(MCH) The Midway Theatre Traditional Cache
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Michigan Cinema History:
The Midway Theatre
4915 Schaefer - Dearborn, MI
OPEN: 1935 | CLOSED: 1952 | SEATS: 600
The building that once was the Gateway Theatre.
The architecture and design still holds many of the cues from when it was originally built.
The Midway Theatre was a small, neighborhood-type movie house located in the 'East Dearborn' main business district just north of the intersection of Michigan and Schaefer. It opened in 1935 and was designed by the architecture firm of Bennett & Straight, who was well-known for their designs of many of the area's entertainment venues.
The Midway featured a single-screen and the seating capacity was around 600 which was a good capacity for the area residents who would come to see shows for a mere 25-cents in the 1950's.
Bennett & Straight had also designed another local area theatre called the new Circle Theatre (later known as the Camelot 1-2-3) on West Warren at Miller.
Shirley Temple in " Curly Top" (1935)
One of the favorite actresses to be cast in a movie was Shirley Temple. Whenever her movies would play at the Midway, there would usually be a surge in business because of the popularity of the adorable actress.
The Midway was usually one of the first area theatres to receive her movies when they were released, and usually the theatre would be decorated both inside and out with Shirley Temple memorabilia and film-related items.
What made the Midway so popular during its time was that one admission price would usually allow you to sit and watch the movies over and over for hours on end.
The face of the building as it looks today.
After the Midway closed in the 1950's, it was re-purposed into a retail shopping location and the original auditorium is believed to have been demolished, only leaving the lobby-portion of the building.
Many area residents have memories of the films it brought to the area. In the the mid 1970s the 2-story building was split into two levels, creating office space above and keeping the retail space below.
In 2008, plans were made for the building's exterior to be restored to its former Art-Deco glory. The restoration project repaired much of the structure's exterior stone work. The goal was to make it look like it did when it was a movie theater and because it was one of the few Art Deco buildings around and the architecture had quite a bit of significance to everyone that remembered it as the Midway Theatre.
Today, all that remains of the Midway Theatre are some photographs and the theatre-esque facade that adorns the building along the west side of Schaefer Rd, and of course, the memories.
The theatre itself may be gone, but those good memories of the Midway Theatre are what makes it part of Michigan Cinema History.
Enjoy the hunt as much as i've enjoyed the hide. :)
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.
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(Decrypt)
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