Berkley Theater

Berkley Theater is a historic former cinema on West 12 Mile Road at Robina Road in downtown Berkley, Michigan. Although the present building opened in 1941, the theater name dates to an earlier venue established in January 1921. The original theater was built by local contractor John Folwell as a 500-seat auditorium and initially operated as the Leone Motion Picture Theater. Its name changed to Berkley Theater in September 1921, two years before the city itself was officially named Berkley. Silent-film screenings were accompanied by live music from Lorenzen's Orchestra of Detroit, and the auditorium also included a dance floor used by patrons after some Friday-night shows. The first theater was destroyed by an arson fire on May 13, 1931. Its owner, Leonard Leone, collected insurance proceeds but did not rebuild. A replacement theater was designed by Johnson Construction Company of Birmingham, Michigan, and opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1941. The new building featured a red-and-cream Art Deco exterior, porcelain-like tiles, geometric glass doors, a stage with a red velvet curtain, and a single-screen auditorium originally seating 978 people. Its facilities included a soundproof viewing room known as the cry room, allowing parents with small children to watch films without disturbing other patrons. The theater began operation with Here Comes Mr. Jordan and Harmon of Michigan. The venue was initially owned by John Igna and Vincent Laika of Detroit. James M. Nederlander leased it from 1958 to 1961 and added amenities including air conditioning, upgraded seating, and improved parking. Harry A. Komer assumed the lease in 1961 and purchased the theater in 1962. Under the Komer family, the theater remained an independently operated, family-run cinema for the rest of its original movie-theater life. Harry Komer reduced the seating capacity to 851 to provide more legroom, replaced the coal furnace with a gas system, and personally greeted customers at the entrance. His wife, Lillian, managed the books. The theater became associated with long-running film engagements, including a 135-day run of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid before it was replaced by True Grit in 1970. During the mid-1970s, Berkley Theater repositioned itself as a discount cinema showing second-run films for one dollar, using the slogan "A Dollar At All Times." The strategy helped the single-screen venue compete in a changing market. In 1981, Harry Komer retired and his son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Judy Komer, took over. They refurbished the seats and installed surround sound. The theater also developed a local reputation for fresh popcorn prepared with real butter, which received several local awards. The growth of cable television, home video, and multiplex cinemas weakened the discount-theater model in the early 1990s. Berkley Theater returned to a mix of first-run and recently released films at somewhat reduced prices, but its single screen could not match the programming flexibility of multiplexes. Jurassic Park was the final regular movie shown. The venue closed on September 26, 1993, after a private farewell gala featuring Yankee Doodle Dandy. The building was subsequently sold to Perry Drugs, later associated with Rite Aid, with an agreement to preserve the exterior facade and marquee. The theater no longer operates as a cinema, but its marquee remains a civic landmark. The City of Berkley leased it for a nominal annual payment and uses it to announce community events. The preserved marquee has appeared as a backdrop for events including Berkley CruiseFest. Theater artifacts such as the red doors, seats, and other memorabilia are displayed at the Berkley Historical Museum. After the Rite Aid store occupying the building closed in September 2024 during the chain's bankruptcy proceedings, the property was sold to Glenn Wilhelm, who announced plans to restore the structure as a live-entertainment venue with bars and a restaurant. The proposed venue is slated to reopen in 2026, although the former cinema's operational status remains defunct pending completion of that project.

The Berkley Theater name originated with a 500-seat cinema opened on West 12 Mile Road in downtown Berkley in January 1921. Built by local contractor John Folwell, the venue was first called the Leone Motion Picture Theater and was owned by Leonard Leone, who also operated a neighboring market. The name changed to Berkley Theater in September 1921. Silent films were accompanied by live orchestral music, and the auditorium included a dance floor that could be used after selected screenings. A lobby confectionery operated by George R. Hughson became known locally as Dad's place. The original theater was destroyed by an arson fire on May 13, 1931. Leone received an insurance settlement but did not reconstruct the building. A replacement was designed by Johnson Construction Company of Birmingham, Michigan. The second theater opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1941, three months after Royal Oak's Main Art Theater. Its Art Deco exterior used red-and-cream materials and geometric glass doors. The single-screen auditorium held 978 seats and included a center aisle, a stage, red velvet curtain, neon clock, side-wall lighting, and an unusual soundproof cry room for parents with young children. The original two-reel projection equipment remained in use throughout the theater's 52 years of operation. John Igna and Vincent Laika of Detroit were the initial owners of the second building. James M. Nederlander leased the theater from 1958 to 1961 and made improvements including air conditioning, plush seating, and lighted parking. Harry A. Komer took over the lease in 1961 and purchased the property in 1962. The Komer family then operated the venue independently until its closure. Harry Komer reduced the seating capacity to 851 to improve legroom and replaced the coal furnace with a gas furnace. He and his wife Lillian ran the theater directly, with Harry handling the entrance and customer contact and Lillian maintaining the accounts. The cinema was known for extended engagements, including a 135-day run of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In the mid-1970s it adopted a second-run discount model, advertising films at one dollar under the slogan A Dollar At All Times. Harry Komer's retirement in 1981 brought Richard and Judy Komer into operational leadership. They refurbished the seats and installed surround sound, while the theater's buttered popcorn became a locally recognized concession specialty. By the early 1990s, the theater faced competition from cable television, VHS, and multiplexes. It moved back toward first-run and recently released movies at lower prices, but its single auditorium could not offer the scheduling flexibility of newer multi-screen venues. Jurassic Park was the final regular film shown. On September 26, 1993, the Komer family held a private closing gala for friends, staff, and city officials, screening Yankee Doodle Dandy. The building was then sold to Perry Drugs, later associated with Rite Aid, with preservation of its facade and marquee as a condition of the sale. The City of Berkley leased the marquee for a nominal annual amount and used it for public announcements. The marquee became a civic symbol and a backdrop for Berkley CruiseFest, while doors, chairs, and other theater objects were transferred to the Berkley Historical Museum. After the Rite Aid store closed in September 2024 in connection with the chain's bankruptcy, Glenn Wilhelm acquired the building and announced a planned conversion into a live-entertainment venue with hospitality facilities. The proposed reopening in 2026 would represent a new use for the historic property rather than a confirmed return to cinema operations.

