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HomeMovie TheatersLakeview Theatre

Lakeview Theatre - St. Clair Shores MI

Address: Jefferson Ave
City: St. Clair Shores
State: MI
Zip: 48081
County: Macomb
Open: 1930
Capacity:
Owner History: Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Francis
Theater Type: Small Town Movie Palace
Number of visits to this page: 12274
General Information:

Source: St Clair Shores - Village on the Lake

The Lakeview Theatre, located on Jefferson Avenue at Francis, was owned by Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Francis. Mr. Francis also sold real estate, and he named the streets Francis, Jewell, and Raymond after his family. In the 1930s, a ticket for a show cost 6 cents. Bill Spanswich and later Harry Kraus worked as projectionists. If the kids jumped around and banged the seats, Mrs. Francis or Mrs. Kelhoffer, the candy seller, would stop the movie, turn on the lights, and the kids were reminded to "shape up or ship out". The theatre closed in the 1950s.

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Info Updates:
4/7/2012 - Jim Francis
My grandmother, Eva Francis was actually the owner of the Lakeview. She and my grandfather R. J. Francis lived next door to the theatre. Grampa and my dad bought the property now containing the Rivera Apts. and dad needed to raise his share of the dp so he sold our house on Statler to the Millers (marina) and we then Ilived in my grandparent's house. They moved to a smaller home across the street from the old St. Gertrude Church. My sisters and I would go next store to the show and Grandma or Mrs. K would give us one treat from the candy counter. It was our TV! My Grandma sold the show to the Goldberg Family in 1948 as Grandma said that T. V. was the death nil of the neighborhood motion picture business. She was one smart cookie! I also remember Freddie the mentally challenged gentleman who would go to the SaT. Matinee and always wear his cowboy guns and sit in the front row and bounce up and down during the Roy rodgers flicks. Everyone liked Freddie. He was an adult trapped in the mind of a child. Lots of old memories!!!!.
11/11/2011 - Margaret Kothe Ignich
I remember going to the Lakeview theater when I was 16 years old and the Sweet Shop a couple of doors away had 25 cent scoops of ice cream. Continued to go there until it closed. Miss that place but I still live in St. Clair Shores for the last 48 years. Great place.
8/22/2010 - George Linington
My father William Linington worked as a projectionist in the latter 40s thru into the 70s. I spent many a night watching the first show, at many different theaters, and then curling up and sleeping during the last feature. My fondest memory of the Lakeview was the fact that, before it was sold and renovated, sometimes in the early 50s, you had to climb a ladder to get to the projection booth.

When I was in college and for a few years after, late 50s and early 60s, I also worked as a projectionist. I worked many times at the Lakeview, it was so sad to see it dying. I would look down and see so few people. Sometimes we even would stop the show because the last person had left before the film was over. During my rather short career, as a relief projectionist, I worked in just about all the theaters in Macomb County.
2/9/2007 - Gerard Brownstone
The Lakeview Theater actually closed in 1960, My parents bought a new home in the summer of 1959 only a few blocks away and I got to see one of the last pictures they showed before closing ( Journey to the Center of the Earth) in late 1959~ it was a cold evening and about 10 of us nieghbor kids and parents walked up to the Theater~ saw the movie and walked back in the cold and we all had Hot Chocolate~it was a memorable event. the Theater closed soon after and sat idle for many years before they tore it down...Gerard
 Photos:2
Lakeview Theatre - OLD PIC FROM JENNIFER BAUER
OLD PIC FROM JENNIFER BAUER
Lakeview Theatre - VINTAGE PIC
VINTAGE PIC
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