October 1954
Step back in time to see what area movie theaters
were presenting in October 1954. Film titles are linked to the Internet
Movie Database.
For more information about these theaters,
see Cinema
Treasures or Water
Winter Wonderland.
A
Star is Born with Judy Garland and James Mason opened in Detroit
at the Madison Theater on Friday, October 1, 1954, two days after its
world premiere in Hollywood, California. At the Madison, it succeeded
a double bill of two Oscar-winning 1953 moviesStalag
17 (William Holden) and Roman
Holiday (Audrey Hepburn). A
Star is Born later opened in New York City on October 11, 1954
at the Paramount and Victoria theaters.
"Hollywood's
bent towards lavish spectacle and sumptuous production justifies itself,
I think, in Warner Bros.'s 'A Star is Born,' currently showing at the
Madison," wrote J. Dorsey Callaghan in the Detroit Free Press on
October 2, 1954. "The story is one that Hollywood should, by all means,
do well, for it is about the shining city itself."
"Judy
Garland has come back," commented Al Weitschat in The Detroit News
on October 2, 1954. "The plaudits of the movie millions are drowning out
memories of mental anguish and physical suffering that blacked out for
four years the career of the little girl with the big voice and the happy
personality."
Other
downtown Detroit movies when A
Star is Born opened were Suddenly!
(Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden) at the Palms; Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers (Jane Powell, Howard Keel) at the United
Artists; Betrayed
(Clark Gable, Lana Turner, Victor Mature) at the Adams; The
Egyptian (Jean Simmons, Victor Mature) at the Fox; Francis
Joins the WACS (Donald O'Connor) at the Michigan; Dawn
at Socorro (Rory Calhoun, Piper Laurie) at the Broadway-Capitol;
and, in its second year in Detroit, This
is Cinerama at the Music Hall.
The
Redford and Fisher were both screening The
High and the Mighty (John Wayne, Robert Stack, Laraine Day) and
Drive
a Crooked Road (Mickey Rooney). The Senate was showing Living
It Up (Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis) and The
Paris Express (Claude Rains, Märta Torén).
Alternative
film options in Detroit included Hobson's
Choice (Charles Laughton, John Mills) at the Krim; Daughters
of Destiny (Claudette Colbert, Michèle Morgan) at the Cinema;
Justice
is Done (1950, Claude Nollier, Michel Auclair) and Beauty
and the Devil (1950, Gérard Philipe, Michel Simon) at The Carlton;
and a W. C. Fields double feature of My
Little Chickadee (1940) and Never
Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941) at the Studio.
A
Star is Born played at the Madison for two months until December
9, 1954, before being replaced with a double feature of two classic M-G-M
moviesA
Woman's Face (1941, Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas) and Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941, Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana
Turner). A
Star is Born first played at the Redford from March 30 to April
2, 1955.
Ann
Arbor audiences were treated to the opening of A
Star is Born at the State on January 26, 1955 after a run of Green
Fire (Stewart Granger, Grace Kelly, Paul Douglas). A
Star is Born played one week at the State until February 1, 1955
before being replaced by Walt Disney's 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea (Kirk Douglas, James Mason).
Also
playing in Ann Arbor during A
Star is Born's run at the State were A
Bullet is Waiting (Jean Simmons, Rory Calhoun) at the Michigan;
The
Last Time I Saw Paris (Elizabeth Taylor, Van Johnson) and Rogue
Cop (Robert Taylor, Janet Leigh) at the Wuerth; a re-release of
Hamlet
(1948, Laurence Olivier) at the Orpheum; and The
Violent Men (Glenn Ford, Edward G. Robinson, Barbara
Stanwyck) at the Martha Washington in Ypsilanti.
Click
here to see a PDF of newspaper images
relating to the opening of A
Star is Born.
On
October 7, Sabrina
with Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, and William Holden opened in Detroit
at the Michigan Theater. It had earlier opened in New York City on September
22, 1954.
Sabrina
succeeded a twin bill of About
Mrs. Leslie (Shirley Booth, Robert Ryan) and My
Heart Goes Crazy (Sid Field, Greta Gynt).
"As
bewitching as she was in 'Roman Holiday,' Audrey Hepburn makes the wheels
turn in this fluffy bit of amusing romance based on a stage play,"
wrote Al Weitschat in The Detroit News on October 7, 1954.
"Roof-top,
anyone? A good, high roof-top from which a critic can shout about the
charm and gayety of 'Sabrina,' opening Thursday at the Michigan Theater?"
wrote Detroit Free Press Movie Critic Helen Bower on October 7,
1954. "Here is a picture to launch a romantic cycle for a change
from crime and spectacles of ancient civilizations."
