United Artists Theatre

**mcsdetroitfriend** · July-25-09, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

PBS Channel 56 had a 1 hour documentary on Anatomy of a Murder production in the Upper Peninnsula, and on how it really helped the bad economy around Marquette during the 1958-59 recession. Producer Otto Preminger wanted it all filmed on location, and it was. He also wanted the world premier held here in Detroit [[UA).

That's awesome! Any idea of when that aired?

**Gistok** · July-26-09, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by mcsdetroitfriend

That's awesome! Any idea of when that aired?

That was 2 or 3 weeks ago on Channel 56.1... on a Tuesday or Wednesday night... can't remember if it was at 9 or 10PM. They interviewed people still living that remembered the true story behind the rape and subsequent murder that was the real life plot that the movie was based on.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · July-26-09, 09:05 PM

Awesome, I'm glad I get that in Lenawee County, I'll have to look it up next time it's on

**stasu1213** · September-20-09, 06:08 PM

If the UA is made into a performance building with live shows on the first level and movies on the other level it would bring the foot traffic back downtown. It would also be another stop for the people mover. Just imagine; The people mover is used to stop at every important venue downtown. The RenCen, The UA, Greektown, Cobo Hall, Rosa Parks Transit CEnter[[where people could catch the biofuel bus leaving the venues downtown and going home) etc. The people mover would live up to it's purpose.Retail could probably be in the UA building also. Like a mini mall or something. I think Grand Circus Park will make a comeback.

**Russix** · September-20-09, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

If the UA is made into a performance building with live shows on the first level and movies on the other level it would bring the foot traffic back downtown. It would also be another stop for the people mover. Just imagine; The people mover is used to stop at every important venue downtown. The RenCen, The UA, Greektown, Cobo Hall, Rosa Parks Transit CEnter[[where people could catch the biofuel bus leaving the venues downtown and going home) etc. The people mover would live up to it's purpose.Retail could probably be in the UA building also. Like a mini mall or something. I think Grand Circus Park will make a comeback.

It's a full city block away from the GCP station. Maybe they should get rid of the train and put in a conveyor belt.

Stosh · September-20-09, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by Russix

It's a full city block away from the GCP station. Maybe they should get rid of the train and put in a conveyor belt.

Or better yet, a catapult.
Live performances and movies would pale by comparison.

**jcole** · September-20-09, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

Or better yet, a catapult.
Live performances and movies would pale by comparison.

That could be the new mass transit for the city. A trebuchet on every corner.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-21-09, 01:23 AM

here's hoping that this is some real news and not some asshole making things up =)

*Crossing my fingers for good measure*

**casscorridor** · September-22-09, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

If the UA is made into a performance building with live shows on the first level and movies on the other level it would bring the foot traffic back downtown. It would also be another stop for the people mover. Just imagine; The people mover is used to stop at every important venue downtown. The RenCen, The UA, Greektown, Cobo Hall, Rosa Parks Transit CEnter[[where people could catch the biofuel bus leaving the venues downtown and going home) etc. The people mover would live up to it's purpose.Retail could probably be in the UA building also. Like a mini mall or something. I think Grand Circus Park will make a comeback.

Sounds great, but I highly doubt this development would make Grand Circus have a comeback, much less Downtown [[now, i recognize downtown has already had quite a comeback since the 1990s, but when I mean a real comback, i mean where streets are filled with people, and the population is double or triple the size, and everything is within walking distance... including all of one's groceries). Much progress has already been made-- new stadiums, restaurants, shops, ammenities, lofts, etc. but it is still nowhere near being where it ought to be.

Redevelopment of UA would be great, but by no means a silver bullet. I doubt it would even have as big effect as the Book Cadillac [[unless, perhaps there was a major movie theatre located there... a second theatre for downtown). There is still dozens of empty parcels surrounding the UA building, and I doubt even if the building was redeveloped the area would look vibrant with all those empty lots.

So although big projects, like the Stadiums and Book Cadillac, Compuware, etc are important and lead to more development, if that is all there is, those gains will be quickly undone. Instead, focus should be placed on developing small scale buildings [[2-6 stories), and filling in ALL empty lots to restore the street wall. Encouraging small shops to open providing needed services such as dentists, doctors, dry cleaners, grocery stores, pharmacies, coffee shops, video rentals, clothiers, shoe stores, etc, etc. Putting focus on this is not popular with our leaders, as they are drawn toward big flashy projects such as the casinos. But the real comeback will come when we have a 24 hr, 7 day a week, 365 days a year Downtown that offers every good and service one would need within walking distance.

Making it easy for small businesses to open is essential, as is a health mix of locally-owned, francised, and corporate owned stores. Prove to national retailers that Downtown is a viable place to do buisiness. They won't be convinced by a new stadium or casino, or renovated building. They'll be convince when they see the sidewalks filled with people.

Focusing on small scale development would also mean that development would spread out from Downtown into surrounding neighborhoods faster. Instead of building a 30 story skyscrapper, build 6 five story buildings.... which would have MUCH more effect as it fills in the empty lots that severely hurt the viablity of our Downtown.

**jcole** · September-20-09, 06:35 PM

Promotional trailer showing premiere activities and publicity surrounding release of Otto Premingers film ANATOMY OF A MURDER [[United Artists), which was filmed on Michigans Upper Peninsula. The premiere took place in Detroit; present were Lee Remick, Joseph N. Welch, George C. Scott, Otto Preminger, Arthur O'Connell, Walter Reuther and Michigan governor G. Mennen Williams.

