The Michigan Theatre

**Gistok** · December-30-09, 06:20 PM

Funny that you mentioned Guerrila Gym... the Michigan Theatre [[4,050 seats) was the 3rd largest theatre designed by architects Rapp & Rapp of Chicago.

Their largest commission was the 4,381 seat Uptown Theatre in Chicago [[closed). And their 2nd largest commission was the 4,084 seat Brooklyn Paramount, which was converted to a basketball court, with the lobby used as a cafeteria for Long Island University.

Here are 2 images of the Brooklyn Paramount. The first shows the orginal theatre with a magnificent cove dawn over the procenium arch with an impressive suburst pattern. The 2nd image shows the auditorium today used as a basketball court. Fortunately little of the plasterwork was removed, and this venue too could one day be returned to theatre use.

**PeachLaser** · December-30-09, 06:35 PM

And, of course there's this video taped in the current garage of the Michigan Theater... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThFrddiv9C4

**Whitehouse** · December-30-09, 06:47 PM

According to that link Kiss recorded their first videos there. I also found this.

Kiss at Cadillac high school, 1975.

Guess all bands have to start somewhere.

**Pam** · December-30-09, 07:10 PM

If only such a thing excisted in Detroit....

Are you aware Detroit does have several old theaters that have been preserved? They aren't all parking garages.

http://www.olympiaentertainment.com/...foxtheatre.jsp

http://www.livenation.com/venue/the-...etroit-tickets

http://www.michiganopera.org/doh/history.html

http://cinematreasures.org/theater/1860/

**Whitehouse** · December-30-09, 08:04 PM

Er... yes.

But what about the Edsel Ford theater? Another abandoned theater on a hot spot on riverfront.
An exploration to the roof, with permission it seems. I can't find that much information about that theater. And what's the situation concerning the Wilson theater?

[[And What's the right spelling? Theater or theatre?)

Edit:
Found out it's "Ford auditorium" of which there is some information to be found. Is this worth saving or is it just a modern 50's concrete moloch?

some footage of the Jefferson theater. After more than 50 years of abandonment they even found some film fragments!!

**56packman** · December-30-09, 10:48 PM

Whitehouse, the Henry and Edsel Ford auditorium is/was a civic auditorium that was a gift to the "citizens of the city of Detroit" [[not the current mayor or city council) by the Ford family and the area dealers in 1955. the city used it as the primary civic auditorium until 1989, they closed it and it has sat since. There were attmepts to sell the land underneath it, each one rebuffed by William Clay Ford, who is understandably pissed at the treatment the facility his family gave the city has endured. Some say the city is waiting for him to die [[Lions fans too) to tear it down, other wishy-washy plans are floated from time to time.
The Wilson is now known as the Music Hall center for the performing arts, and is a leading theater facility in Detroit.
As to the spelling: "Theater" is the normal spelling for legitimate [[plays) theater, "theatre" is an accepted spelling for movie palaces, where everything is, well, just fancy!

**Whitehouse** · December-30-09, 11:10 PM

To the uninitiated, why lions fans?

**56packman** · December-30-09, 11:58 PM

Because he has owned the team since 1964, and they have sucked for at least that long. Dozens of coaches since then, hundreds of players since then, one result, one constant.

**Gistok** · December-31-09, 02:25 AM

Whitehouse, 56packman will confirm that the acoustics of Ford Auditorium were poor, and that its' organ [[which is still in place) had to be modified to compensate for the poor acoustics.

Although Ford Auditorium is very plain on the inside [[as well as having poor acoustics), if there were some use for it, I would agree that it should be kept as an example of architecture of the 1950s.

Unfortunately [[for Ford Auditorium) Detroit already has many older and more beautiful theatres [[with better acoustics) that have survived the destruction that many other American cities have seen.

Some American cities, such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and Cincinnati, have lost all their old downtown movie palaces. People in Philadelphia complain that when they want to see Broadway shows, they sometimes have obstructed view seating behind columns, or poor sightline seating in Philadelphia's 1857 built Academy of Music venue.

Detroit has managed to bring a large number of its' great old palaces back to life. So that makes it difficult to restore others, such as the United Artists, National, Ford Auditorium and [[very doubtful) the Michigan.

The operating theatres that we have in Detroit's rather spread out theatre district are:

Fox [[5,174 seats)
Masonic Temple [[4,404 seats)
Detroit Opera House [[2,850 seats)
Orchestra Hall [[2,286 seats)
Fillmore [[2,200 seats)
[[New) Fisher [[2,089 seats)
Music Hall [[Wilson) [[1,778 seats)
Scottish Rite [[1,585 seats)
Bonstelle [[1,200 seats)
DIA Film Theatre [[1,200 seats)
Hillberry [[550 seats)
Gem [[451 seats)
Plus 1/2 dozen other small venues.
And also each of Detroit's 3 casinos have performance space for up to about 1,200 seats.

**Whitehouse** · February-02-10, 04:19 PM

Guess what I'm watching on tv.

The Island.

Brief clips from a chase scene in the Michigan. Man what a ballet of destruction! Did anyone by chance take any pictures of that movie shoot?

**Whitehouse** · February-02-10, 04:27 PM

Guess what I'm watching on tv.

The Island.

Brief clips from a chase scene in the Michigan. Man what a ballet of destruction! Did anyone by chance take any pictures of that movie shoot?

**Whitehouse** · February-02-10, 04:32 PM

just one more observation. I know that movie was supposed to be some sort of post apocalyptic Los Angeles, and I understand some artistic freedom but a scene like that, couldn't they find a location like that in LA?

edit:
well, well. There's MCS as well. Granted, that's a unique location.

