Historic movie palaces / Houston-Whittier / East Side
Civic Theatre
Closed – archive entry · 1941–1984
A Streamline Moderne first-run neighborhood house on Kelly Road from 1941 to 1984, with nearly 1,500 seats on a single floor and six private boxes at the back. It went out with a triple bill.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1941
- Closed
- 1984
- Architect
- Kenneth S. Frazier
- Style
- Streamline Moderne
- Seats
- about 1,455-1,500
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Civic opened in 1941 as a first-run neighborhood house on Kelly Road, designed by Kenneth S. Frazier in Streamline Moderne style. Its nearly 1,500 seats sat on a single floor, with six private boxes at the rear. Frazier designed Dearborn's Carmen Theatre the same year. Eric and Ervin Steiner bought it around 1980 and split it into three screens in November 1981. It closed on November 1, 1984, with a triple bill of The Wild Life, Gremlins and Basket Case, and became a furniture warehouse.
- Nearly 1,500 seats on one floor, six boxes
- Split into three screens in 1981
- Farewell bill: The Wild Life, Gremlins, Basket Case
Plan your visit
The Civic became a furniture warehouse, and Historic Detroit reports nothing from its glory days remains inside. For a movie tonight, check the working cinemas in our guide.
Cinemas nearby
Back to cinemas ↗
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