Gratiot Drive-In
31900 Gratiot Avenue,
Roseville,
MI
48066
2 people favorited this theater
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.
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
Postcards and color print available for purchase. Contact Roseville Historical and Genealogical Society at
Some photos are on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/2ndqsj
Link: http://michigandriveins.com/gratiot82.asp
Here is an ad for the sale of the Gratiot in July 1949:
http://tinyurl.com/yd5kzuz
Screen side photo added courtesy of the Fiftiesville Facebook page.
You can see where they mounted the cinema-scope screen, in front of the old flat screen.
April 30th, 1948 grand opening ad in photo section
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/
Opened with newreels and “The knockout”.
Two screens on November 2nd, 1979.