Academy 59 Theatre

1565 Crescent Lake Road,
Waterford, MI 48328

Unfavorite No one has favorited this theater yet

Showing 5 comments

CJ1949
CJ1949 on August 15, 2024 at 8:47 pm

This looks like a Jerry Lewis Cinema but probably didn’t open under the name. There was a brief article in Boxoffice 3-20-72:

“WESTLAND, MICH. — Attorney Frederick Nagher, general partner of Automated Cinema Enterprises and president of Pisces Exhibitor, Inc., will be the principal operator of a 350-seat Jerry Lewis Cinema to be constructed in the K-Mart Center at Eight Mile and Beech in Southfield, Mich., it was announced by Nicholas Fileccia, president of Michigan Cinema Corp., JLC representative in the southeastern Michigan area.

Nagher also will operate a 700-seat JLC twin cinema to be constructed in the Waterford Plaza Shopping Center, Waterford Township.

The theatres will be full automated, Fileccia stated, and an early summer opening of both facilities is planned."

Further comment: The opening ad that was uploaded says “Grand Opening Dec 22” - that was probably 1972 since “Pete n Tillie” was a Christmas release that year. ‘Planned to open in the summer’ - most likely there were delays and the theatre didn’t open until Christmas, and not with the JLC name. Several theatre operators waited around for JLC and finally opened themselves under their own name.

josh1970
josh1970 on October 24, 2013 at 2:36 pm

I remember seeing “Grease” there as a kid eight times!
It had changed management over the years and the last movie I had seen there was “The Brady Bunch Movie” in 1995. It is now a Motor City Guitar store.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on May 4, 2011 at 7:03 pm

Great story Tom.

TenPoundHammer
TenPoundHammer on May 4, 2011 at 12:07 am

It’s now a guitar shop.

scosgrove
scosgrove on October 27, 2009 at 8:07 pm

My favorite Academy memory was a double-feature of Karate Kid and Ghostbusters. Many other great memories there, I miss it.

It was open a little further into the ‘90s, as I recall seeing the movie Outbreak there in late '95 or early '96. I’m sure that was the last movie I saw there.