Gratiot Drive-In

31900 Gratiot Avenue,
Roseville, MI 48066

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Community Theatres

Architects: Ted Rogvoy

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Gratiot Drive-In

Listed as being located in Fraser, to the north of Detroit, MI. The Gratiot Drive-In was designed by architect Ted Rogvoy and opened April 30, 1948 with Leon Errol and Joe Kirkwood Jr. in “Joe Palooka in the Knockout”. It featured “Free pony rides, merry-go-round and other playground amusements for the kids, a large restaurant that even warmed baby bottles on schedule for patrons”. The back of the 115 feet tall screen tower featured a living curtain waterfall, illuminated at night by colored lights to simulate Niagara Falls. Car capacity is given as 1,056. A second screen was added on November 2, 1979. The Gratiot Drive-In showed its last movie on Labor Day of 1984. It was demolished shortly afterwards.

Contributed by Lost Memory

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

RHGS
RHGS on June 5, 2006 at 7:55 pm

Postcards and color print available for purchase. Contact Roseville Historical and Genealogical Society at

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 5, 2010 at 4:05 am

Here is an ad for the sale of the Gratiot in July 1949:
http://tinyurl.com/yd5kzuz

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on August 29, 2015 at 6:02 pm

Screen side photo added courtesy of the Fiftiesville Facebook page.

Drive-In 54
Drive-In 54 on August 29, 2015 at 8:16 pm

You can see where they mounted the cinema-scope screen, in front of the old flat screen.

rivest266
rivest266 on November 6, 2015 at 10:55 pm

April 30th, 1948 grand opening ad in photo section

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on October 4, 2016 at 11:59 pm

Gratiot Drive-In marquee is seen at the head end of this 1966 Chevrolet promo film.

http://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/2016/09/25/from-chevrolet-with-love-gms-bizarre-1966-promotional-film/

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on March 19, 2019 at 1:50 am

Opened with newreels and “The knockout”.

rivest266
rivest266 on February 18, 2022 at 5:20 pm

Two screens on November 2nd, 1979.

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