Originally Posted by
Vitalis
A business model for the UA?
Back in 1953, the Music Hall Theater committed to a major retrofitting, so that they could book and present CINERAMA attractions exclusively. They were promised a slew of such features over time that would have long, roadshow-like runs. And for the next decade The Music Hall was, indeed, the home of CINERAMA in Detroit. When new releases thinned out in later years, the MH booked exclusive, roadshow premieres of non-CINERAMA shows like, EL CID and The Sand Pebbles.
So, perhaps the idea would be to make the UA a shrine, a cathedral to film, focusing on a particular theme. An auditorium dedicated to large formats like CINERAMA or/and IMAX could draw audiences - certainly not 7 days a week, but over long weekends, surely?
However, and here is where all of the expense and intricate detailed work of a restoration on the scale of the UA meets the demands and requirements of large format viewing - the screen size and curvature and placement would mask the beauty of the proscenium and the rest of the front of the auditorium.
Still, if the theme were to be "Roadshow" movies - widescreen, true - but with screen requirements less challenging as with CINERAMA or IMAX formats - then perhaps the screen size could be incorporated into the restoration with far less marring of the handiwork.
A Revival House Like No Other! Welcome to Detroit's Own Motion Picture Cathedral - Welcome to The United Artists Theater!