**buildingsofdetroit** · February-03-10, 06:58 AM

Hot of the keyboard presses:
http://www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/mi

**exmotowner** · February-08-10, 08:56 AM

At the height of Detroit's theater years, what was the most theaters in acutal operation at the same time in the "theater district" of Detroit. Can anyone tell me all the names? Gistok?

**56packman** · February-08-10, 01:23 PM

Meaning downtown?

**exmotowner** · February-08-10, 01:46 PM

Yes Packman. I guess I mean downtown. Particularly in the grand circus park area which I thought was considered the "theater district". Been gone so long and my memory is not what it used to be.
Thanks

**Gistok** · February-10-10, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by exmotowner

At the height of Detroit's theater years, what was the most theaters in acutal operation at the same time in the "theater district" of Detroit. Can anyone tell me all the names? Gistok?

This is only a guess... but I would say possibly 20. That would probably be around 1940, when those that were closed for the depression were reopened [[as well as the addition of the 1942 opened Telenews). This would include the theatres in GCP, those in the Monroe Ave. theatre distict, and those few in the Financial district.

**Gistok** · February-10-10, 02:24 PM

Getting back to the Michigan... has anyone been to the 2009 opened Bagley Grille, taking up one of the storefronts in the Michigan Building?

This used to be the Cracker Barrel, which was a cluttered, yet interesting old bar and restaurant. The owner of the Cracker Barrel retired and the old restaurant closed.

The new proprietors... Matt & Virginia... have done a wonderful job of clearing out the clutter and turned it into a very nice bar/restaurant. The restaurant has nice Tiffany style stained glass lighting... there are historic pics of the old Michigan Theatre on the wall, and the place reeks of a 1940s style ambiance. Bagley Grille was the name of the establishment back in the 1940s.

The new proprietors kept Mikey... the lady who cooks up a wonderful homestyle Chicken Noodle soup. My favorite item is a Patty Melt and cup of soup. They do great burgers and sandwiches as well.

They're open for lunch weekdays, and in the day/evenings during sporting game days. Since the Michigan parking structure is open to the public on game days [[they have a loyal clientele that can fill up the structure on occasion)... the Bagley Grille makes for a convenient destination for a moderately priced meal.

**56packman** · February-10-10, 03:16 PM

Exmotowner, here is a list of downtown movie palace/theatres, between 1928 the end of the build-boom and 1950, when movie attendance began to decline, the government anti-trust actions took effect and theaters began to close.

Telenews [[later Plaza) 140 Woodward
Capitol/paramount/Broadway Capitol/Grand Circus/Detroit Opera House 1526 Broadway
State/Palms/State/Fillmore 2111 Woodward
Fox 2211 Woodward
Adams 44 w. Adams
Oriental 120 W. Adams--the first to be Demolished
United Artists 140 Bagley
Michigan 238 Bagley
Madison 22 Witherell
National 118 Monroe
Columbia 50 Monroe-Morrison's book says it was open until 1956
Family/Follies 1 Cadillac square
There was a little theater in the Monroe block that lasted into the mid-late 70s, much smaller than the Columbia, it was a porno house at the very end and I understand very, very old inside. Give me a few hours, that one will come to the surface.

now depending on how you draw lines as to what is downtown and what is not, we must consider
Colonial 2615 Woodward
Addison/Fine Arts 2954 Woodward

There were theaters built downtown for legitimate use [[stage plays) that became movie theaters for a while:

Wilson/Music Hall 350 Madison ave.
Cass/Summit Cinerama/Pandora 300 w Lafayette

and there was at least one legitimate theater
Orpheum/Shubert 153 w. Lafayette ave.

There were some that predated this list, or disappeared shortly after 1928

Strand/Broadway Strand 1333-1337 Broadway, gone after 1929
Washington/Fox Washington 1505-1513 Washington Blvd, closed June 3, 1928

I might have forgotten something, Gistok, chime in.

One other theater that must be mentioned:
Gayety Burlesque 100 Cadillac Square

**Gistok** · February-10-10, 03:24 PM

Off the top of my head these are missing....

Madison... National... Columbia [[another "alley jumper"... when did that one get razed?)

**56packman** · February-10-10, 03:44 PM

Oh yeah, well look above, I'll edit that last message. I can't believe I forgot the Madison, I spent a fair amount of time in there in 1979.

There, I thought of a couple more.

**buildingsofdetroit** · February-10-10, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Off the top of my head these are missing....

Madison... National... Columbia [[another "alley jumper"... when did that one get razed?)

Good question. Sadly, it got no ink that I can see in the Free Press archives. I'll check Burton next time I'm there.

**exmotowner** · February-11-10, 08:27 AM

Thanks Packman and Gistok for all the information. I cant wait to come up this year for the tour.

**Gistok** · March-08-10, 03:42 PM

Looks like the former Michigan Theatre has been a busy place as of late....

A German Documentary team was in there recently and a French documentary crew will be in town soon for more filming/photos.

2011 will be even busier... a MAJOR motion picture will be filmed in Detroit, where the former Michigan Theatre will get another shot in the limelight.... Shhhh..... I've already said too much....

I hope the film includes the most spectacular [[although not the largest) spot in this cavernous space.... very few people [[and no tours) have ever ventured to this remote part of the former theatre....

**mcsdetroitfriend** · March-08-10, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Looks like the former Michigan Theatre has been a busy place as of late....

A German Documentary team was in there recently and a French documentary crew will be in town soon for more filming/photos.

2011 will be even busier... a MAJOR motion picture will be filmed in Detroit, where the former Michigan Theatre will get another shot in the limelight.... Shhhh..... I've already said too much....

I hope the film includes the most spectacular [[although not the largest) spot in this cavernous space.... very few people [[and no tours) have ever ventured to this remote part of the former theatre....

That wouldn't happen to be a certain boxing robot movie with a certain Australian hunk?