The Royal Theatre opened on January 30, 1941 as one of Detroit’s larger neighborhood houses at the time. It was located here, on Seven Mile Road just east of Meyers Rd. and was designed by Charles N. Agree.
Front of the Royal Theatre (night)
Agree was well-known in the area as a designer of many of the "grandiose" movie houses of the time and this one was no different. The Royal was built in Streamline Moderne style and could seat close to 2,500 (2,496 to be exact). The Royal Theatre would be duplicated (by half its size) within a half year later in Dearborn by the Dearborn Theatre on Michigan Ave.
Blueprint designs for the Royal
The Royal Theatre contained a small stage. Its oval-shaped lobby housed four groups of sculpture by Thomas di Lorenzo, who previously collaborated with Agree on the Harper Theatre (1939), now Harpo’s.
Lobby of the Royal Theatre
Operated jointly by Wisper-Wetsman Theaters and United Detroit Theatres, the Royal Theatre cost nearly $300,000 to erect, and its early ads hailed it as having one of the biggest parking lots in the country, with room for over 800 cars.
As part of the decor and design, there were 4 large (about 5' x 8') plaster relief murals installed on the curved lobby walls.
Looking out the front doors
There was a caregivers apartment on the second floor of the building which had a kitchen where the staff would melt the butter to be used for popcorn sales, then carry it down to be emptied into warmers.
The basement featured a cavernous storage room which was crammed with every variety carried by the theater and also doubled as a designated bomb shelter, had that ever been needed.
This neighborhood theatre had many Saturday Matinees such as the "Pleasure Seekers" and "Mary Poppins" along with other filmed-features which were usually enjoyed for the cost of around a quarter or so. For the cost of that twenty-five-cents, one could be able to enjoy shows all-day-long.
Lobby of the Royal Theatre
Not only did the Royal show films in the time it was here, but also at least a few sporting events as well including the 1967 Indy 500 auto race live via closed circuit television.
Some of the staff has recounted a dark time in Detroit's history in July 1967 where National Guardsmen were seen in their helicopters, barely clearing the rooftops in the area, plainly visible with their rifles trained out the windows of the aircraft. The Royal was closed early and the staff sent home due to the spreading riots and curfew that was issued for Detroit.
The pace lap of the 1967 Indianapolis 500
The building also housed a couple other businesses on the block as well including a restaurant/diner called Bobo's where the patrons and staff could get a quick meal when needed.
As time went on and the public moved out to the suburbs, many of the theatres that dotted the landscape of the City of Detroit would decline in business and eventually close.
The Auditorium from the Royal Theatre
The Royal Theatre had a relatively short career compared to other movie houses of the time, closing in the late-1960’s and at the end of the decade in 1969, the property would be sold to Grace Hospital which had no use for the building and the theater was demolished.
Eventually the first Super K-Mart would be built on the back-half of the property, which was notable when it opened as it was a sign of Detroit's resurgence and growth beginning to happen once again.
Lobby of the Royal TheatreThose that remember the Royal Theatre do so with warm memories and fondness that will live-on for a long time to come.
January 31, 1941 Grand Opening Ad