre to what was then a somewhat culturally-starved city.

In the mid-80s, the Eastown Bijou finally closed it doors, and it hasn’t been an operable movie theatre since. It went through a couple of incarnations as night clubs — the 50s themed Shout was a hit for a while — and it is now a church.

I’m Merrill Rodin’s daughter, and I have many indelible memories of sitting in the projection booth, stuffing my face with popcorn, and watching Raiders of the Lost Ark for the twentieth time (or having my mind blown at 11 years old, watching Liquid Sky, or — yes — the X-rated version of Caligula). The Eastown Bijou was staffed with great employees and film buffs, many of whom are still friends. And the theatre itself was beautiful and immense… and some even claimed it was haunted.

That wonderful place holds many, many stories and much history…