United Artists Theatre

[Whitehouse]

Here's a debris chute, or whatever you might call it.

[Gistok]

Welcome to the forum Whitehouse!!!

It's nice to have someone from the Netherlands... a country with a history going back to the Romans... be interested in some of the faded and restored glory of early 20th century American architecture here in Detroit!

Thanks for all the links! I was looking for some nice pictures of the Fisher Theatre organ console. And to think that those vivid colors of the console matched the interior color of the old Fisher Theatre!!

The pictures of the interior of the Detroit United Artists Theatre that still show the curtains near the stage are all old images. Earlier in this thread Kimberlaina found a newer picture taken in the last year or so, which shows the curtains gone, and the roof patched, and interior with some cleanup work done.

I've been EMAIL corresponding with one of the photographers who is doing the National Geographic photos... and he sent along one pic. All I can say is WOW!!! I've never seen such vivid colors in any movie palace image...

I'll see if I can get permission to post it. I showed it to a friend who has no interest in old movie palaces, nor old buildings... and he too said "WOW"!

[mcsdetroitfriend]

I've been EMAIL corresponding with one of the photographers who is doing the National Geographic photos... and he sent along one pic. All I can say is WOW!!! I've never seen such vivid colors in any movie palace image...

I'll see if I can get permission to post it. I showed it to a friend who has no interest in old movie palaces, nor old buildings... and he too said "WOW"!

Please do!!!

[Gistok]

Now there is a German film crew in Detroit.... they want to do a documentary, and include the cities downtown movie palaces. Lowell may already be in contact with these people.

I hope that like the National Geographic story... the struggling city of Detroit gets painted in a good light...

[Kimberlaina]

Another treasure . . .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33873484@N05/3645547034/

Is it just me, or are there more changes in this one, i.e. removal of the plaster on the left wall? Is that a good sign? Or am I just imagining it?

[Stosh]

Another treasure . . .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33873484@N05/3645547034/

Is it just me, or are there more changes in this one, i.e. removal of the plaster on the left wall? Is that a good sign? Or am I just imagining it?

I was going to say they were demo, but this is from under the balcony.

[Kimberlaina]

The left wall was pretty damaged by rain, so it might be removing rotted plaster. I'm holding out hope In a certain sort of way, the place is looking nice . . .

That link I posted offers an option to blow the photo up to a pretty large size. You can see some of the details of the plasterwork there -- it's very impressive in such detail. It looks much less ghostly.

[Stosh]

The left wall was pretty damaged by rain, so it might be removing rotted plaster. I'm holding out hope In a certain sort of way, the place is looking nice . . .

That link I posted offers an option to blow the photo up to a pretty large size. You can see some of the details of the plasterwork there -- it's very impressive in such detail. It looks much less ghostly.

Less ghostly, but it shows the scope of work that they will need to do if they are to bring it back to life in one form or another. The brick wall was probably a mirror of the wall nearest to the photographer. Perhaps if that wasn't damaged too bad they can take rubber molds of the existing ornamental plaster in place, and carefully pull the mold off, making a template for duplication. The ceiling of the balcony looks like a total loss. They'd have to come up with a plan to replicate something up there.

[Gistok]

The left sidewall of the UA auditorium is missing much of the plaster shell on that side. So we see the outer brick shell of the theatre exposed. The right wall is much more intact.

Interestingly enough, although the sidewalls of the original theatre look like rough stonework [[see pic below)... when you look at the image of the wall on the right side in the "under the balcony" pic, you will see basically a flat smooth plaster wall surface.

In the Arcadia Downtown Movie Palace Book, they show a pic of the sidewalls of the theatre taken in the 1960s. It appears that the rough stonework of the earlier images of the sidewalls were likely a flat "trompe l'oeil" [[fool-the-eye) painted illusion, and a monotone repainting during a later remodeling removed this effect.

So recreating flat plasterwork and painting it to look like stone shouldn't be too difficult. It's the scattered opulent plasterwork that will be troublesome [[and expensive).

[KarmicCurse]

News of that NG article has me salivating. These theaters were the initial spark of my interest in Detroit architecture. Seeing activity on this one in particular is the best news we've had here in a while. I just really, really hope they're not stripping it down to insert an ultra-modern box as in the Fisher renovation. Ater all it's the nostalgia and fantasy factor that make these theaters memorable.

[Kimberlaina]

Edit:
Found some more great stuff! Here's a video about an urban exploration inside the theatre.

