Eastwood Theater

21145 Gratiot Avenue,
Eastpointe, MI 48021

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Community Theatres, Co-Operative Theaters, Wisper-Wetsman Theaters

Firms: Johnson Construction Co.

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EastWood Theater

Located in what was known as East Detroit, the 500-seat Eastwood Theater opened in 1942. It reopened on June 30, 1949 still with 500 seats. It continued as a movie theater through 1950, and beyond.

Later, the former Eastwood Theater was a club called the Wired Frog back in 2003, but it has now closed.

Contributed by Ken McIntyre

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

silky
silky on March 27, 2013 at 12:06 am

My Very first job, Good times sigh

chet
chet on May 13, 2015 at 3:12 am

It was a block away from us. The neighborhood’s giant prototype flat screen TV. In the 50s, a kid under 12 got a double feature and two (?) cartoons for a quarter. The twin-door entrance in the little lobby was black padded vinyl studded with silver stars. A small clock ringed with purple neon hung high on the wall on the right of the screen. During those Saturday matinees, ushers' flashlights would go bouncing down the aisles looking for rowdy kids they’d sometimes eject. Would lose myself in movies like “Moby Dick” with Gregory Peck, which was SRO that matinee, and “The Vikings” with Kirk Douglas. Great place. Great memories.

graymatters
graymatters on April 17, 2021 at 6:54 pm

The Eastwood Theatre was located at at 21145 Gratiot Avenue in Eastpointe, Michigan. The accompanying June 1949 Kodachrome slide image was shot by my grandfather Albert S. “Al” Johnson, whose company, Johnson Construction Co., built or remodeled the theater.

The new-looking bare block walls suggest that the project was new construction. The use of the word “Cool” painted in two places on the front of the theater highlight its air conditioning system. The tan and red porcelain-like tiled front, and the red art moderne/art deco style doors with matching octagonal glass (a type of “Johnson doors”) all were typical elements of Johnson-built theaters in the 1930s through 1950s.

Although the Cinema Treasures and waterwinterwonderland.com websites indicate that the theater opened in 1942, Al’s slide is labeled “6 - 49” and the marquee says “Open next Thursday June 30.” June 30 fell on Thursday in 1949 (and on Tuesday in 1942) so I believe the June 30, 1949 opening date is correct.

Another possible explanation is that the theater opened in 1942 and was closed for remodeling just seven years later in 1949, but that doesn’t seem likely.

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