Home

DFT

Michigan

Redford

Lobby

Detroit Movie Palaces

The Film Programs of the Detroit Film Theatre, Michigan Theater, and Redford Theatre

Your Guide to Classic Movie Theater Filmgoing!

Look What's Coming!

Home

Upcoming Films

Detroit Film Theatre

Michigan Theater

Redford Theatre

Lobby

Books By Web Site Author

Looking Back

September 1957

Step back in time to see what area movie theaters were presenting in September 1957. Film titles are linked to the Internet Movie Database.

For more information about these theaters, see Cinema Treasures or Water Winter Wonderland.

It's Monday, Sept. 9, 1957, and the newspaper ad for the Redford ("PARK FREE, COOLED COMFORT, ALL CINEMASCOPE") has drawn you to a double bill of Island in the Sun (James Mason, Joan Fontaine, Harry Belafonte, Joan Collins) and The Wayward Bus (Jayne Mansfield, Dan Dailey).

Also popular at the Redford was The Delicate Delinquent (Jerry Lewis, Martha Hyer), which topped twin bills with Dragoon Wells Massacre (Barry Sullivan, Dennis O'Keefe) and Beyond Mombasa (Cornel Wilde, Donna Reed). Also on screen were superstars of the 1950s like Elvis Presley (Loving You) and Marilyn Monroe (The Prince and the Showgirl). And the first 500 children to the Saturday afternoon show on Sept. 21 received a free cartoon fun book, and then enjoyed the adventure Tarzan's Hidden Jungle (1955).

Big hits at the Michigan in Ann Arbor included Band of Angels (Clark Gable, Yvonne De Carlo), Jeanne Eagels (Kim Novak, Jeff Chandler), and An Affair to Remember (Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr). A Hatful of Rain (Eva Marie Saint, Don Murray, Anthony Franciosa and Lloyd Nolan) was supported by The Big Show, a CinemaScope and color preview of "100 Stars in Scenes from 50 New Hits". The ads for Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (Tony Randall) included comments from a recent Ann Arbor sneak preview, like this from Bob Ufer: "Haven't been so entertained since the Mich.-Iowa game last fall."

The Ten Commandments ended a 10-month run at the Madison on Sept. 17, and moved to Detroit neighborhood theaters and the Campus in Ann Arbor. Commandments was followed by Man of a Thousand Faces (James Cagney). Long runs continued at the Music Hall by the Cinerama Seven Wonders of the World ("MOST FABULOUS ADVENTURE OF ALL TIME!") and at the United Artists Theatre by Around the World in 80 Days ("THE WORLD'S MOST HONORED SHOW!").

Other big Detroit openings included The Pajama Game (Doris Day) at the Michigan; 3:10 to Yuma (Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, Felicia Farr) at the Palms; and Jet Pilot (John Wayne, Janet Leigh) at the Michigan. Art film houses showed John Ford's The Rising of the Moon (Studio/World); Gene Kelly in The Happy Road (Krim); and Gina Lollobrigida and Vittoria De Sica in Frisky (1954, Coronet/Surf). The French Film Festival at the Temple Art Cinema included a twin bill of Topaze (1951, Fernandel) and A Royal Affair (1949, Maurice Chevalier).

Back to Top

Looking Back Main Page

Home

Site Map

Disclaimer