Summit Theater
300 W. Lafayette Boulevard,
Detroit,
MI
48226
300 W. Lafayette Boulevard,
Detroit,
MI
48226
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According to local newspaper coverage, the Summit-Pandora’s June 1977 revival run of Kubrick’s “2001” actually played four weeks (not one).
This entry buried the lede. The Summit Theatre went out of business in greater style than almost any other theater in film exhibition history rebranding as the Summit / Pandora Theatre for one week in late June of 1977. It brought back “2001: A Space Odyssey” which had run at the Pandora eight years previously. The cinema lovingly presented it with the “ultimate light show” in its “original Cinerama” roadshow concept. This is right up there with the Fox Theatre’s Grand Closing in San Francisco. And the Pandora Theatre nameplate lived on moving the Summit’s Arabic films to Taylor’s failed Jerry Lewis Cinema in 1978.
Fifty years ago today, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” premiered here.
To celebrate the occasion, I’m sharing the link to a new retrospective article on “2001.” This and many other cinemas get a mention in the piece.
Hello Storytime, Jharb and DeborahB..I was also one of the kids in the production of The Kind and I, with Betty White. It’s kind of amazing that so many of us have found this page, after all these years. I would love to see any pictures or even just chat about our memories. My email is
I,too, was in the King and I with Betty White at the Cass Theater in 1960. I was 15 at the time. Future Broadway star Donna McKechnie was in the cast along with NYC Opera’s Jan McArt as Tuptim and Renato Cibelli as the King. The production was directed by David Timar. My friends Patti Cinammon, Laura Moseley, Alice Baker and Beth Thompson were also in the production. I have two black and white pictures taken by the press photog and two dozen color pictures of the kids in the cast. If you are interested, call me at 408 206 9809.
March 16th, 1965 grand opening ad as Summit Cinerama in photo section.
September 12th, 1926 grand opening as Cass in photo section.
If anyone has any stories about going to/ working at this threatre in its adult days, I would love to hear them. I am chronicling the histories of adult theatres in the US. Please contact me at Thanks!
I was also in the King and I with Betty White in 1960 at the Cass Theater along with my Twin Brother John.
……..And I was one of those who took them there and installed them. I worked at the Summit in the summer of 1977 showing a retro showing of “2001” for a young-ish guy who sublet the theatre for these 2001 screenings. We were able to get the projectors and other booth equipment for the Redford theatre, and spent the six months between removing the machines at the Summit and when we started the classic movie series that is still running in March of 1978 with “The sound of music” in 70mm.
We always refer to the machines as “AAIIs”, the older marketing name for these terrific projectors.
The pair of Norelco DP-70 projectors from this theatre are now located at the Redford Theatre.
As a child I was in the production of “The King and I' starring Betty White. I have been unable to find any information as I would love to share this with my family. Does anyone remember this?
Wish someone had pics…I took one of my first girlfriends there to see the premier showing of 2001 A Space Odyssey. The interior was red velvet, although seating was tight. We sat high in the upper balcony…place was beautiful in April 1968. Detroit was short-visioned on retaining it’s architectural history then-unfortunately
Saw 2001: a space odyssey there. It was a great place to see films on their giant curved screen.