Historic movie palaces / Midtown / Cass Corridor
Midtown Theatre
Closed – archive entry · 1941
An Art Moderne movie house on West Canfield from 1941 that changed names and programs fast in the 1960s, from Studio Midtown to art house to adult cinema. The building has since been used as a church.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1941
- Architect
- Bennett & Straight
- Style
- Art Moderne
- Seats
- 876
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Art Moderne Midtown opened in 1941 on West Canfield. Bennett & Straight designed the 876-seat house. The 1960s brought rapid changes: it became Studio Midtown in 1962, the art and foreign-film Midtown Art a year later, and at the end of 1964 the adult Midtown Follies. The building has since been used as a church.
- An 876-seat Art Moderne house from 1941
- An art and foreign-film house from 1963
- Now used as a church
Plan your visit
The building is used as a church now and doesn't show films. For art-house and foreign films, see the cinemas in our guide that are still open.
Cinemas nearby
Back to cinemas ↗
Multiplexes / Detroit
Bel Air Luxury Cinema
The only first-run multiplex inside Detroit's city limits: ten screens on East Eight Mile with luxury rockers, recliners and a giant custom chandelier. No need to drive out to the suburbs for the new releases.
IMAX & giant screens / Detroit
Michigan Science Center – Immersive Dome Theater
Midtown's science museum runs three screens: the giant Immersive Dome Theater, the Penske Planetarium and the 3D Toyota Engineering Theater. The museum calls the dome the largest theatre in Michigan.
Film festivals / Detroit
Detroit Black Film Festival
Independent films directed, written or produced by Black filmmakers, at a Detroit festival Lazar and Marshalle Favors started in 2020. The 7th edition in September 2026 screens 89 films from 30 countries, with the Charles H. Wright Museum as its hub.