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Source: Cinema Treasures
Opened in 1941 as the Dearborn Theatre, this Charles N. Agree-designed movie house could originally seat just under 1500. The Dearborn was a smaller version (around 1000 less seats) of Agree's Royal, which opened in Detroit less than half a year earlier. Both were designed in bold Streamline Moderne style, and like the Royal, the Dearborn contained a small stage, but had no dressing rooms or orchestra pit. The Dearborn was run by the Wisper and Wetsman circuit from the time it opened, until 1973, when it was acquired by the Wayne Amusement Company.
In the late 60s, a small 300-seat auditorium was added to the theater, called the Dearborn Living Room. In the 70s, a third screen was added to the Dearborn. By this time, it was now called the Dearborn Entertainment Center. It was also one of the first theaters in the state of Michigan to serve alcohol, along with Wayne Amusement's Quo Vadis.
In the 80s, the original nearly 1500-seat auditorium was carved into four smaller auditoriums, and in 1986, the complex was sold to National Amusements. During its six-year operation of the Dearborn, National Amusements added yet another three screens. In 1992, Showcase Cinemas took over the Dearborn, with it today going under the moniker of Showcase Cinemas Dearborn. Though a bit frayed around the edges, the Dearborn remains a popular venue for seeing the latest first-run films.