A New Life for the old Four Star Theater

Many a day, weekend, weekday, was spent at the old Four Star Theater in Burton Heights. It was the neighborhood movie theater, and in it's heyday, mid 30's to 60's, was filled with excited movie goers. But that was then, and this is now.

First of all, when you do walk in, you get a musty smell as the first thing that hits you. It's been awhile!

As a great neighborhood movie house all the greats played there, Gone With the Wind, West Side Story, Old Yeller, all the Vincent Price, Peter Lorre horrors films and countless Elvis films. But, alas, the movie plex began opening up, new technology, seating, etc., and the local, one-screen theaters began fading away.

The theater has had a number of uses over the years, including a concert venue that has hosted the likes of Hank Williams Jr., Joan Jett and Devo. But, not now.

Tim Cary shared a post from WZZM TV13 on the Facebook page, If You Grew Up in Grand Rapids, sharing that there is new hope that this gem of a theater will have a rebirth. Sure, the walls are peeling, and there is plaster all over the floor, but that is a part of it's rebirth. The theater was purchased a few years ago by Marcus Ringnalda.  He calls himself a historic preservationist and he has a lot of experience renovating old, cool buildings. So his dream is to build a world class space "with that marquee lit up." Yes, it needs a lot of work, but he says the bones of the building are good.

"I won’t lie to you, I didn’t really have plans when I got this, but how this has gone, the neighbors I’ve met and planning the mission of what this space is going to become, I feel like it’s my life’s mission," Ringnalda said.

Go for it, Marcus. The people of Burton Heights need the Four Star back!