Franklin Theatre
814 Division Avenue S,
Grand Rapids,
MI
49503
814 Division Avenue S,
Grand Rapids,
MI
49503
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Beechers Inc., W.S. Butterfield Theaters Inc.
Previous Names: Beecher's Theatre, Beecher's Division Theatre
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The Beecher’s Theatre opened in 1912 with seating listed at 478. from 1914 to 1922 it operated as Beecher’s Division Theatre. New owners took over in 1922 and it was renamed Franklin Theatre. It was given a refresh and reopened on September 28, 1931 with Victor McLaglen in “Annabelle’s Afairs” It catered to African-American audiences and was later operated by Butterfield Theatres.
The Franklin Theatre was closed on February 12, 1951 with Lew Ayres in “The Capture” & “Martha Vickers in "Daughter of the West”. It was later demolished.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The 1922 Grand Rapids City Directory lists Beecher’s Division Theatre at this address.
In the 1916 Grand Rapids Directory there is a house simply called Beecher’s Theatre listed at this address.
Closed 1951 per newspaper listings.
Grover L. Willer ran Beecher’s Theatre and the circuit’s corporate office at this location. From 1917 to 1922 it was known as Beecher’s Division Theatre likely to alleviate confusion with the many Beecher theaters that existed at that time. In September of 1922, it is renamed as the Franklin Theater under new operators. It appears to have closed without converting to sound in 1929. It reopens with sound in January of 1930 and closes.
Herbert R. Boshoven takes on the Franklin operating with the Family, Madison, Liberty, Crown (Marne), Century (Coopersville). He rewires the Franklin with improved sound a an exterior and interior refresh on a 20-year lease. It reopens September 28, 1931 with “Annabelle’s Affairs” supported by “all kinds of short subjects. The Franklin continues until closure in 1951.
Boshoven had run the Franklin on a grind house policy with “low bargain prices” playing third-run double features on weekdays and triple features on weekends. The Franklin’s final show was February 12, 1951 with a double feature of Lew Ayres in “The Capture” and Martha Vickers in “Daughter of the West.”