Bijou Theater
45 Michigan Avenue West,
Battle Creek,
MI
49017
45 Michigan Avenue West,
Battle Creek,
MI
49017
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Opened 4 Sep 1905 and closed 20 Aug 1981.
Robert Smock replaced me at the Michigan. He later married a concession girl who was living in Lansing, the last I heard. Bob was also a manager at the Regent theater in Flint for Butterfield theaters. He managed a theater in California then moved back to Lansing where he died.
I worked for Butterfield theaters cir. 1960. I managed the Michigan a block or two away. The manager at the BIJOU was a retired school teacher, I have forgotten his name. He was lazy. I had to take his concession inventory every week in addition to mine. The Michigan wasn’t in as good condition as the Bijou, but, I enjoyed working there and created a lot of exploitation. We played the HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM and I had an artist paint the front doors to look like a graveyard. We used to party and played flashlight tag after hours. Really nice group of workers. When we played GIGI, the Bijou manager came up and saw a line waiting to buy tickets. He yelled at them, that they should have seen the movie at his theater when it played first run. He was a real jerk. Across the street from the Michigan was a wonderful old theater that looked like a Opera house. Too bad someone with an imagination didn’t keep it open. I missed Battle Creek when I was transferred back to Flint.
This theatre ties in with a listing I have of a new theatre being built for W S Butterfield in 1909 by John Eberson.
Here is the updated link for the photos posted on 7/29/05:
http://tinyurl.com/2o8ao3
http://tinyurl.com/32aynw
A Barton organ was installed in this theater in 1921.
Photos of the Bijou and Hamblin Opera house at this link:
http://www2.willard.lib.mi.us/bcphotos/theaters/