United Artists Theatre

**esp1986** · December-16-09, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by Lorax

No, methinks if any parking structure is built, it will be on the Tuller Hotel site, hopefully with retail on the ground floor, and disguised so NOT to look like a parking deck, which will then be married to the renovated theatre and office building. One can hope!

The UA is a bit different from the Michigan in this respect... the theatre is built behind the building whereas the theatre of the Michigan was partially underneath the office tower and important to the structural integrity of the building, therefore it couldn't be demolished... the UA theatre could actually be torn down without having any likely affects on the office tower.

On the note of the Tuller lot, any structure likely to be built, I suspect it would likely be built similar to that of the Book-Cadillac, with ground floor retail [[especially with the prospect of an arena nearby, regardless of whether or not that happens, another story entirely) and it would likely be built with the prospect of selling the "air-rights" above it because of the potential future value of the land where it is located on Grand Circus Park... obviously is isn't worth much now, but if there was ever an arena across Adams from the Tuller plot, this land would become much more valuable.

I am with you Lorax... One can hope!

**mcsdetroitfriend** · December-17-09, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

LOL @ mcsdetroitfriend! Gstok has a way with words. He says it's not very common sense to remove that part of the building that delictely if you are about to implode a building.

Methinks that the Illich family is about to pull a rabbit out of a hat and announce a major renovation.

I'm so embarrassed, that was the most clearly written thing ever and yet it still went over my head, I even read Gistok's post twice and it still didn't register

**Gistok** · December-17-09, 12:52 AM

Esp1986, you are correct about the UA Theatre being detached from the office building.

The Michigan Building and Theatre were a little more integrated, although most folks don't realize from the street [[on any side)... but there is a narrow light well that separates much of the former theatre space from the office space. This very narrow light well is only about 15 ft. wide and runs thru much of the building.

This light well is what allows kitchen exhaust to exit from the 2 ground floor restaurants in the front office block of the building. It also allows light to enter office windows on floors 2-12 [[although the wall on the theatre side only goes to floor 9).

The metal emergency stairs for former theatre patrons are also still found along the solid theatre wall side in that light well. The "L" shaped office block is attached to the former theatre space at the top and all along the bottom of the "L". That required retaining the outer shell of the former theatre space for structural reasons.

Below is a footprint drawing showing the location of this light well within the complex, with the shallow office block below and to the right of this space.

**Gistok** · December-17-09, 01:36 AM

Most people who visit the remains of the Michigan Theatre think that the plaster ceiling over the years has lost most of its' romatic sundown colors. But the truth is that today the interior remains of the plaster ceilings are in a perpetual twilight, and no longer bathed in the flattering glow of the house cove lighting.

The wonderful colors of the former Michigan Theatre ceilings and surviving plasterwork are still pretty much intact [[relatively speaking). I had to break up this image into 2 parts due to the limitations of posting images on DYES. But you will likely be stunned by the color that still remains!

Lorax · December-17-09, 09:57 AM

Honestly, if there was a prize for correcting an architectural wrong in modern times, the person who one day restores this theatre should win an Oscar.

Even the giant pair of Buddhas blown up by the Taliban don't do it for me as much as bringing back the Michigan, and removing this crime against beauty, for which Detroit has become known for.

MCS will most likely survive, given the international attention- the Michigan Theatre would rank next in line for egregious damage done to an amazing building- anywhere.

Time to get Detroit's theatre district complete, get someone to buy it and make it whole again.

**56packman** · December-17-09, 10:56 AM

File this under "broken record", but if you restore it [[a financial burden no one could begin to undertake) you have to figure out a use for it, to support the fixed costs of the building. Detroit has plenty of good, intact theaters that need people to keep attending and buying tickets. I too lament the loss of the Michigan, I was one of the last people to see it intact as the dismantling began in 1977, but at that time no one cared.

**Whitehouse** · December-17-09, 12:44 PM

56packman. I don't expect you to have them but if ou do, do you have inside pictures of the theater in that period?

maybe I missed it but has the Michigan an own thread?

**exmotowner** · December-17-09, 01:12 PM

The owner of the Michigan theater was posting on here a few months back and he said "there is not enough money in the world to rebuild the theater". I dont ever see that being restored. Lets just hope for the best for the UA. I would love to come home and see it one time. I still havent made it to the Grand Circus [[Opera house) since its been redone. Every time I get up there either nothing is going on or it is closed.

