Modern movie theatres aren’t so much theatres anymore as they are entertainment megaplexes offering any number of additional distractions beyond the simple movie-going experience, from leather seats the size of La-Z-Boys that vibrate to bars and bowling alleys. But the Redford Theatre in Detroit’s northwest corner (in the Old Redford neighborhood, bordering Redford Township) has been running the “show” in the exact same way since 1928.
The Redford Theatre was built in 1928 and has always -- and continuously -- operated as a movie theatre. It houses an original Barton Theatre Pipe Organ, a historic instrument made by the Ann Arbor-based Barton Organ Company and one of only about 250 that were manufactured during the company’s production period during the age of silent films (it closed in 1931). Only 8 or 9 Barton organs still exist in the country today.
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