Construction on this theater was officially delayed by World War II. Walter Shafer and his family bought the land in 1940, but the global situation forced a pause. They finally finished the fireproof brick structure in 1946. It was an Art Deco joint designed for 1,500 people, though locals had to call it the State - Wayne just so the newspapers wouldn't confuse it with other theaters in Ann Arbor or Pontiac.
In 1964, the management decided on a $75,000 upgrade. They opted for a modern-Asian theme featuring a fountain, lamps from India, and dragon murals by a Dutch artist named Anton Mom. The theater folded in 1977 because suburban multiplexes were winning the war of competition.
By 1980, the place was doing 99-cent tickets to stay alive. National Amusements bought it in 1986 and shut it down immediately. The city of Wayne had to step in, spending $500,000 of development funds in 1991 to get it running again.
Today, Phoenix Theaters owns the place and provides reclining seats and 7.1 Dolby Digital sound. You can still see the Wayne History Mural on the east wall. It is a trompe-l'œil masterpiece where the paint is the same color as the bricks to make it look like ornamental carvings.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Kyle McLonely
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