Detroit Cinema History:
The Eastown Theatre
8041 Harper - Detroit, MI
OPEN: 1931 | CLOSED: 1980 | SEATS: 2500
The theater at its 1931 grand opening. The marquee film is Full blood, an early Clark Gable movie
The Eastown was one of Detroit's great neighborhood theaters. It opened originally in 1930 for the Wisper & Wetsman circuit. It was mainly a movie house, though it did have a small stage and did occaisionally host stage shows as well in its early years. Its decor was a mixture of Renaissance styles, including Spanish and Italian with Baroque and Neo-Classial elements as well. The auditorium, which included a balcony, originally sat just under 2500.
1930's-40's view of the Balcony
2010 view of the balcony from below
It was designed by the firm of VJ Waier & Co. Though the Eastown closed as a movie house in the mid 60s, its second life was just beginning, for which it would be much better known, as one of Detroit's premiere rock venues.
In 1966 the theater was converted into a ballroom for all of the latest rock groups to perform in. The seats were removed from the ground floor and the balcony was left with their seats intact. The Eastown Theater became known as the Eastown Ballroom and the very first rock group to perform there was Smoke Stacked Lightening. The Eastown was one of a kind during the late 1960's and brought in groups such as Alice Cooper, J Geils Band, Crosby Stills and Nash, Chuck Berry, Iron Butterfly, the Doors, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Seger, Jethro Tull and the Grateful Dead are just a few of the artists and bands who played here between 1969 and 1973.
The Eastown was one of the first in the Detroit area to introduce back projection shows during the performances while the groups and performers were on stage.
Joe Walsh played at the Eastown, July 1973
It was forced to shut down in late 1973 by the city of Detroit, cited for failing to meet health and safety codes, ending another era for what was once a beautiful movie theater.
A couple years later, In 1975, it reopened as a jazz venue, then closed again. It would reopen the following year as a performing arts center.
In 1980, the Eastown Theatre began to show adult films under a new name, the Showcase, but closed again in 1984. From 1984 until 1990, the Eastown Theatre was again home to a performing arts group.
Mid-1980's Front of the theatre
During the mid-90s, the Eastown Theatre hosted raves, and even later-on housed a church.
As recently as 2010, there had been a movement by a group to restore the Eastown to its former glorious theatrical state.
Recent interior of the main floor
Recent view of the main stage from the Balcony
One of the external sculptures to adorn the Eastown building.
On Monday August 9th 2010, some of those dreams to restore the Eastown, burned along with the apartments/office-building portion of the complex.
The Detroit Fire department responded to a reported commercial building on fire at Harper & Maxwell. Upon arrival of Truck 19 they reported a working fire in a Large Vacant Building and the 1st Engine would be stretching its equipment. This building was the apartments and "office space" for the Eastown. Crews operated at this scene throughout the morning to bring this fire under control. The apartments / office building was a total loss and had partial collapse.
Front of the Eastown (July 22, 2013)
Thanks to Scrapcat and TaGeez for the photo
Because of this, the Cache has NOT been located near the property for the Eastown, but across-the-street. The Eastown Theatre building, as of 3/16/2012, still stands, but the Office Space portion is in the process of collapsing and you should NOT venture near it and NOT inside the building as it is NOT SAFE to do so.
This cache was designed to bring you here to see a marvelous piece of Detroit Architectural history...or at least whats left of it.
Please BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS
and the muggle population that is ever-present around here.
The Cache is designed to bring you here... and give you some history on a piece of the areas cinematic past.
IF you have any more information or details on this theatre,
please email me and i will include it in the description.
Thank you.