PAST TENSE
Reel History Marquis Theatre sale highlights Northville’s movie house past By Michele Fecht
T
he sale last month of vaudeville in the evenings with Northville’s historic Marquis special matinees for children Theatre to longtime resident on Saturdays. It became a and business owner Chuck destination for moviegoers Lapham (read the story in the throughout the area. January 2020 issue of The A remodeling in 1924 ‘Ville) marks a new chapter for included additional seating one of Main Street’s most iconic and interior repainting. Less structures. than a year later disaster Though not Northville’s first struck. In April 1925, a raging movie house, the Marquis has fire destroyed the Alseium and been a mainstay for movie and much of the north side of East live theatre Main from patrons for its mid-block nearly a to Hutton century. Street. Fire Northville departments paved the way from for area movie Plymouth, houses in 1915 Redford, when William Farmington Thompson and Walled constructed Lake were the Alseium called in to Theatre on help fight the East Main blaze. Though Street nearly Thompson adjacent originally to today’s pledged to Marquis. rebuild, the The site is $10,000 in now Great insurance on Harvest Bread the theatre “Little Annie Rooney” starring Company. building and Mary Pickford was shown on The Alseium its contents opening night of the Pennimanfirst occupied was barely Allen Theatre on Feb. 9, 1926. space in the enough to Northville Opera House on the cover the theatre’s equipment. southeast corner of Center and Thompson eventually sold the Dunlap streets. Construction property to C.R. Horton, who of the new theatre in the planned to build on the site. heart of downtown expanded The Alseium’s demise was offerings to silent movies and devastating for Northville
6 The ‘Ville
The Penniman-Allen Theatre not long after opening in 1926 with its original marquee.
citizens who not only lost their movie house but also the venue for numerous community events such as graduation ceremonies, war bond drives, and club gatherings. The theatre’s charred remains were a constant reminder of the loss until efforts were finally under way more than 18 months after the fire to clear the site. Ironically, to the west of the gutted Alseium, a new theatre was taking shape. KATE PENNIMAN ALLEN Kate Penniman Allen, the daughter of one of Plymouth’s most prominent citizens, brought the first movie house to downtown Plymouth with the construction of the PennimanAllen Theatre, (located on Penniman Avenue, of course). Opened in February 1919, the 600-seat theatre featured a large stage, orchestra pit and
organ and would eventually contain concessions and a basement bowling alley. Like Northville’s Alseium, the Penniman-Allen showed movies several days throughout the week. In March 1922, Kate Allen expanded the theatre’s movie nights to include Sundays — a move that defied the blue law restrictions on Sunday recreation and commercial activities. The collective outrage that rippled through Plymouth’s placid village was palpable. Conservative leaders including the Reverend S. Conger Hathaway of the First Presbyterian Church railed against the move. “Sunday shows are a debasing influence on the community,” stated the Rev. Conger in an article in The Detroit News. “They lure our children from Sunday vespers and if we allow
