Ferndale Classic Theatre

Ferndale Classic Theatre. Historical Site. , The Ferndale Classic Theatre classic has come a long way from the days when Fred and Grace Rowley screened family-friendly flicks in the movie house they built in 1921. In 1931, Thomas J. Ealand, a traveling theatre producer and manager, continued the tradition of family movies which were the mainstay of a growing movie industry. Ray Bolger and June Haver were on the Ferndale Theatre marquee in 1949 for the screening of "Look for A Silver Lining". , , Then Studio North, a chain theatre, changed the theatre in 1961 from family-friendly to adult foreign films, and then to pornographic movies, outraging local residents. "Deep Throat" and "Prisoner of Paradise" were just two of the titles that caused a public uproar and infuriated city officials. In spite of repeated attempts, the city could not shutter the theatre. The worst came in 1988 when the theatre turned to nude dancers as the Déjà Vu strip club. In 1989, the city won the battle to eliminate this type of business from Downtown Ferndale and the theatre was shut down. , , After the one-year closure, Steve Milgrom purchased the theatre in 1990, naming it the Magic Bag Theater showing indie films, who then sold it in 1996 to Jeremy Haberman, a young local entrepreneur. With its rounded roofline and American Movement architecture still intact, an updated marquee now features The Magic Bag's consistent presentation of hard-to-find live acts for music aficionados and funky cover bands. Keeping with its roots, the Brew n' View Movie Night continues to be a weekly tradition at the "Bag". , , Ferndale wayfinding signage is funded in part by a grant from the Woodward Avenue Action Association through the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Association.