This video is very cool. Thanks for posting it.

[Stosh]

The left sidewall of the UA auditorium is missing much of the plaster shell on that side. So we see the outer brick shell of the theatre exposed. The right wall is much more intact.

Interestingly enough, although the sidewalls of the original theatre look like rough stonework [[see pic below)... when you look at the image of the wall on the right side in the "under the balcony" pic, you will see basically a flat smooth plaster wall surface.

In the Arcadia Downtown Movie Palace Book, they show a pic of the sidewalls of the theatre taken in the 1960s. It appears that the rough stonework of the earlier images of the sidewalls were likely a flat "trompe l'oeil" [[fool-the-eye) painted illusion, and a monotone repainting during a later remodeling removed this effect.

So recreating flat plasterwork and painting it to look like stone shouldn't be too difficult. It's the scattered opulent plasterwork that will be troublesome [[and expensive).

If I'm not mistaken, I think that plate is from the Manning Brothers collection. I can't think of anyone else that has that numbering on the plate, can you? Check the credits of the book, if you will, to see if they are cited.

[Gistok]

Although I got that image from the WaterWinterWonderland site, it is indeed listed in the Arcadia Movie Palace book as a Manning Brothers image.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

This video is very cool. Thanks for posting it.

Can't say I like their other videos, the one where the raise their "flag" on the United Artists roof, or climbing on top of the domes in MCS, pretty stupid

[Stosh]

Although I got that image from the WaterWinterWonderland site, it is indeed listed in the Arcadia Movie Palace book as a Manning Brothers image.

Thought so. There's just so much there in that photo collection. What they let people see is just the tip of the iceberg, Maybe someday, a decent catalog system that will allow folks to actually see what's there. The books that could be written from that collection would stagger the imagination,

[56packman]

All of the vintage images of the UA are from Manning Bros. I have some of them as 8x10 glossies. I knew Bud Manning, used to stop by the Highland Park location in the 70s and buy 8 x 10s for $5 each, no hasle over rights for my own use/collection. I wish now that I bought more of those pics.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

I wish you did too! 8x10's from the Manning Archive are $100+ and good luck getting an appointment to sit down and pay $10 to look at them, I've yet to get my calls or emails returned lately, just phone tag

[Whitehouse]

Forgot to tell. That video of the movie premiere at the theatre, see the link in my post above, also shows some of the amizing statues of the female indians. If word gets out that this operation is indeed a restauration, I think a massive media campaign should get started to search for those missing statues.

More indoor pictures found!


Not all indian women disappeared! This one looks pristine!


Unlike this one....


Floorplan.

More pictures here.

the theatre even got it's own Myspace page.
As if this theatre hasn't got a personality by itself. Nice touch though.

This is the other side of the stage. In a picture above the bare brickwork is seen where the plaster has been removed. If this side is renovated it should look like it's counterpart on the right.


Like this.

[esp1986]

Went by the UA last night... A couple weeks ago, there was a pile of debris, mostly concrete, in front of the theatre entrance [[north end, front of building from Bagley), as of last night, the debris has been cleaned up and another "suburban front door" has been installed where the theatre doors were. There are three such doors on the building as far as I can tell, the one there, one in the middle area on the front of the building [[retail area) and one on the south side of the building [[near the auditorium). After checking out the Lafayette too, I dont really think that these are the kinds of doors that you would put on a building that is being demolished. It looks as if they at least want to keep people out.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

I'm in Detroit right now and drove passed the UA to see if I could see the doors in question. From my car I could only find one, but that's because I didn't get out.

Also in the back there is new looking metal around the edge of the roof in one of these pics too.

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[esp1986]

I'm in Detroit right now and drove passed the UA to see if I could see the doors in question. From my car I could only find one, but that's because I didn't get out.

Also in the back there is new looking metal around the edge of the roof in one of these pics too.

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There is another one under the garbage chute, so probably behind the dumpster and there is another one off of Clifford near the auditorium.

[Whitehouse]

A bit off-topic but the organs were mentioned. This one is in Atlantic City! WHAT A MONSTER!!!!





You need binoculairs to read the music!!!

33112 handmade pipes!! And the largest one of all is a pipe of 64 feet!!

Youtube link.

[KarmicCurse]

And an octopus to play it.

[Whitehouse]

Hoisting a flag on the UA.
Must be somthing clanrelated or something.

[Stosh]

Hoisting a flag on the UA.
Must be somthing clanrelated or something.

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