Irving Theater - Detroit Michigan

 
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 Irving Theater 

Name: Irving Theater   Street: 21220 Fenkell St
City: Detroit    State: MI    Zip:      Phone:  
Mapquest Google Maps Live Search
County: Wayne Operator: Unknown
Open: 1927 Closed: 1997 Capacity: 1025 Status: Closed
Web Address: N/A
Number of visits to this page since February 23, 2007: 7693
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User Rating:Rate this location: 1 2 3 4 5 - Best
 
Entry Date: 4/30/2010 - Ed: I meant the end of the Irving. The Redford looks fantastic. Its nice to know that people volunteer their time and labor to restore this old classic theater. Another one would be the State Theater in Wayne.
Entry Date: 4/23/2010 - Jon C.: I wouldn''t say that it''s totally the end. You can still see great movies and have a good time at a classic Detroit neighborhood movie house. Just go to the Redford.
Entry Date: 4/19/2010 - Ed: The end of an era. The neighborhood theater where you could see movies for a cheap price and have a good time.
Entry Date: 2/5/2010 - Ted Martin: The Irving Theater, located in Detroit''s Brightmoor neighborhood, once seated 1025, and opened in 1927. It stood at 21220 Fenkell Street at the corner of Blackstone Street. The Irving was designed by the firm of Kohner & Payne, whose other Detroit movie houses included the Uptown and the John Eberson-inspired Ramona, both long gone.

After a long life as a first-run theater, the Irving turned to adult fare in the 70s, and continued to screen adult features in 1997 before it closed. The former theater most recently used as a church, but had been vacant since 2005. In May 2007, the building was destroyed in a fire.

Entry Date: 9/19/2008 - Doug: I use to live on Pierson about a block from Fenkell, as a kid I remember going by the Irving to the barber shop in the same strip as the theater. I always thought that was a perfect spot for a theater, you could go see a pic and go across the street and grab a pizza from Vio''s then head down the street to Brightmoor Bowl above Checker Drugs for some late night bowling. *sigh* to bad time destroys all things.
Entry Date: 3/29/2008 - Margaret Deardoff: Oh My Gosh!!!

The wonderful memories of matinee Saturdays at the Irving Theater during the 1960''s!!!!!

I fell in love with B-Horror films and Elvis and cartoons!


Why did I never sit in the balcony????

We would litererally fill that theater with kids!

Thanks for the memories!
Entry Date: 2/21/2008 - George Feisel: I moved to Brightmoor in 1941 with my parents and brothers and sisters. We lived on Lamphere in the second house from Hubert school. I am now in my 70''s, but it seems like yesterday that we would walk those several blocks to the Irving to catch the Saturday matinee. Tickets cost ten cents with a two cent "luxury" tax added on. For this meager sum, one could see a double feature, a serial episode, an RKO Pathe News reel and an unbelievable number of previews of coming attractions. On our walk to the Irving we would stop at Smith''s Grocery on Fenkell between Dacosta and Dolphin to buy candy. My oldest brother worked there before he entered the Navy during WWII. I also remember a small, six lane bowling alley near the Irving. Can''t recall the name, but Twilight Lanes comes to mind.

Oh, the memories of days gone by.
Entry Date: 2/11/2008 - Nancy: LOL I remember going to the Irving and watching "Deep Throat" from the projectionist''s booth. Owner was a friend and told so many stories about people watching this movie that we had to see for ourselves. We often wonder what those people were thinking of as they to have known that there was "someone" operating the movie projector. I can''t remember if there was a candy counter or popcorn as I don''t think that is what brought these viewers in. That was the "good ''ole days."
Entry Date: 12/22/2007 - Stu Jackson: I remember many a Saturday at the Irving! As a kid I lived on Pierson road, just down from there. Guess that was back in the late 50s. Two movies, cartoons, food and buddies. What a way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Anyway, thanks for all the memories!
Stu
Entry Date: 12/16/2007 - James Shinn: I moved to Brightmoor in 1968 the year after the riots I was 9 then and don''t remember going there as a child and as you know it changed to adult films in the 70''s my older brothers and sister went there as kids though.
Entry Date: 9/11/2007 - Jasia: I''m very curious about the "Martha and George Washington" pattern of China handed out on dish night. Does it have a stamp on the back indicating who manufactured it or where it was made? What does it look like?
Entry Date: 7/6/2007 - steven seiler: ssbus34@yahoo.com
Entry Date: 7/6/2007 - steven seiler: Is there anyone out there who might have tickets from the Irvings in the 30s or 40s etc... My father went there as a kid and it would make a great gift!
Entry Date: 7/2/2007 - kmeadowcroft: My parents were married in Detroit in 1957 and their first apartment was above the Irving Theater.
The windows just above the marquee was the living room.

My uncle was also the manager of the theater for a year, not sure of the exact year but 1955 or 56 or 57.
My Aunts and Grandparents would also go to the theater when they had dish night... They would get a china dish when they went to the show and I have inherited a 12 person place setting of the "Martha and George Washington" china that they collected.
Entry Date: 5/19/2007 - lloyd johnson: On May 12 , 2007 this theater had suffered major fire damage, and is now tore down.
I just remember it as an adult movie theater. I hate to see this land mark of Brightmoor go up in smoke.
Entry Date: 5/14/2007 - Pete: Sad to say this, but apparently the theatre burned down on 5/12/07
Entry Date: 10/14/2004 - Deloris Kotowske: I grew up in Redford Township near Fenkell AKA 5-mile Road near Beech-Daly
I would walk to the Irving Theater on Saturdays when they showed two movies, cartoons, and a news reel.
Cost was only 10 cents plus 2 cent tax.
This was back in the 40s.
Entry Date: 1/13/2004 - Web: This neighborhood theater once sat over 1000, and opened in 1927. It was designed by the firm of Kohner & Payne, whose other Detroit movie houses included the Uptown and the John Eberson-inspired Ramona, both long gone.

After a long life as a first-run theater, the Irving switched to adult fare in the 70s, and continued to screen adult features into the 90s before it closed. The former theater now serves as a church.
Entry Date: 10/3/2003 - WaterWinterWonderland: The Irving is closed but still stands.
Photo courtesy of Ted Martin.
Irving Theater FROM AMERICAN CLASSIC IMAGES
FROM AMERICAN CLASSIC IMAGES - PURCHASE IMAGE AT THIS LINK: AMERICANCLASSICIMAGES.COM
Irving Theater FROM AMERICAN CLASSIC IMAGES
FROM AMERICAN CLASSIC IMAGES - PURCHASE IMAGE AT THIS LINK: AMERICANCLASSICIMAGES.COM
Irving Theater RECENT PIC FROM TED MARTIN
RECENT PIC FROM TED MARTIN
Irving Theater MARQUEE
MARQUEE
Irving Theater SIDE OF BUILDING
SIDE OF BUILDING
Irving Theater FROM TED MARTIN
FROM TED MARTIN
Irving Theater FROM TED MARTIN
FROM TED MARTIN
Irving Theater THE END FROM TED MARTIN
THE END FROM TED MARTIN
Irving Theater FROM TED MARTIN
FROM TED MARTIN
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