From the Images of America Book “Battle Creek”: “In 1946 the Battle Creek Civic Theatre began performing, at first in an empty hangar converted into an auditorium at Kellogg Airfield, and later wherever a facility was available. In February of 1973, after two years of renovation, the old Strand Movie Theater on East Michigan Avenue was reopened as the Battle Creek Civic Theatre. It was demolished in 1989.”
This photo shows Michigan Avenue. McCamly Street, which is where the Post Theatre was located, is shown between the two taller buildings. The theater was down that street to the left, adjacent to the closest tall building.
From the book “Old Jackson Town”: “The Bijou Theatre staged local and national talent until it was remodeled in 1925 and reopened as the Regent Theatre. Built in 1887 as the Hibbard Opera House, it was gutted by fire in 1899 and rebuilt as the Bijou in 1902.”
From the book “Remembering Rochester: Main Street Stories, published in 2011:
“It may not stand out today, but for the first forty years of its history, the building at 435 S. Main Street was a theater and entertainment center in downtown Rochester. In October 1913, the Rochester Clarion announced that James W. Smith, owner of the Hotel St. James at 439 S. Main, had purchased property adjoining his hotel to the south in order to build a new theater. Smith promised that construction would be rushed on the new building, which would be "up-to-the-minute in every particular.”
True to his promise, Smith opened the New Idle Hour Theatre under the management of Oscar Price in February, 1914. The Era told its readers that the new moving picture house was “of white brick with steel ceiling and sidewalls, concrete floors, asbestos operating booth, perfect ventilation, steam heat, and…absolutely fireproof.” It was described as seating 400 patrons, and boasted an 18 foot stage with a depth of 16 feet, suitable for live performances as well as film screenings. The premiere of the new house offered a live performance by the Rochester Comedy Company, entitled True Irish Hearts.
The following year, Edward J. Cole took over the Idle Hour, and eventually the operation of the theater passed to Charles L. Sterns, who renamed it the Avon Theatre in 1936. The Avon was Rochester’s only movie theater until 1942, when Sterns opened the Hills Theatre across the street. The larger Hills became the town’s first-run house, and the Avon presented second-run titles and serials.
The Avon Theatre closed in the early 1950s, and the building was sold to the owners of Oberg Electric and Appliance. While the Obergs were in the process of remodeling the building in May 1955, the facade of the building peeled off and crashed to the sidewalk when a steel beam across the front of the building collapsed. Nobody was hurt in the mishap, but it brought an abrupt end to the Art Deco face of the building. Oberg Electric occupied the building for about a decade, and it was home to Michigan Chandelier, another electric supplier, until the mid-1980s. A number of retailers have come and gone since then; among the recent ones were the Varsity Shop, the Body Tonic Spa and the current occupant, the Who UR Resale for a Cause."
Opened February 1938 with “Wild and Woolly”.
The DeJa Vu strip club shares the same address as this theater. The truck repair shop is at 2330 Dort
The site of this theater is currently vacant land.
This theater was actually in Waterford not Pontiac. The Waterford/Pontiac border is Telegraph Road.
Drayton Plains is an unincorporated community in Waterford Township, so shouldn’t this be listed as being in Waterford?
This theater has been demolished. The site is currently a parking lot.
A 4 story apartment building opened on this site in the last year or so.
Address is 812 N. Michigan Ave. It was combined with the building to the south and is currently the local library. Opened 1935, seated 260.
There’s no renovation occurring at the Marr. As of August 2023 it was entirely vacant.
This building has been demolished. A two story office building built in the 1990s occupies the site today.
The building is currently home to a laundromat.
The address is incorrect and should be 2155 South Rochester Road. After it closed it became a Bed, Bath and Beyond. It’s now a Dunham’s.
This building still exists and is currently retail space.
Address is 516 4th Avenue
Looks like they’re at least partially reopened: https://wingtheatre.weebly.com/
The name was changed to the Whitney Theatre in 1906 following renovations that added two addition floors to the building.
From the Images of America Book “Battle Creek”: “In 1946 the Battle Creek Civic Theatre began performing, at first in an empty hangar converted into an auditorium at Kellogg Airfield, and later wherever a facility was available. In February of 1973, after two years of renovation, the old Strand Movie Theater on East Michigan Avenue was reopened as the Battle Creek Civic Theatre. It was demolished in 1989.”
This photo shows Michigan Avenue. McCamly Street, which is where the Post Theatre was located, is shown between the two taller buildings. The theater was down that street to the left, adjacent to the closest tall building.
From the book “Old Jackson Town”: “The Bijou Theatre staged local and national talent until it was remodeled in 1925 and reopened as the Regent Theatre. Built in 1887 as the Hibbard Opera House, it was gutted by fire in 1899 and rebuilt as the Bijou in 1902.”
Does anyone know the year this theater opened and the year it received its current facade?
This theater has been demolished for decades. The townhomes currently on the site look to be 40-50 years old. Anyone know when it was demolished?
This must be from 1926 as it shows the old Federal Reserve Building under construction on the right.
The first talking motion picture shown in Toledo debuted here on January 14, 1928.
From the book “Remembering Rochester: Main Street Stories, published in 2011:
“It may not stand out today, but for the first forty years of its history, the building at 435 S. Main Street was a theater and entertainment center in downtown Rochester. In October 1913, the Rochester Clarion announced that James W. Smith, owner of the Hotel St. James at 439 S. Main, had purchased property adjoining his hotel to the south in order to build a new theater. Smith promised that construction would be rushed on the new building, which would be "up-to-the-minute in every particular.”
True to his promise, Smith opened the New Idle Hour Theatre under the management of Oscar Price in February, 1914. The Era told its readers that the new moving picture house was “of white brick with steel ceiling and sidewalls, concrete floors, asbestos operating booth, perfect ventilation, steam heat, and…absolutely fireproof.” It was described as seating 400 patrons, and boasted an 18 foot stage with a depth of 16 feet, suitable for live performances as well as film screenings. The premiere of the new house offered a live performance by the Rochester Comedy Company, entitled True Irish Hearts.
The following year, Edward J. Cole took over the Idle Hour, and eventually the operation of the theater passed to Charles L. Sterns, who renamed it the Avon Theatre in 1936. The Avon was Rochester’s only movie theater until 1942, when Sterns opened the Hills Theatre across the street. The larger Hills became the town’s first-run house, and the Avon presented second-run titles and serials.
The Avon Theatre closed in the early 1950s, and the building was sold to the owners of Oberg Electric and Appliance. While the Obergs were in the process of remodeling the building in May 1955, the facade of the building peeled off and crashed to the sidewalk when a steel beam across the front of the building collapsed. Nobody was hurt in the mishap, but it brought an abrupt end to the Art Deco face of the building. Oberg Electric occupied the building for about a decade, and it was home to Michigan Chandelier, another electric supplier, until the mid-1980s. A number of retailers have come and gone since then; among the recent ones were the Varsity Shop, the Body Tonic Spa and the current occupant, the Who UR Resale for a Cause."
This is definitely not the Gem. The building at the top of the photo definitely isn’t in Detroit.