Grand Theatre
22 Washington Avenue,
Grand Haven,
MI
49417
22 Washington Avenue,
Grand Haven,
MI
49417
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Actual opening date is January 23, 1928, yes with William Holden in “West Point” along with the short “Monarch Of The Glen”, Pathe Topics, and Metro News.
The Grand Theatre closed as a normal first-run house on November 30, 1999 with “Double Jeopardy”, but ran its last movie on December 12, 1999 with a one-day showing of “It’s A Wonderful Life”. It was last known as “Grand Theatre Grille”.
Opened on January 23rd, 1928. Grand opening ad posted.
In my previous comment I left out the year when Butterfield transferred the Grand to Schlossman Theatres. It was 1931, so Butterfield operated the house about three years, then Schlossman for thirty years, then Butterfield for another five years, then Loeks operated it for about thirty years.
A document listing historic buildings in Grand Haven (very large pdf file) says that the Grand Theatre opened on January 23, 1928.
Initially operated under lease by the Butterfield circuit, it was transferred to Schlossman Theatres, who operated the house until 1961 when it returned to Butterfield control. It became part of the Jack Loeks circuit in 1966, then was taken by a local independent operator from 1996 until closing in 1999. Originally seating over 800, the capacity was reduced to 520 in 1971, at which time the balcony was closed.
Lisa Maria DiChiera’s paper The Theater Designs of C. Howard Crane lists the Grand as his project #1015.
Here is another marquee photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y6hycwq
Here is a photo:
http://tinyurl.com/kj4yc
Seems like a perfectly good theater demolished. Such a shame!