Other
downtown Detroit movies when Sabrina
opened included Betrayed
(Clark Gable, Lana Turner, Victor Mature) at the Adams; The
Human Jungle (Jan Sterling, Gary Merrill) and Security
Risk (John Ireland, Dorothy Malone) at the Broadway-Capitol; The
Egyptian (Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney) at the Fox;
A Star
is Born (Judy Garland, James Mason) at the Madison; This
Is Cinerama at the Music Hall; Suddenly
(Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden) and The
Scarlet Spear (John Bentley, Martha Hyer) at the Palms; and Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers (Jane Powell, Howard Keel) at the United
Artists.
On
October 7, the Redford was screening a double bill of Demetrius
and the Gladiators (Victor Mature, Susan Hayward) and Jesse
James vs. the Daltons (Brett King). The Senate was showing The
Gambler from Natchez (Dale Robertson, Debra Paget) and Siege
at Red River (Van Johnson, Joanne Dru).
Art
house films on October 7 included Force
of Destiny (Tito Gobbi, Nelly Corradi) at the Cinema; Rimsky
Korsakov at the Studio; and Hobson's
Choice (Charles Laughton) and Viva
Zapata (Marlon Brando) at the Krim.
Sabrina
played at the Michigan for two weeks, until October 20, 1954, before being
replaced with a double bill of Bengal
Brigade (Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl) and Four
Guns to the Border (Rory Calhoun, Colleen Miller).
Ann
Arbor audiences were treated to the opening of Sabrina
at the Michigan Theater on October 23, 1954, after a run of Rear
Window (James Stewart, Grace Kelly). Sabrina
played at the Michigan until October 30, 1954 before being replaced by
The
Caine Mutiny (Humphrey Bogart, Jose Ferrer, Van Johnson, Fred
MacMurray).
Also
playing in Ann Arbor on October 23, 1954 were Brigadoon
(Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Van Johnson) at the State; Gun
Fury (Rock Hudson, Donna Reed) and Carnival
Story (Anne Baxter, Steve Cochran) at the Wuerth; and The
Final Test (Robert Morley) at the Orpheum.
Another Detroit premiere in October 1954 was White
Christmas, the first movie to use the widescreen process VistaVision.
It opened in Detroit on Thursday, October 28, 1954, at the Michigan (Bagley
at Grand River). It had earlier premiered in New York City on October
14, 1954.
"When
Irving Berlin was in Detroit not long ago, he described 'White Christmas'
in an expression typical of show business as 'a big hunk of entertainment',"
wrote Detroit Free Press Movie Critic Helen Bower on October 29,
1954. "Detroiters who waited in line for the first and second shows
at the Michigan Theater Thursday should be willing to go along with that
opinion from the man who composed its songs and wrote its lyrics."
"A
bright October sun bathed the Michigan Theater yesterday in a radiance
far removed from Christmas, but inside the house the atmosphere was full
of sleigh bells, snow, Santa Claus and good cheer," wrote Al Weitschat
of The Detroit News on October 29, 1954. "Beating the merchants
to the holiday gun, Paramount trotted out its Irving Berlin musical, 'White
Christmas,' first film made in VistaVision, the studio's new wide-screen
process."
Other
Detroit movies on October 28 included Walt Disney's The
Vanishing Prairie at the Telenews (Woodward at Grand Circus Park);
Woman's
World (Clifton Webb, June Allyson) at the United Artists; Brigadoon
(Gene Kelly, Van Johnson) at the Adams; A
Star is Born (Judy Garland, James Mason) at the Madison; This
is Cinerama at the Music Hall; and The
Adventures of Hajji Baba (John Derek, Elaine Stewart) at the Fox.
The Redford was showing a double bill of Magnificent
Obsession (Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson) and The
Yellow Tomahawk (Rory Calhoun).
At
the Michigan, White
Christmas followed a run of Bengal
Brigade (Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl). It played until Wednesday,
November 24, before giving way to a Thanksgiving Day opening of The
Barefoot Contessa, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner.
White
Christmas opened at Detroit area neighborhood theaters (including
the Redford) on Saturday, December 25, giving patrons a special Christmas
Day gift. At the Redford, White
Christmas succeeded Arrow
in the Dust (Sterling Hayden, Colleen Gray). It played for a week,
along with the Walt Disney featurette Prowlers
of the Everglades, and was followed by a New Year's Day 1955 opening
of Sabrina,
with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.
Ann
Arbor audiences were treated to the opening of White
Christmas at their Michigan theater on November 3, 1954, following
another popular movie, The
Caine Mutiny, with the very busy Humphrey Bogart.
Also
playing in Ann Arbor on November 3 was Francis
Joins the WACS (Donald O'Connor, Julia Adams) at the State. White
Christmas played at the Michigan until November 16, before being
replaced the next day by On
the Waterfront, with Marlon Brando in an Oscar-winning performance.
Click
here to see a PDF of newspaper
images relating to the opening of White
Christmas.
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