Gratiot Drive-In
31900 Gratiot Avenue,
Roseville,
MI
48066
31900 Gratiot Avenue,
Roseville,
MI
48066
2 people
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Listed as being located in Fraser, to the north of Detroit, MI. The Gratiot Drive-In was designed by architect Ted Rogvoy and opened April 30, 1948 with Leon Errol and Joe Kirkwood Jr. in “Joe Palooka in the Knockout”. It featured “Free pony rides, merry-go-round and other playground amusements for the kids, a large restaurant that even warmed baby bottles on schedule for patrons”. The back of the 115 feet tall screen tower featured a living curtain waterfall, illuminated at night by colored lights to simulate Niagara Falls. Car capacity is given as 1,056. A second screen was added on November 2, 1979. The Gratiot Drive-In showed its last movie on Labor Day of 1984. It was demolished shortly afterwards.
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Postcards and color print available for purchase. Contact Roseville Historical and Genealogical Society at
Some photos are on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/2ndqsj
Link: http://michigandriveins.com/gratiot82.asp
Here is an ad for the sale of the Gratiot in July 1949:
http://tinyurl.com/yd5kzuz
Screen side photo added courtesy of the Fiftiesville Facebook page.
You can see where they mounted the cinema-scope screen, in front of the old flat screen.
April 30th, 1948 grand opening ad in photo section
Gratiot Drive-In marquee is seen at the head end of this 1966 Chevrolet promo film.
http://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/2016/09/25/from-chevrolet-with-love-gms-bizarre-1966-promotional-film/
Opened with newreels and “The knockout”.
Two screens on November 2nd, 1979.