Historic movie palaces / North End
Booker T. Theatre
Closed – archive entry · 1949–1961
The North End's Streamline Moderne movie house showed first-run films for a Black audience from 1949 to 1961, and from 1956 staged live rock 'n' roll revues, starting with the Orioles and the Flamingos.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1949
- Closed
- 1961
- Style
- Streamline Moderne
- Seats
- 1400
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The 1,400-seat, Streamline Moderne Booker T. opened on September 30, 1949, showing first-run films for a Black audience in the North End. By 1954 it was run by Korman Theatres, which also operated the Castle and, for a time, the Columbia. From January 1956 it staged live Rock 'n' Roll Cavalcades, the first one starring the Orioles and the Flamingos. Ventriloquist Willie Tyler and Lester made one of their earliest appearances here. The last double bill played on January 8, 1961; early the next morning a gas explosion caved in the roof and blew out the doors, and the ruin was later demolished.
- First-run films for the North End's Black audience
- Live Rock 'n' Roll Cavalcades from 1956
- An early stage for Willie Tyler and Lester
Plan your visit
A 1961 gas explosion wrecked the Booker T., and the ruin was later demolished. For a movie night today, see the working Detroit cinemas in our guide.
Cinemas nearby
Back to cinemas ↗
Multiplexes / Detroit
Bel Air Luxury Cinema
The only first-run multiplex inside Detroit's city limits: ten screens on East Eight Mile with luxury rockers, recliners and a giant custom chandelier. No need to drive out to the suburbs for the new releases.
IMAX & giant screens / Detroit
Michigan Science Center – Immersive Dome Theater
Midtown's science museum runs three screens: the giant Immersive Dome Theater, the Penske Planetarium and the 3D Toyota Engineering Theater. The museum calls the dome the largest theatre in Michigan.
Film festivals / Detroit
Detroit Black Film Festival
Independent films directed, written or produced by Black filmmakers, at a Detroit festival Lazar and Marshalle Favors started in 2020. The 7th edition in September 2026 screens 89 films from 30 countries, with the Charles H. Wright Museum as its hub.