Characters of Artcraft History: Mike Rembusch

When you think of the Historic Artcraft Theatre, do you think of the Rembusch family? The Rembusch’s shaped cinema in Indiana for three generations. In this three-part series, we get to peek inside the Artcraft’s archives to look at this prominent family in Artcraft history. Mike Rumbusch is the third Rembusch we will cover as we conclude this series on the Rembusch family.

Mike Rembusch volunteering in the Artcraft concession booth during a summer 2020 curbside popcorn sale.

From the ground floor, Mike Rembusch saw the movies and the magic of a theater. He rose to embrace the mantle of leadership of Syndicate following his father, Trueman Rembusch. Mike knew how to be a showman, like his Trueman and Frank Rembusch. It is what he knew and believed in.

Mike started working in the family business at the Crump Theatre in Columbus, IN, located 23 miles south of the Artcraft in Franklin. He also worked at the drive-in theater in Columbus and later at the Artcraft. By the time he was popping popcorn and cleaning up after the movies, it was the ‘60s. Eventually, Mike would become the secretary/treasurer of Syndicate Theatres, and then the president, following his father’s legacies and keeping them strong. Mike was involved with the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) and stayed involved with the organization throughout his life. In 2015, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Geneva NATO Convention in Geneva, Wisconsin. The next year in 2016 his brother Pat received a similar honor. He worked alongside his dad, Trueman, until he passed away in 2002.

Mike in his office at Canary Creek with an original hand-crank projector.

“He was just like his dad and grandfather, Truman and Frank. Mike was a dedicated showman,” said Glenn Farris, History and Preservation Coordinator at Franklin Heritage Inc. (FHI).
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In a 1984 news segment from RTV6, Mike and the staff of the Artcraft Theatre –Irene Petro and Reginald Hartman–were interviewed about the theatre by Howard Caldwell. Mike knew people still wanted to come out and see a movie and didn't want to stay home and watch it on VHS with their parents. So he kept the projector going, showing movies on 35 mm film. 

“I don’t know any kids, even today, who want to sit home with mom and dad on a Friday night, especially if they have a date, and watch a videotape on television with mom and dad," said Mike Rembusch in the article. "They still want to get out and have something to do. I think the theaters in our smaller towns give them that opportunity.”

Mike, center, being interviewed in 2020 for a history segment on The Artcraft Theatre.

As Mike continued the business into the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the movie industry was changing. 
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“In the late 1960s and early 1970s, multiplex theaters – theaters with more than one screen in the building – became more and more popular, especially with malls. The popularity of the Greenwood Park Mall drew some people away from downtown Franklin,” said Glenn. “And in the mid-90s, the first megaplex was built in Texas, housing 16 screens or more.”

The multiplex trends in the movie world were slowly making their way to Franklin. In the 90s a large chain theater called Kerasotes was looking to build a multiplex in Franklin. When Mike Rembusch got word that the theatre company was scouting property, he raced to build a theatre before they could and outcompete them. “Mike said that he would never let that happen to Franklin,” shared Glenn.

In 2000, Mike Rembusch opened Canary Creek Cinemas on Mallory Parkway, less than a mile away from the Artcraft, which hosts eight screens and a grand movie experience. Mike instilled the Art Deco flourishes like all the other Rembusch theaters from across the state – hanging neon on the outside and rounded signage, giving a nod to his family’s movie heritage. While it's a modern building, it has a classic movie feel to it. 

“Mike brought along the small-town promotions and sales that the family was used to doing at the Artcraft to Canary Creek,” said Glenn. “Canary Creek hosted a summer camp movie series, competitions,  and a party with the Daily Journal. Mike introduced that small-town movie theatre feel that he grew up with to a corporate multiplex system. That model made Canary Creek stand out from the other theaters in the area.”

Mike, left, with Rob Shilts celebrating the 95th anniversary of The Artcraft Theatre.

Once Canary Creek opened, Kerasotes moved its operations to the southern side of Indianapolis. Mike had succeeded in keeping theatre operations at the local level in Franklin.

While he intended to keep both Canary Creek and the Artcraft open for business, he realized he did not have the manpower and the bandwidth to operate both theaters. In May of 2000, he closed the Artcraft and sold the building. During the last weekend in May, the theatre team went all out at the Artcraft to celebrate its final week, showing bargain movies, classic movies like Gone With the Wind, and some others to get the community in. Over time, Mike also started to sell other theatres in the Syndicate chain to the people in the communities they operated in, including the Crump in Columbus, Gibson Theater in Batesville, and the 13-24 drive-in in Wabash. If they remained movie theaters, Mike typically took over the booking of those theaters.

When Mike sold the Artcraft, that was the end of the 77 years of the Rembusch family owning and running the theatre, but it wouldn’t be the end of their legacy or involvement in the community. Mike and his family continued to run Canary Creek and produce great entertainment for Franklin. He also came back in 2014 and 2015 to teach the Franklin Heritage team about how to pop popcorn the “Artcraft way” and share other memories of his time in the theatre industry. Often, Mike would pop into the Artcraft during a show with a  story of his dad, Trueman, and how he fought the studios or was a thorn in the side of distributors. 
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“One of my favorite Mike memories was a staff and volunteer trip to the Crump Theater in Columbus for a tour/open house,” shared Glenn. “When we got there, Mike took us all around the Crump like he still owned the theater. Mike couldn't pass up the opportunity to correct and tweak the tour guide's script of the Crump's history. Mike was a character and great friend to us at the Artcraft.”

Mike, right, with FHI staff members Danny Causey, left, and Rob Shilts.

The Rembusch family was about exhibition and showmanship. They were always bringing the next event, movie, or contest downtown. Their focus on downtown areas kept people entertained and invested in their community. 

“Franklin Heritage takes inspiration from what the Rembusch family has done in the past to keep the focus downtown and in the community,” said Glenn. “I think one of the things that FHI has taken as inspiration is constantly booking events, whether it’s a movie, a film festival, an orchestra. We try to bring people to town in interesting ways.”
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The idea of the movies began with storytelling. The Rembuschs were driven by telling stories on the big screen and providing the best experience for their patrons while doing so. In small-town Indiana, these three men wove a tapestry of innovation, free enterprise, and creativity that has impacted communities in Franklin and beyond to this day.