REMEMBERING DETROIT'S OLD MOVIE THEATRES

I am having dinner recently with a couple of neighbors. We are about the same age and grew up in the same parts of Detroit. We begin to talk about the movie theatres we went to as kids.

The first one we remember attending when we were very young in the early 1950's was The Dexter Theater. The show was located at 11618 Dexter Detroit, Michigan. The theater was opened in 1926. It had 1226 seats. I remember seeing The Creature From The Black Lagoon on a Saturday afternoon. It was very scary! I saw it many years later on television it almost seemed like a comedy. One of my neighbors reminded me of kids flattening empty pop-corn boxes and throwing them in the air during the movies at the Dexter. The manager would turn the lights on until the kids calmed down.

The Dexter Show as most people called it closed in 1956. It was later demolished.

My neighbor reminds me of the Avalon. He said he took tickets there in the early 1950's.

The Avalon charged twelve cents for a ticket to the Saturday matinee. This theatre was built in 1920. It was located at 13303 Linwood. The theatre had 1972 seats. I was victim to a crime at the Avalon. I went to the candy counter during the picture.

I bought a Hershy bar. I bent down to tie my shoe. I set the Hershy bar down and a kid grabbed the bar, ran away with it and escaped into the darkened theatre. I had been asking my parents to buy me loafers, but they would not listen. I was six years old. The Avalon was demolished in 1976.

Many people might not know but before the Fisher was a legitimate theatre showing live productions it was a beautiful movie theatre. The theatre opened in 1928. I remember my mother taking me by bus on a Saturday afternoon to see a new movie musical at the Fisher called "On The Town" starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.

The Fisher was closed and completely rebuilt as a legitimate theatre in 1961. It is still very popular today.

Detroit had beautiful theatres downtown. One theatre called the Music Hall originally had live entertainment. In 1951 A new large special movie screen was built. This screen was able to show a new film concept called Cinerama. Watching movies on this type of screen gave the viewer the feeling of being in the picture. The first Cinerama movie called This Is Cinerama opened with a large roller coaster ride. People felt like they were on this ride. Some people were screaming in the audience. My parents took me to see this picture in 1952.

Downtown had a number of beautiful theatres. The United Artist, The Michigan and the Madison along with The Fox to mention a few. I saw the Alfred Hitchcock picture Psycho at the Fox. My Uncle Seymour took me on one of his visits from New York. My Mother suggested we go. {see essay Vernors Ginger Ale and My Uncle Seymour}.

In 1953 we moved to our new house in Northwest Detroit. On Saturday afternoons we went to the Mercury on Schaefer or the Royal on Seven Mile Road near Meyers. The Mercury charged twenty cents admission on Saturday afternoon. They also charged eleven cents for ten cents candy. The walls in the theatre were decorated with murals that looked like outer space.

The Royal 's admission was twenty-five cents on Saturday afternoon. I saw Elvis Presley's first movie Love Me Tender at the Royal.

I had a friend David. He lived around the block. One Saturday David's Mother said she would drive us to the Royal. It was about three miles from where we lived. She also said she would pick us up. She said she would be a little late picking us up because she was going to be playing Mahj. She told us to wait in our seats she would come in and find us when we arrived. The show ended and most kids left. We stayed in our seats as told by his mother. Time went by and I began feeling a little anxious. It was starting to get dark outside. We were about ten years old. I said to David I think your mother forgot us. I think we should walk home. David said I am not worried but do what you want. I left and walked the three miles home by myself that late Saturday afternoon. Shortly after I arrived home David's Mother did arrive at my house. She felt very bad and sad the game ran late. She was a very nice person. I guess I did not have any idea how long a Mahj game could take.

As they say those were "the good old days."

WRITTEN BY

RON TURETT

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THANKS! RON