Before Studio 28, There Was Grand Rapids’ ‘Midtown Theatre’

If you live anywhere in West Michigan, chances are you've been to Celebration! Cinema. West Michigan is pretty special to have a local movie theatre chain that started here and has played such an influential role in movie theater history. Today, there are 11 locations around Michigan, including its IMAX theatre north of Grand Rapids, its classic Drive-In theatre in Muskegon, and its newest location in the heart of Downtown Grand Rapids, Studio Park.

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For many, the theater they have fond memories of is no longer around: Studio 28, a massive movie theater complex that was once the largest multi-screen theater in the world, operated for 43 years until it closed in 2008 and was demolished in 2014.

But Studio 28 would never have been around had Jack Loeks not run a theater in Midtown for nearly 30 years, way back in 1944. It's been demolished for nearly 50 years, but plenty of people will remember watching The Sound of Music at the Midtown Theatre.

The Midtown Theatre, From 1873 to 1972

Way back in 1873, the Powers' Opera House was built by William T. Powers and operated as a theatre until Jack Loeks took over the building in 1944. Surprisingly, it wasn't movies that were the first thing he showed there: instead, he showed wartime newsreels on repeat, hence why the theatre was called Foto News. 

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However, after the Supreme Court broke up the film industry monopoly in its landmark case United States v. Paramount in 1948, Loeks was finally able to show the films he wanted. That same year, he closed Foto News to remodel and reopened it as the Midtown theatre.

Midtown was one of a few theaters in the area, but what stood out was its attention to detail. Today, Celebration! Cinema theaters are known for their audio, like its C Premium offering, but this was a point of emphasis for the Loeks family even back in the mid-1900s.

Loeks made it a point to fine-tune his audio, which made the theatre stand out from the competition. This, and its ability to listen to what the public likes, like how it played The Sound of Music for 72 weeks straight.

The theater closed in 1972 and was demolished in 1978 to make way for the Ellis Parking Lot, but that wasn't the end of Loeks' theater experience. Before closing Midtown, Loeks had already opened Studio 28. The rest is history.