History of the Elk Rapids Cinema
Part 1: The Early Years
This history of the Elk Rapids Cinema was written by Joseph Beyer and is used here with his permission and our gratitude.
On September 20 of 1940, the second cinema in Elk Rapids opened. It stands near the same spot as the original Community Theatre that showcased early motion pictures and live-performances in this idyllic coastal town on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Known as the Elk Rapids State Theatre, it was built and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Loomis and designed by Louis C. Kingscott of the Stewart-Kingscott Company. It stands today as a beautiful example of the Art-Deco style and a historic single-screen movie house.
The Elk Rapids Cinema is home to the largest black-light mural in the world. Artist Robert Spinner originally sketched the design on graph paper, later transferring it to the ceiling where it was illuminated by ultraviolet light fixtures in the bent sconces on the walls. These sconces were custom-built by the original cinema owner, who created the clear and curved Lucite tubes over the kitchen range in his home. There are six of these unique lamps.
The light-play continued to the fluoresced aisle-carpets where they too shined, brightened by rectangular fixtures in the ceiling.
The original control booth boasted two Brenkert BX 80 Arc Lamp projectors side-by-side. When the cinema played the original 3-D format, both projectors would be running at the same time. Two metal buckets were fixed to the floor where projectionists could toss hot-spent carbon rods from the lamps.
The second owners of the building were Mr. and Mrs. Howard Coddington of Traverse City who became stewards in July of 1960 and officially changed the name, simply, to the Cinema. They expressed interest in showing foreign films along with first-run features.
In those days, a technicolored “Cinema” sign hung outside on the front light fixture and neon lit up the marquee. A truck also ran into the front of the building, but that’s a different story.
This history of the Elk Rapids Cinema was written by Joseph Beyer and is used here with his permission and our gratitude.
On September 20 of 1940, the second cinema in Elk Rapids opened. It stands near the same spot as the original Community Theatre that showcased early motion pictures and live-performances in this idyllic coastal town on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Known as the Elk Rapids State Theatre, it was built and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Loomis and designed by Louis C. Kingscott of the Stewart-Kingscott Company. It stands today as a beautiful example of the Art-Deco style and a historic single-screen movie house.
The Elk Rapids Cinema is home to the largest black-light mural in the world. Artist Robert Spinner originally sketched the design on graph paper, later transferring it to the ceiling where it was illuminated by ultraviolet light fixtures in the bent sconces on the walls. These sconces were custom-built by the original cinema owner, who created the clear and curved Lucite tubes over the kitchen range in his home. There are six of these unique lamps.
The light-play continued to the fluoresced aisle-carpets where they too shined, brightened by rectangular fixtures in the ceiling.
The original control booth boasted two Brenkert BX 80 Arc Lamp projectors side-by-side. When the cinema played the original 3-D format, both projectors would be running at the same time. Two metal buckets were fixed to the floor where projectionists could toss hot-spent carbon rods from the lamps.
The second owners of the building were Mr. and Mrs. Howard Coddington of Traverse City who became stewards in July of 1960 and officially changed the name, simply, to the Cinema. They expressed interest in showing foreign films along with first-run features.
In those days, a technicolored “Cinema” sign hung outside on the front light fixture and neon lit up the marquee. A truck also ran into the front of the building, but that’s a different story.