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Local History

Royal Theatre

Downtown Kalamazoo Theater (1933-1936)

East side of Portage Street, north of East South Street (169 Portage Street).

Opened as a budget film theater on 27 October 1933 by Richard P. Early, a Kalamazoo realtor (R.P. Early & Sons.) and proprietor of the Grand Theatre. Quite possibly another attempt by Early to fill otherwise empty retail space during the Great Depression. Building permit issued in October 1934 for a $700 addition (no further details given). In operation at least until April 1936 (Newland’s Machinery occupied the space after May 1937).

“Royal theatre, Portage at South Sts., cozy, clean, comfortable. Popular pictures at popular prices. Open now.”

—Kalamazoo Gazette, 29 October 1933

The Grand and Royal theaters were neither grand nor royal, but storefront movie houses with flat floors and no balconies or stage. Claiming to seat 200 each, mostly showing westerns and serials.

Portage Street, c.1909. (Storefront (circled right) later used as the Royal Theatre) Private collection.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1932. Local History Room.

Sources

Information originally compiled in 1995 by J.P. Jenks. Additional information was later added by library staff. Information compiled from Kalamazoo City Directory listings, details obtained in researching newspaper reports published at the time by the Kalamazoo Gazette and Kalamazoo Telegraph Press, Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, Kalamazoo County Warranty Deeds and numerous other sources. Updated October 2009.

Additional Resources

Books

A history of theater in Kalamazoo
Pixley, Jorge V., 1958
H 792 P694

Theater in Kalamazoo from 1860–1890
Johns, Marion, 1955
H 792 J65

Articles

“Royal Theatre to open doors Friday”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 25 October 1933, p.14.

“Safety devices extinguish fire in movie booth”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 21 March 1934, p.11.

Local History Room Files

Subject File: Theater

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