Promotional Trailer from Archive.org

**MotownSpartan** · September-22-09, 06:05 PM

Anyone else notice that the yellow shoots coming out of the UA building are eerily similar to the shoots coming of the [[now being demolished) Lafayette building. Not a good sign?

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-22-09, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSpartan

Anyone else notice that the yellow shoots coming out of the UA building are eerily similar to the shoots coming of the [[now being demolished) Lafayette building. Not a good sign?

doesn't really matter, those are industrial chutes, they're used to throw things straight down into a dumpster. Both buildings have to get things thrown out of them regardless of the ultimate result of the building

**Gistok** · September-22-09, 07:41 PM

From what I've heard there were a lot of mattresses and homeless bric-a-brac found on many floors of this former "Hobo Hilton". Since this building was NOT sealed for many years, an accumulation of crap found its' way inside. This is all being removed.

**cman710** · September-22-09, 09:45 PM

Hornwrecker, good to see you around. I thought perhaps you had never made it onto the new Forum. Your posts are always very informative.

On a side note, I noticed that a lot of the windows on the UA are partially open. Is that the workers keeping them open during the day? I would imagine so.

**esp1986** · September-27-09, 09:32 PM

Drove by the UA this evening, saw a couple lights on in the middle levels of the building, somewhere between the 8th and 10th floors I presume, have never seen them on before. Say what you will, but given some of the recent posts on here, including the one about a bid being solicited for plaster work, I think it is at least safe to suspect that a renovation may be around the corner if not already underway.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-27-09, 09:55 PM

Matty Maroun told me today they are in fact renovating it

**gumby** · September-27-09, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by mcsdetroitfriend

Matty Maroun told me today they are in fact renovating it

Just the building or including the Theater?

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-27-09, 10:17 PM

he wasn't sure - i did ask him specifically about the theater - but he said all he'd heard is that they're renovating it for government offices...but judging from the other poster's hearing of plasterwork, sounds like a pretty good thing is going down in the city

**esp1986** · September-27-09, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by mcsdetroitfriend

he wasn't sure - i did ask him specifically about the theater - but he said all he'd heard is that they're renovating it for government offices...but judging from the other poster's hearing of plasterwork, sounds like a pretty good thing is going down in the city

If they are renovating the office part, it wouldn't make much sense to let the theatre sit and rot even more. Olympia Entertainment will likely operate the theatre, but they were just waiting for a committment from a possible tenant before they wasted a lot of money renovating the building with no guarantee of possible use.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-27-09, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by esp1986

If they are renovating the office part, it wouldn't make much sense to let the theatre sit and rot even more. Olympia Entertainment will likely operate the theatre, but they were just waiting for a committment from a possible tenant before they wasted a lot of money renovating the building with no guarantee of possible use.

Exactly which is the same reasoning behind the train station sitting empty....they've had some pretty crazy proposals [[ie. hydroponic farming - feed the world!)

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-28-09, 09:33 AM

I agree. Of all the recent photos of the UA, his have been the best, and had the most processing HDR [[hyper-dynamic range for non-photographers

**Danny** · September-28-09, 10:33 AM

Don't worry folks Illich holdings is a fixing the United Artists Building to be the next " PREMIER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY." It would good as new about 20 to 50 years.

**Burnsie** · September-28-09, 05:30 PM

Krawlspace wrote, "So take your pick, landfill, mush, or on display for others to enjoy..."

If you want others to be able to enjoy the pieces fully, why not donate them to an institution such as the DIA, the Detroit Historical Museum, or the U-M Museum of Art? The Chicago Art Institute has a permanent exhibit of architectural fragments from demolished Chicago buildings.

Even if a museum at first put the pieces in storage, there would still be a better long-term chance for future generations to view the fragments. Krawlspace, I hope you have given some thought to a long-term home for the pieces. By all means, enjoy them in your private collection now, but for posterity's sake you might want to make arrangements for a permanent home for them. If you already have, good for you!

**Gistok** · October-01-09, 04:01 PM

I didn't want to start a separate thread about this....

On the block next door to the United Artists, at the Michigan Building, film crews were filming scenes for the movie HIGHLAND PARK USA in the former Michigan Theatre space.

Film crews and even commercial photographers are no stranger to the former Michigan.... one of the scenes in Eminem's 8 MILE movie was filmed there, as have several commercials and magazine ads. Hmmm... maybe I can get a list together....

Even 32 years after that fateful March 1977 day when the theatre space was disemboweled... it's still a hauntingly beautiful space that draws people from around the world to visit it...

**Maxine1958** · October-02-09, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I didn't want to start a separate thread about this....

On the block next door to the United Artists, at the Michigan Building, film crews were filming scenes for the movie HIGHLAND PARK USA in the former Michigan Theatre space.

Film crews and even commercial photographers are no stranger to the former Michigan.... one of the scenes in Eminem's 8 MILE movie was filmed there, as have several commercials and magazine ads. Hmmm... maybe I can get a list together....

Even 32 years after that fateful March 1977 day when the theatre space was disemboweled... it's still a hauntingly beautiful space that draws people from around the world to visit it...

I worked in the Michigan Theatre Building from 1978 to 1982. I parked in that 'garage' the last two years I worked there. On a couple of occasions, some of my co-workers and I went exploring through some of the back hallways and below stage storage areas. It's beyond sad what was left behind when they, as you so aptly described it, disemboweled the theatre space. Some day, as I'm now once again working downtown, I'll park there again. Just so I can revisit it.