Ready Theatre

The Ready Theatre launched October 20, 1927 with “Swim Girl, Swim.” It closed as the Ready 4 Theatre on December 30, 2004. The next day, operators Moore Theatres relocated the multiplex into the former Wonderland Discount Store as the Wonderland Cinema opening December 31, 2004.

I had many fine memories at the Ready Theater back in the 60’s. I ate fudge bars frozen from the second floor. Wish I was a kid again in Michigan.

1934 photo added courtesy of Penny Meyers Churchill‎. This from Wally Eberhard: “That’s me standing in front of my dad, Ray Eberhard, Ready manager…and my big bro Jack is kneeling at far right.”

I found some footage of the theater in the “home movies” section of archive.org. The theater appears at 3:48 –

https://archive.org/details/97028_hm_niles_michigan_and_elsewhere

The Movie on the marquee is “Let Freedom Ring”, released in 1939.

I was a young movie goer at this theater before it closed. I always looked wistfully at the boarded up windows, hoping that someone would restore it to its (imagined) former glory. I’m glad they’re finally doing it. It would be great if they could redo the old marquee on the outside of theater. It would be a great facelift to historic downtown Niles.

My folks have lived in Niles, MI since 1968. In July of 1980, during one of my visits, I got permission to take pictures of the auditorium, one of which has been posted here. The Barton organ was purchased and removed by the late Father Jim Miller who installed it in his home. He may have made a recording on it but I’m not sure. I certainly hope they can restore it to its original glory. Those brass entry doors would look great polished.

The Ready Theater is now undergoing renovation/restoration. All the dividing walls which made it a four room movie theater have been removed, and the art deco detail is being repainted. The owner (still Carol Moore) intends to re-open it as a multiple use theater, featuring live performances when possible, and showing movies on a retractable 40 foot screen when no live acts are scheduled. The theater itself is largely being restored, but the lobby is being expanded into the back of the original seating area. Four-hundred fifty seats have been purchaced for the ground floor, and the owner intends to put a greater number in the balcony, bringing the total seating to close to one thousand seats. New marble bathrooms are planned, as well as a cafe. The theater has a 27' x 6' orchestra pit, which will seat about 18 musicians.

The theater was built in 1927 by Mr. Ready and Butterfield theaters, with the original seating capacity around 1500. The opening night was October 20th 1927, with the newest paramount movie “Swim Girl Swim” staring Bebe Daniels. With the admission prices of $0.50 for an adult and $0.25 for a child under 12. The theater continued to have its doors open until January of 1981, when Butterfield theaters decided that it was no longer making any profits. The building stayed vacant for a couple years and was purchased by Carol Moore in December or 1983, and re-opened its doors again march 2, 1983. When it opened in 1983 Mrs. Moore had it renovated to be a three screened theater, it was then renovated again in the late 80’s-early 90’s into a 4 screen theater.

The theater was originally designed by Myrle Smith (from South Bend, IN) and W.P. Whitney (from Chicago, IL). Those big, beautiful shinny entrance door were made of nickel-silver and bronze and were installed by Kawneer Co.