United Artists Theatre

**kathy2trips** · December-11-19, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

The great fan vaulting along the ceiling of the United Artists was patterned on the Perpendicular Gothic ceiling [[circa AD 1500) of the great Henry VII Chapel at the back of Westminster Abbey.

C. Howard Crane's knowledge of historic architectural styles was never in doubt. Crane said that if the architecture of the venue was pleasing to the eye, it would be pleasing to the ear as well... hence the wonderful acoustics.

Sadly neither Emmett Moten nor the Ilitches has any clue about what will likely be lost...

I feel sick. In all this time, nobody could be bothered to save/repurpose this architectural gem while building shoddily constructed ugly shit? The acoustics in this place were AMAZING!

**Whitehouse** · January-04-20, 09:23 PM

Well, well....

The topic that introduced me to this forum resurfaced. For those looking, page 7. More than 10 years ago. I was away for a while and haven't kept by. So a lot of things happened while I was away.

Back then I must have been a detective. Always looking for interesting stuff on the internet concerning a topic. Sad to see that the theater seems to be on its last legs.

Anyway,
Wishing you a happy new year of course.

**Gistok** · January-06-20, 11:56 AM

On Crain's Detroit... there is a nice commentary by former Preservation Detroit Executive Director Francis Grunow, on why the Detroit United Artists Theatre should be saved. If you cannot get past the Crain's firewall to read it, it is also posted on The Terrible Ilitches Facebook page.... 3rd article down...

https://www.facebook.com/TERRIBLEILI...3i4t5tnqegxrU2

**Metro25** · January-06-20, 06:37 PM

Good read. But if its truly gutted I'm not sure what else could be done.

**Gistok** · January-06-20, 08:16 PM

If there is structural failure, then yes... not much can be done. But if it is missing plasterwork... then that can be recast with molds made up of surviving work... since these theatres had repetitive motifs [[molds).

Take the Detroit Opera House.... before and after....

**Vitalis** · January-07-20, 12:22 AM

Happy New Year! Cocktail parties can be revealing. Especially if the people one is conversing with are directly involved with projects that are near and dear to this forums collective heart. What follows is not yet gospel, but rather, negatively compelling. This is what it looks like for the UA building in the coming year or two. Street level retail along Bagley, including the theater entrance or outer lobby, and tying in the rotunda lobby, as well, to create an enclosed shopping corridor. After that, destruction of the auditorium; asphalt covering over hundreds of thousands of laughs, cheers, applause, Joseph N. Welch's remarks about women's panties, thundering horse hooves pulling chariots, Nazi's being judged, ghosts. All gone. Google your past, Detroit.

I firmly believe that no one involved with the future of this particular block in downtown Detroit, gives a rat's ass about saving the theater - no one. Not the money people, the architects, or the construction firm. Finis.

**Gistok** · January-07-20, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Vitalis

I firmly believe that no one involved with the future of this particular block in downtown Detroit, gives a rat's ass about saving the theater - no one. Not the money people, the architects, or the construction firm. Finis.

What you believe has all already been stated in the online and print media... as well as the fact that the proposed developer is lying that the only way to get an insured loan is for the theatre to be demolished. HUD already said that they don't care if the theatre stays [[even mothballed).

**Metro25** · January-07-20, 04:54 PM

Ilitches and their goons not caring about Detroit in the slightest is common knowledge.

**JK313** · July-26-20, 01:25 PM

So was the fate of the theater portion ever officially decided? It appears that scaffolding is being installed on the building, so I’m assuming the renovation is about to get underway.

**CassTechGrad** · July-27-20, 07:38 AM

I remember going there to see the film "Mondo Cane" in 1963 I think. It was rated X and condemned by the church. I had to go to confession after that.

Name: mondo-cane-poster10-2.jpg
Views: 1215
Size: 62.3 KB

Name: mondo-cane-poster10-2.jpg
Views: 1215
Size: 62.3 KB

**Vitalis** · July-28-20, 02:19 PM

Sorry CassTechGrad, memories can be a tricky thing.

"Mondo Cane" began an exclusive Detroit engagement at the Studio North theater, in Ferndale, on Wednesday, February 5, 1964 - running through May 12 of that year. Later in the summer the film reappeared as the top half of a double bill at the Fox. Now, where did I put my car keys?

