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

Your Guide to Classic Movie Theater Filmgoing!

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Looking Back

March 1931

Step back in time to see what area movie theaters were presenting in March 1931. Film titles are linked to the Internet Movie Database.

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

The Michigan Theater showed new movies every Thursday and Sunday, including the gangster thriller Little Caesar. Also appearing were movies with silent film stars whose fame faded in the new world of Talkies, like Buster Keaton (Parlor, Bedroom and Bath), Clara Bow (No Limit) and John Gilbert (Gentleman's Fate).

A night at the Michigan included music by organist Bob Howland, whose picture now appears among the historical photos in the Grand Foyer of the Michigan. You can read more about Howland on the website of current Michigan organist Steven Ball.

At the Redford, audiences enjoyed The Bat Whispers, an early widescreen film that influenced the Batman comic book, and which was revived at the Detroit Film Theatre in 2000. Redford visitors also saw 1924 and 1928 Olympic swimming champion Johnny Weissmuller in a "Swimming Novelty" film, one year before he hit the big screen as Tarzan the Ape Man.

"During the last few weeks, Detroit audiences have witnessed initial attempts to inject national advertising into motion picture programmes," wrote M. W. Mountjoy of the Detroit Times on March 8. "This reporter saw two [in the form of cartoons]. In both cases the reaction of the audience was obvious disapproval." Mountjoy also noted that product placement in movies was increasing.

Opening in Detroit on March 20 at the RKO Downtown was the horror classic Dracula ("Gasping Heights of Passion and Thrills"). Visitors to the Michigan Theater in Detroit (Bagley near Grand Circus Park) were treated to double bills of movies and live music (Duke Ellington, Rudy Vallee).

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