• 2026

  Planned live-entertainment reopening

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The renovated property is slated to reopen primarily as a live-entertainment venue.

• 2024

  Former theater property changes hands

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Following the closure of the Rite Aid store, Glenn Wilhelm acquires the building and announces a live-entertainment redevelopment.

• 1993

  Cinema closes

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater ends movie operations after 52 continuous years in the 1941 building.

• 1981

  Second-generation Komer management

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Richard and Judy Komer take over after Harry Komer's retirement and refurbish the cinema.

• 1975

  Discount second-run format introduced

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater shifts toward second-run films priced at one dollar, promoted as A Dollar At All Times.

• 1970

  Long-running film engagement ends

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid completes a 135-day engagement before being replaced by True Grit.

• 1962

  Komer family ownership begins

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Harry A. Komer purchases the theater after taking over its lease.

• 1958

  Nederlander lease begins

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  James M. Nederlander leases the theater and upgrades several patron amenities.

• 1941

  Replacement theater opens

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The Art Deco replacement opens on Thanksgiving Day with Here Comes Mr. Jordan and Harmon of Michigan.

• 1931

  Original building destroyed by fire

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  An arson fire destroys the first theater on May 13.

• 1921

  Original theater opens

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  A 500-seat theater opens on West 12 Mile Road as the Leone Motion Picture Theater.

• 1921

  Name changes to Berkley Theater

  [1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The original venue adopts the Berkley Theater name in September.

A locally owned, small-town movie palace that combined mainstream film exhibition with low-price second-run programming and neighborhood identity. Its preserved Art Deco facade and marquee now function primarily as heritage and civic assets, while a proposed redevelopment would reposition the property as a live-entertainment and hospitality venue.

• Cinema programming · 1941

  Mainstream feature films

  The theater originally operated as a conventional small-town movie palace, presenting first-run feature films and, at times, double-bill programs. Its single auditorium used a traditional two-reel projection system and also retained a stage suitable for occasional live performances.

• Cinema programming · 1975

  Second-run discount films

  From the mid-1970s, Berkley Theater emphasized recently released second-run films at a one-dollar admission price. The format, promoted with the phrase A Dollar At All Times, positioned the independent single-screen venue as an affordable neighborhood alternative to higher-priced first-run cinemas.

• Food and beverage

  Concessions

  The venue operated traditional cinema concessions, with popcorn becoming especially associated with the Komer family's ownership. Fresh popcorn prepared with real butter reportedly received several local awards and formed part of the theater's neighborhood identity.

• Live entertainment · 2026

  Live-entertainment venue

  A proposed redevelopment would convert the former cinema into a live-entertainment venue with bars and a restaurant. The planned use is intended to preserve and reactivate the historic building, but it is not yet an operating offering.

• 2024

  Planned conversion to live entertainmentStrategy

  Background

  The Rite Aid store occupying the former theater building closed in September 2024 during the chain's bankruptcy-related restructuring.

  Action taken

  After acquiring the property, Glenn Wilhelm announced plans for renovation into a live-entertainment venue with bars and a restaurant.

  Aftermath

  The project is scheduled to open in 2026, but the redevelopment remains planned rather than confirmed as operational.

  Source

• 1993

  Cinema operations discontinuedOther

  Background

  Single-screen programming had become less competitive as multiplexes offered more screens and greater flexibility, while home-video technologies reduced demand for discount movie houses.

  Action taken

  The Komer family closed the cinema after a final regular screening of Jurassic Park and a private farewell gala.

  Aftermath

  The building became a drugstore, while the marquee and exterior facade were preserved as local landmarks.

  Source

• 1975

  Adoption of the one-dollar second-run modelStrategy

  Background

  The independently operated single-screen theater needed an affordable proposition to remain competitive in a changing exhibition market.

  Action taken

  It shifted toward second-run films priced at one dollar and promoted the offer as A Dollar At All Times.

  Aftermath

  The format supported the theater through much of the late twentieth century, although later competition from cable, VHS, and multiplexes ultimately weakened the business.

  Source

• 2024

  Rite Aid store occupying former theater closes amid chain bankruptcy[1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy

  The drugstore occupying the former theater building closed in September 2024 as part of Rite Aid's bankruptcy-related store closures.

• 2024

  Former Berkley Theater planned for live-entertainment revival[1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Following the building's sale to Glenn Wilhelm, plans were announced to renovate the property into a live-entertainment venue with bars and a restaurant, with a proposed opening in 2026.

• 1993

  Berkley Theater closes after 52 years of continuous operation[1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The cinema ended regular operations on September 26, 1993, following a private farewell event featuring Yankee Doodle Dandy. Its closure reflected mounting pressure from cable television, home video, and multiplex competition.

• 1993

  Former theater building becomes a Rite Aid location[1]Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  After the cinema closed, the Komer family sold the building to Perry Drugs under an arrangement preserving the theater's exterior facade and marquee.

1. 1Berkley Theateren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Berkley Theater at Cinema Treasurescinematreasures.org