Esquire Theatre

Info Updates:

8/17/2014 - Ben Gravel

C. Howard Crane did not design the theatre. Kenneth S. Frazier designed the theatre for the Esquire Corp. I had the original blueprints in my hands 8/16/14 and Frazier's State License Stamp is on the plans and no mention of Crane.

5/19/2012 - Ron

Saw many movies there, the most memorable was Manhattan in 79 or 80. Later, shortly before it closed my wife and I saw a murder thriller there, can't recall the name, but we lived nearby and had walked to the theatre. When we came out it was dark and we just about ran home we were so scared. GPP didn't want kids from the neighboring Detroit hood to have an excuse to come to the Park so they bought it up and turned the whole couple of blocks to condos.

7/19/2011 - Alan

I was off by a year it was Jan 1985 to Aug 1986 memory starts to go. Giving a shout out to the Esquires other projectionist Jim saved from the closing of The Alger.

7/18/2011 - Alan

I was the Manager/Projectionist from Jan 1984, Aug 1985 a sad ending to a fun place. I miss it. Was a fun day when we added Ultra Stereo to the center screen and ran great hits like Star Wars Return of The Jedi, James Bond A View to a Kill, Rocky IV which Chip the owner agreed was a good decision to place it in the center screen which the following week we premiered the area reissue of The Glenn Miller Story. Had a great bunch of people who worked there Joe, Mike, Sandy, Tina, Kathy and Joyce plus many more I can't remember always a great crew.

3/4/2009 - David

In 1968, shortly before I enlisted in the Navy in September, The Esquire was running Thoroughly Modern Millie with Julie Andrews and Carol Channing. The manager was one Kay Porter, an older lady who had a passion for black and white dresses. She tended to be curmudgeonly, but I think had a good heart. The projectionist was Al Fisher, back when the projectors still used carbon rods to provide the light.

I was born and raised on the East Side of Detroit.

Thanks to all of you for sharing!!

4/1/2004 - John M. Heyka

My wife and I went to see the movie Beetlejuice there when the movie first came out. Earlier, I remember being friends with people who worked there. They, including the projectionist, would occasionally leave the movie running and go to the bar across the street. Among the mementos framed in the lobby were a check for $2 signed by Moe Howard of the 3 Stooges. There was an awfully nice and cozy restauranr/bar in the same building-but on the corner- Al Greens Old Place. If memory serves, it was run by the same people that ran Little Harrys downtown. Members of the Grosse Pointe Theatre would hang out there (the Old Place). It was their Sardis.

1/29/2004 - Box Office Magazine

February 1959 - Robert C. Bloch, formerly of the Parkside, is operator at the Esquire.

1/11/2004 - Cinema Treasures

The Esquire, a large Art Deco style neighborhood house built for the Wisper & Wetsman chain in 1938, it was designed by C. Howard Crane';s firm. Seating around 1000, the Esquire served as a first-run theater for much of the time it operated, until it was acquired by P & R Theater Company in 1980, and switched to second-run features. P & R also installed 14 video games in the lobby, which caused the city of Grosse Pointe Park to pass a law that theaters could only have a limit of five video games in their lobbies. Causing another bit of controversy in 1982, P & R screened the notorious adult film "Debbie Does Dallas". A year later, Eric and Ervin Steiner purchased the Esquire not long after it was closed by P & R. The Steiner brothers divided the Esquire into four small auditoriums, returning to first-run films. In 1988, the city closed the Esquire down and took possession of it, claiming that the theater had become a magnet for illegal activities. It was demolished in 1990.

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