**Whitehouse** · December-26-09, 03:03 PM

Look at the Milwaukee Pabst.

Build in 1890, burned down some years later and rebuild in 1895. The fourth oldest theater in continuous operation. This theater looks less exciting as the UA.

[[I'm currently watching Jeff Dunham's Christmas special on TV recorded at the Pabst.)

**Zacha341** · December-26-09, 03:15 PM

Nice, I never knew it was so ornate... does this any of this original treatment remain or is it in ruin beyond repair or stolen?

Originally Posted by Plains_Thunder

Here is another Russel Phillips picture of the Chicago United Artist.

Attachment 4211

**56packman** · December-26-09, 11:14 PM

56packman. I don't expect you to have them but if ou do, do you have inside pictures of the theater in that period?

maybe I missed it but has the Michigan an own thread?

No, I didn't own a camera better than a Kodak instamatic, useless in a space that large, and I didn't take it on any of the booth removal jobs I did back then. There are times when I wish I had the equipment and know-how to get good photos of those lost buildings, especially the Regent [[Center) and Avalon theatres. There are pictures of the Michigan being gutted on the WSU site, the papers covered that pretty well, and there were pictures taken by the Detroit News when Nicholas George took the theatre over in '67 that are a good document of its condition at that time. Try to search on rock and roll sites, they all just idolize the period from '73-'76 that they spent wrecking the place, there might be pictures there.

**Whitehouse** · December-26-09, 11:27 PM

Michigan Theater 1927.

Here's a nice collection.

**Zacha341** · December-27-09, 12:23 AM

Yep, Michigan Building is partly occupied. NSO Corporate office [[Neighborhood Service Organization) occupies the 12 floor and parts of a few other floors. Other business and agencies occupy some ofter suites. The building has those giant brass door knobs and some of the older suites still show remnants of gold guild bordered glass panes. And it has the "banging" radiator syndrome common to steam heated buildings... Interesting...

Originally Posted by 56packman

Michigan Theatre building, somewhat occupied, in a downtown kind of way and the Leland House hotel. I'll just jump in now and mention that the Michigan building and the Leland house hotel were designed by the famed theater architeccts Rapp & Rapp. There, I beat Gistok to it.

**Zacha341** · December-27-09, 12:33 AM

Nice links. Wonderful photos! I worked in there a summer not long ago and it was weird to go into that parking lot and look up at the remains of the theatre. I read some where that the theater portion could not be torn down completely as it would have weakened the integrity of the office building part. So it was converted into this odd car garage....

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

Michigan Theater 1927.

Here's a nice collection.

**Whitehouse** · December-30-09, 07:12 PM

Bumping this thread. I now have three theater threads to choose from to post this link. I chose UA. Here's a nice video of the start of a documentary, "Detroit, the reel story".

Now that's a must-see movie I think.

Originally Posted by Stosh

Nah. Looks like the SC stands for Survival Crackas...

I found another SC urban exploring tour from the United Artists theater. And a great soundtrack too it!!

And look at this theater! The Fox Oakland California. It was restored after 40[[!!!) years of abandonment! And this theater got it's brunt of misfortune. Vandalism, arson [[multiple times) and decay. It opened again in Februari 2009. Just this year the've had Seal, Green Day, Kylie Minogue and The Decemberists on stage. There's no doubt the weather in California is much better yearlong than in Detroit. So decay you should expect goes in a much slower pace. But arson and vanadlism is universal.

Inside view.

**Rocko** · January-14-10, 11:45 AM

Anyone else notice the new security lighting along the Bagley side above the first floor? Maybe it's been there a while but this is the first I've noticed it.

**esp1986** · January-14-10, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by Rocko

Anyone else notice the new security lighting along the Bagley side above the first floor? Maybe it's been there a while but this is the first I've noticed it.

I drive by there about once a week and noticed it first in Mid-December about 2-3 weeks after the ugly wavy conopy disappeared. It was about the same time that the dumpster disappeared from outside the theatre entrance on Bagley...

On a side note, given that the dumpster is gone, I find it hard to believe that anything is happening inside right now, expecially considering the Ilitches have stalled nearly all of their other projects.

