Mercury Theatre Detroit MI - WaterWinterWonderland.com

Info Updates:

5/2/2016 - Chris Ott

My grandfather was one of the painters of the murals. He was from Sweden and came came to America in the 1920s. He and another person painted them. Nobody believes this but it is absolutely true.

1/3/2016 - Tina

Owner's name was: Robert Sloan Mercury closed: October, 1993.

11/29/2014 - Louise Rizzo

The Mercury Theatre was the most amazing place to go as a child. The murals of the chariots were breath taking. We lived off of six mile east of six mile and my mother would get the baby buggy out and all six of us would walk all the way the with the promise of a wonderful day at the movies then across the street to the dairy queen for a five cent cone and next store to the dairy queen my fathers jewelry store. If we were really good we would go either Ann's restaurant or Saunders stop at Federals for shopping then the long walk home. those were the days My father and uncle owned the dairy queen, Rizzo Jewelers and Ann's Restaurant. On the Fourth of July the best please to be would be at Precious Blood for the fireworks. I miss those days and wish our children and grandchildren could feel these experiences just once. Boy am I dated myself.

4/23/2011 - Duane Lamers

Interesting about the Redford Theater is that it purchased the 70mm projectors and special Ultra Panavision lenses when the Summit Cinerama Theater downtown was closed. During the Summit's brief time as a cinema Detroit was the only city that had two Cinerama installations, although the Summit did not have capability for showing the original three-strip Cinerama process and even the Music Hall had closed down to one 70mm projection booth, Baker, by the time the Summit opened. I've not been back to the Redford in years, but the last time I was there I was told that many of the widescreen classics from the 1950's were no longer available because of deterioration in the color.

3/22/2011 - RT Smith

I lived in North Rosedale park near 6 Mile Rd and Southfield. My buddies and I would bicycle up to the Mercury theater almost every summer Saturday. It was the early fifties, so probably a lot of Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes. I remember being spellbound by the neat murals. It gave the theater a surreal feeling. We would troll the aisles looking for girls to sit by and maybe be able to hold hands or put our arms over their shoulders. A real coming of age experience. I'm sorry to see that the old place has been demolished, but time marches on.

4/11/2008 - Marshall

The mercury was operated by Suburban Detroit Theaters, which also operated the Northland, The Town Center, and several others. The murals were fantastic. It's too bad they could not have somehow been preserved.

2/26/2007 - John Stevenson

I grew up about a block and a half from the Mercury theater and was able to go almost every weekend. Saturday morning I'd finish my chores, collect my $.50 cents allowance, and walk to the show...It cost 25 cents to get in, and my other 25 cents would buy popcorn and a drink and maybe even a candy bar...It was always very special....I remember when "Porgy and Bess" premiered there... They had search lights going every night, and everyone was a buzz of the big movie stars that would come there....Every once in a while, I used to talk the ticket gal (the one who tore them in half) into giving me free tickets...that was really something, because then I could bring some of my friends and feel just like a big shot..This is such a great web site for all of us who grew up in Detroit back in the Good old Days!!!

2/14/2007 - Rob Morrow

Unfortunately I only had one visit to the Mercury Theatre. I lived in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and did not have a car so it meant I had to travel across the border by bus and then catch a DSR (Detroit Street Railway at that time) bus in Detroit and transfer a couple times to reach the theatre. This was a long journey to see a movie. I had heard about the magnificent murals and the really big curved movie screen and the fantastic stereo sound system and I wanted to experience it for myself. So on June 9th, 1967 I undertook the journey to have my one and only visit to the Mercury. I reserved my seat at a cost of $2.25 US for the showing of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton for 8pm on Friday evening. I remember how excited I was as I entered the doors in the lobby. And believe me I was not disappointed. The murals were exquisite, the lobby was grand and the actual theatre was magnificent. I recall the lights being lowered and the curtains opening to reveal the largest screen I think I can remember seeing. And yes, it was curved. Not to the extent the Cinerama screen was but still quite curved. And then the movie began. It was an experience that was everything I had hoped for. I only wish the theatre was not so far away as I would have become a regular patron. Such as I was with the United Artists, the Michigan, the Madison, the Fox, The Music Hall Cinerama, the Summit Cinerama, the Grand Circus, the Adams and the Palms. All of which I have many fond memories, ticket stubs and movie programs that I can share. Detroit theatres are a part of my history as a young person.

4/17/2006 - Gary R. Cocozzoli

It should also be noted that the Mercurys auditorium wallls were completely covered with Art Deco visions of views of the universe that literally "glowed in the dark" with black-light illumination. This provided a positively stunning moviegoing experience where the walls were sometimes more interesting than the film. Another unusual feature was the push-back seats, allowing patrons to move into the row without requiring those already seated to rise. Later, these seats became common at General Cinemas 1960s-built theaters in the Detroit area. After the reserved-seats Porgy and Bess, for which the Mercury was renovated and a huge curved screen was installed, the theater left behind its neighborhood second-run status and began to show first-run films exclusively. The prestigious films of the day played the Mercury first. No longer would the downtown theaters be the only first-run venues in town. Without a doubt, the Mercury was the most unusual theater in the Detroit area and many would say it was the most beautiful.

12/19/2003 - Box Office Magazine

September 1959 - Hy Bloom of the Mercury Theatre used to be drummer with the Chord of Judea Symphony orchestra, which played a series of concerts at Belle Isle Music Shell in the 1932 depression days, the News recalled in a feature article.

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Mercury Theatre - Detroit MI