Alamo Theatre
3327 Bagley Street,
Detroit,
MI
48216
3327 Bagley Street,
Detroit,
MI
48216
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Additional Info
Firms: Johnson Construction Co.
Previous Names: Theatorium, Bagley Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Located in southwest Detroit. The Theatorium was opened in 1912. In 1937 it was renamed Bagley Theatre. Family records show that my grandfather Albert S. “Al” Johnson remodeled the Bagley Theatre in 1947. I have a March 1949 Kodachrome image taken by my grandfather. From 1958 it was renamed Alamo Theatre and began screening Spanish language movies. It was closed in 1964.
Contributed by
Andy Gray
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
In Al Johnson’s March 1949 Kodachrome image the theater appears to be in an older brick-faced building with some newer accents on the front. Snow-covered street car tracks run in front of the theater.
Susan Carol posted an image from the former Bagley Theatre on the “Historic Detroit Area Architecture” Facebook page with this explanation: “By the late 50’s, the name [of the Bagley Theatre] was changed to the Alamo Theater and was the only theater in town featuring Spanish language movies.” Please click on the “Photos” tab to view the image.
John Lauter, a member of the “Historic Detroit Area Architecture” Facebook page, provided an excerpt from a Detroit theater publication that shows a more complete history of the theater: the “Opera house, nickel show, and palace: An illustrated inventory of theater buildings in the Detroit area” by Andrew Craig Morrison shows that the theater operated as the Theatorium between 1912 and 1936; renamed and operated as the Bagley Theatre from 1937 to 1957; and finally operated as the Alamo Theatre from 1958 to 1964. I’ll post a copy of that excerpt in the Photos section of this site.
Members also pointed out that Bagley Street was originally called Baker Street.