Why Did Someone Try To Blow Up The Wealthy Theater?

The Wealthy Theatre, as we know it today, was built in 1911 and was home to live theater performances along with vaudeville acts.

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Back in 1911, the theater was originally called the Pastime Vaudette.

⬇️ What Grand Rapids Looked Like Back In The Day ⬇️

However, as the popularity of vaudeville declined, the Pastime closed its doors and ended up becoming a warehouse for the Michigan Aircraft Company during World War I.

Then, in the 1920s, the building was bought by Oscar and Lillian Varneau and was reopened as a movie theater called the Wealthy Theatre.

Movie Theaters Bombed In West Michigan

On January 30, 1930, the Royal Theater on Leonard Street was bombed.

Then, around three weeks later, the Family Theater on Michigan Street and the Liberty Theater at the intersection of South Division Avenue were both bombed on the same night.

Police did not have much to go on since the evidence was destroyed in the blasts.

However, they developed a theory about the motive.

They believed that since these bombings happend when no one was near the theaters, the intention was not to hurt anyone.

Instead, they thought it was connected to a labor dispute between theater owners and a local union chapter of motion picture operators.

According to reports, union members were upset because more theaters were hiring outside personnel to operate projectors and other equipment.

Read More: Check Out What Grand Rapids Looked Like Over 150 Years Ago

Wealthy Theatre Bombed

Then, on March 19th, 1930, a little past 1 a.m., a bomb went off at the Wealthy theater, shaking the entire neighborhood.

Thankfully, the bomb did not cause too much damage, mainly just some damage to the foundation, with repair costs totaling around $100, which is a little less than $2,000 in today's money.

Police Catch The Bombers

Not long after the explosion happened, Grand Rapids police got a tip that about five minutes before the blast, a man saw two people ditch a package at a vacant lot at Plymouth and Wealthy.

He thought it was suspicious and took down their vehicle's license plate number.

That mans actions ended up helping police crack the case because about 80 minutes after the blast, investigators had two men in police custody.

Roe Lawton, who was a former operator at Temple Theater, and Frank Chamberlain, a 26-year-old from Detroit, were quickly found guilty.

Lawton was sentenced to 25 years in prison, while Chamberlain received 20 years.

Read More: Step Back Into Time And See What Grand Rapids Looked Like In 1905

I'm thankful they were unsuccessful in blowing up the Wealthy Theatre because it's such a wonderful part of Grand Rapids history.