Jack Loeks
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Loeks was an American movie theatre pioneer, born in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. Jack, who had tried many other previous business ventures in his life, opened the single screen Midtown Theatre in downtown Grand Rapids, in 1944.
Not only did Jack open Studio 28
, the first 12 screen and first 20 screen theatres in the world, but also opened some of the first drive-ins in West Michigan, and also opened a number of other cinemas across Michigan. Jack also participated in a law suit against Hollywood which opened the way for privately owned theatres to show first-run Hollywood movies.
Jack had two sons, Jim and John Jr. Jim, married to Barrie Lawson, broke off from the Jack Loeks Theatres company and started his own movie theater, Star Theatre, backed by Sony, which is now owned by AMC. His other son, John Loeks Jr. has since become the owner and CEO of Loeks Theatres, Inc.
, which is now known as Celebration! Cinema, the logo designed by local artist Tim De Groot.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. Jack, who had tried many other previous business ventures in his life, opened the single screen Midtown Theatre in downtown Grand Rapids, in 1944.
Not only did Jack open Studio 28
Studio 28
Studio 28 was a movie theatre located in Wyoming, Michigan, the first megaplex and once largest theatre in the world, opening on Christmas Day, 1965, and closing November 23, 2008....
, the first 12 screen and first 20 screen theatres in the world, but also opened some of the first drive-ins in West Michigan, and also opened a number of other cinemas across Michigan. Jack also participated in a law suit against Hollywood which opened the way for privately owned theatres to show first-run Hollywood movies.
Jack had two sons, Jim and John Jr. Jim, married to Barrie Lawson, broke off from the Jack Loeks Theatres company and started his own movie theater, Star Theatre, backed by Sony, which is now owned by AMC. His other son, John Loeks Jr. has since become the owner and CEO of Loeks Theatres, Inc.
Loeks Theatres, Inc.
Loeks Theatres, Inc., is a movie theater chain with headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Its theatres serve the cities and surrounding areas of Grand Rapids, Lansing, Muskegon, Benton Harbor/St...
, which is now known as Celebration! Cinema, the logo designed by local artist Tim De Groot.