The roadshow engagement of "Cleopatra" was in the middle of its 60-week contracted run at the United Artists, at that time.

**Gistok** · July-28-20, 06:11 PM

One of the last big highlights at the Detroit United Artists Theatre was the world premier of the 1959 movie Otto Preminger's 'Anatomy of a Murder', filmed in upper Michigan. In this historic film clip we see the long gone Tuller and Statler Hotels, as well as the David Whitney Building in scaffolding... with the removal of the historic elements... recently re-added. Scenes also from the interior of the United Artists Theatre....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_gt_pz9sNY

**Detroitdave** · July-29-20, 08:55 AM

That was cool to see thanks !

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · July-29-20, 10:35 AM

Interesting but sad to watch. So much has been lost. Well, at least that cornice is back.

**CassTechGrad** · July-30-20, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by Vitalis

Sorry CassTechGrad, memories can be a tricky thing.

"Mondo Cane" began an exclusive Detroit engagement at the Studio North theater, in Ferndale, on Wednesday, February 5, 1964 - running through May 12 of that year. Later in the summer the film reappeared as the top half of a double bill at the Fox. Now, where did I put my car keys?

The roadshow engagement of "Cleopatra" was in the middle of its 60-week contracted run at the United Artists, at that time.

I can see that your very knowledgeable on what was showing back then so I believe you but I have this clear picture in my mind of the marque with “Mondo Cane” on it??? Could UA have shown Mondo Cane “2”.

**Vitalis** · July-30-20, 02:57 PM

CassTechGrad, that last UA marquee, the one that went up in the fall of 1950, and stayed up to the bitter end, was certainly a dramatic advertising space, and undoubtedly you saw MONDO CANE emblazoned on it, but whether it was #2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 is the question. [[From my reading, Mondo Cane became its own film genre.) #2 came out on the heels of #1, and could have slipped in between the roadshow features still prominent at the UA during the 60s. After Cleopatra ended, the roadshow engagement of "Becket" opened immediately for the summer of '64. "My Fair Lady" was the holiday roadshow feature that year-end, so maybe Mondo Cane 2 snuck in to play the UA sometime in the fall of '64 - between Becket and My Fair Lady? Perhaps years later, as you wandered along the trash blown Bagley corridor, you encountered Mondo #4, #5, or #6 playing the UA during its death rattle period in the '80s? Yeah, that marquee holds strong and vivid recollections for a number of forum followers, I'm guessing:

Name: large.jpg
Views: 823
Size: 188.1 KB

Name: large.jpg
Views: 823
Size: 188.1 KB

**Gistok** · July-30-20, 03:38 PM

From West Grand Circus Park... the view down Bagley back in the 30s and 40s must have been amazing with the intact Tuller Hotel, and the tall vertical blade signs of the United Artists and Michigan Theatres... quite an impressive street wall.

This image shows the side wall of the United Artists Building facing the Tuller as a blank wall. At some point the building owner realized that there wasn't going to be another building built between the UA and the Tuller, and added windows along that sidewall that were not there when the building originally opened in 1928. This is why the windows on that side of the building don't match those of the front and Clifford side... especially before the 50s building facadectomy...

**Gistok** · August-06-20, 10:21 PM

Thanks for that 1950 clipping...

Now we know when the United Artists was remodeled. The original 1928 interior had sidewalls painted to look like medieval ashlar stonework, with Spanish Gothic details, and English Gothic fan vaults. Above the sidewalls there was a "Rajahstan" exotic India painted scene. There were American Indian maidens in feather headresses, and medieval statuary as well as the exotic Gothic tracery organ grilles.

During the 1950 remodeling... the stonework sidewalls were painted a flat drab color, as was all the Gothic detailing. The mural above the sidewalls was painted over, and the organ grilles were covered in drapery, "so you won't have to look at all that old stuff anymore"... which was the mantra of 1950s theater remodelings nationwide. The best remodeling did involve curtains, because in the future their removal exposed the original plasterwork. Many remodeled theaters of that era used curtains as a cheap way to remodel. For whatever reason, all of the other sidewall ornament was left exposed, giving the theater a rather awkward look, but not doing any serious damage. Those curtains remained even under the Ilitch [[destruction by neglect) era.

In 1955 the UA became the first Detroit theater to have 70mm film, and it required cutting out a piece of the procenium arch on either side of the stage, for a wider screen.