**buildingsofdetroit** · January-31-10, 07:50 AM

Yawn. It's 7:45 a.m. so pardon typos, but here's a new, improved and more conclusive history on the UA: http://www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/ua

GIstok, I'd appreciate a fact check if you don't mind.

**Whitehouse** · January-31-10, 03:38 PM

The things you find out from Bing. As said in this tread, it's been updated. And looking at the UA building now the details are much clearer now. This facade was not readable in Google streetview but in Bing it now is.

What can you tell me about the International club?

**56packman** · February-01-10, 08:47 AM

The International club was a second attempt at a nightclub in the space that was formerly occupied by the a bank, the first being the Vault [[Currency exchange?) a David Grossman enterprise.

**buildingsofdetroit** · February-09-10, 09:46 PM

Neat postcard of the Grand Riviera on eBay right now [[I've already got it):
http://cgi.ebay.com/Michigan-Detroit...item483952b4f5

**Gistok** · February-23-10, 11:23 PM

On one of the newer threads on DYES [[Lost Landscapes of Detroit)... the thread originator posted a link to a 1 hour newsreel on old Detroit.

About 5 minutes into the newsreel they show the 1959 parade of Detroit's World Premier of Otto Preminger's ANATOMY OF A MURDER, filmed entirely in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan around Marquette. The movie premiered at the Detroit United Artists.

From 11 minutes 30 second to 12 minutes 20 seconds into this very interesting newsreel they show images of the Downtown RKO Theatre [[opened 1927 as the Oriental Theatre), which was pounded to rubble in the early 1950s, and is often overlooked as a downtown theatre.

This nearly 1 minute section of film shows the theatre [[on West Adams 2nd building west of Park Ave.) in the stages of being demolished [[top of auditorium is being demoed). It shows the marquee and vertical sign, and also shows the rubble interior with the side walls still intact. No good photos of the interior of the auditorium of this nearly forgotten theatre are known.

After this section of newsreel there are glimpses of the Madison and Adams marquees on Grand Circus Park.

http://www.archive.org/details/LostL...sOfDetroit2010

**56packman** · February-25-10, 12:58 AM

Thanks for that link Gistok, that was a glimpse into a city I partly remember, and will not live to see again. he Annex theater is featured at 30:00, a great shot of that lost Detroit theater.

**exmotowner** · February-25-10, 08:16 AM

Has anyone ever organized a protest where maybe a bunch of people march in front of the UA demanding to know whats going on? [["SAVE THE UA") I think if that happened and the press got involved maybe they would devaulge more information as to whats going on with this beautiful old theater. I think the people of Detroit have a right to know the Ilich's intension with this building. The more press it could receive I would think the better off everyone would be in efforts to save it. Is there no way to get some coverage on TV? Same for the MCS I know that has gotten some media attention, but the more it gets, the better chance for saving it. and why is the city council not more involved? Just some thoughts.

DC48080 · February-25-10, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by exmotowner

Has anyone ever organized a protest where maybe a bunch of people march in front of the UA demanding to know whats going on? [["SAVE THE UA") I think if that happened and the press got involved maybe they would devaulge more information as to whats going on with this beautiful old theater. I think the people of Detroit have a right to know the Ilich's intension with this building. The more press it could receive I would think the better off everyone would be in efforts to save it. Is there no way to get some coverage on TV? Same for the MCS I know that has gotten some media attention, but the more it gets, the better chance for saving it. and why is the city council not more involved? Just some thoughts.

A protest? That would be an utter waste of time.

The people of Detroit have a right to know Ilitch's intentions? NO, they do not have any such right at all. I'm certainly no defender of Mike Ilitch but the UA is a PRIVATELY owned building purchased with PRIVATE funds. Nobody has any more right to demand information on his plans than they do to demand to know what color you are going to paint the living room in your private home.

I would love to see the UA restored, but Mike Ilitch is a business man and unless a business case can be made for restoring said theatre there is no way he is going to do it. Just because a bunch of people on a web blog like to fantasize about a restored UA does not mean that it would be a money making project. If somebody thinks they have the financial resources to restore and operate the UA, I am sure Mr Ilitch would be happy to sell them the building at market rate and get it off of his back. Make him an offer.