Riverview Cinema

The Riverview Cinema was a theatre located in downtown St. Clair’s Riverview Plaza. It started as a Jerry Lewis Cinema in 1972 and appears to have closed on December 30, 1990. It was still standing with its signage into the 2020’s used an office space.

The St. Clair Jerry Lewis Cinema was reportedly the first to begin building in Michigan with its groundbreaking ceremony on December 20, 1971. The Jerry Lewis circuit was a fast-growing chain of franchised and automated mini-theaters all over the nation. This location was made possible by the City of St. Clair’s 1967 urban redevelopment plan called the St. Clair Riverview Plaza.

That project led to the demolition of much of the city’s old downtown including the St. Clair Theatre which closed and its entire contents auctioned prior to its demolition in February of 1968.

The Riverview Plaza opened theatre-less town in August of 1969. But in 1971, architectural plans were announced for a new Jerry Lewis Cinema whose architecture would utilize the existing Plaza’s style instead of the traditional Lewis template.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on December 20, 1971 with Mayor James F. Gerrits and the two owners, Robert Brooks and Clarence Becker of Northest Cinema Circuit. Those same three were on hand to open the theatre on September 13, 1972 with “What’s Up, Doc?”. The 350-seat theatre had automated projection and assured residents that it would follow the chain’s family friendly films only policy.

By the time the theater opened, the Lewis Circuit and its parent National Cinema Network were heading toward bankruptcy. The Jerry Lewis Cinema moniker was dropped by this location on May 30, 1973 with new signage as the Riverview Cinema beginning on June 3, 1973. In 1974, the theatre had a new owner. Controversy occurred in January of 1975 when “Deep Throat, Part II” was booked. Picketers effectively closed the theatre until that film was removed.

At the end of its ten-year lease, the cinema got new management but began to run into competition issues from video stores and better theatres in nearby Port Huron. Final owner of the Riverview Cinema, William Beier added video rentals to the cinema’s business plan. But the theatre finally went out of business on December 31, 1990 with the Disney animation film, “The Rescuers Down Under”.

The building continued to be used as an office for Beier and other functions. The town urged him to remove the Riverview CInema signage but it remained as the building approached its 50th anniversary in the early-2020’s.

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