Bad Axe Theatre
309 E. Huron Avenue,
Bad Axe,
MI
48413
309 E. Huron Avenue,
Bad Axe,
MI
48413
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Huron Daily Tribune article and link with a Go Fund Me page for restoration of the Bad Axe marquee. (Direct link below that.) Courtesy Save the Signs on Facebook.
https://www.michigansthumb.com/news/article/GoFundMe-raising-money-to-restore-Bad-Axe-16992137.php?fbclid=IwAR3W2w-Oaiimcde39P8XhEfWQczK4KqsE2BBx1s3tRPYWoWf5DXJMxa9xJ4
https://www.gofundme.com/f/bad-axe-theatre-marquee-restoration-fund
The city was supposedly named by an Army surveyor who found an old rusted axe at an abandoned campsite at the junction of 2 trails.
Odd name for the theatre and town!!
My grandfather Albert S. “Al” Johnson’s theater job slides include one shot taken in September 1948. It shows four red art moderne style entrance doors with half-octagonal glass. Al was said to have held a patent on these “Johnson doors” and they were a feature of several of his Michigan theater jobs. These doors, or identical replacements, are seen in a 2020 view of the theater.
My uncle (Albert S. Johnson Jr.) compiled a list of Johnson Construction Co. theater projects and it shows two Bad Axe Theatre remodeling projects - in 1935 and 1947.
All but one of Michigan Schulte Circuit theaters listed in Ken C McIntyre’s 2007 post were built or remodeled by my grandfather’s company: the Main in Coldwater, the Oakdale in Hazel Park, the Howell in Howell, the Mariner in Marine City, the Romeo in Romeo, the Strand in Tecumseh and the Ryan in Warren. he built or remodeled a total of sixty-four Michigan theaters and drive-ins between the 1930s and 1950s.
Both 1982 pictures are from the same day different position on the street.
I see Clint Eastwood is playing there in “FIREFOX”
Whats in a name,pretty cool looking place.
Here is a 1985 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d7m32o
Did I say Illinois? All of those theaters are in Michigan. Sorry about that.
The Bad Axe was part of the Schulte Circuit in the early sixties. William Schulte was owner. The chain was headquartered in Chicago. Other Schulte theaters in Illinois at the time were the Bliss in Blissfield, the Drive-In and Main in Coldwater, the Oakdale in Hazel Park, the Howell in Howell, the Mariner in Marine City, the Romeo in Romeo, the Strand in Tecumseh and the Ryan in Warren.
Well “wheelieman”, “wheelieman” is a pretty queer name itself, so shut it and Bad Axe is the ownage.
You can see the Knights of Columbus plaque in this photo:
http://tinyurl.com/p8oul
What a queer (1;2) name for a town!
And, another recent photo of the Bad Axe Theater, from a photostream at Flickr (I see a couple of other theaters in there, too.)
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be “Mr. High and Mighty”.
What a queer name for a town!
posted by wheelieman on Jan 27, 2005 at 6:34pm
O, were sorry. We will change the name of the town just for you Mr. High and Mighty.
P.S. Get a life, o thats right, you never will
Have a good day :–)
ba dum bup bamp ba….I’m Lovin' It!
Night photo, very recent:
View link
What a queer name for a town!
i love it!!