United Artists Theatre

**EastsideQT** · December-06-09, 07:29 PM

I remember watching BenHur at the UA.....during the chariot race I remember it looked liked those chariots were going to run right off the screen and out into the audience.

**Plains_Thunder** · December-06-09, 08:13 PM

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

Attachment 4211

**Gistok** · December-07-09, 01:45 AM

Thanks for the pic Plains-Thunder! Unlike the Detroit and Los Angeles United Artists Theatres, the smaller Chicago United Artists was not built from the ground up. C. Howard Crane had to take the older [[1921) Apollo Theatre, and gut the interior and retrofit his architectural details within an existing space.

In that Chicago UA image, above the balcony seating there is a mural. It appears to be of exotic Asian design... possibly an Indian "Rajastan" design. The LA UA had cinema scenes of United Artists part owner Mary Pickford in that spot [[on both sides of the theatre).

The Arcadia book on Detroit palaces shows that the Detroit UA had some scene that may be similar to the design shown on the sidewall of the Chicago UA, but the image is not clear enough to make out. During a 50's remodeling, the sidewalls of the Detroit UA had the faux stonework paint painted over with a flat paint. This repainting also obliterated the 2 sidewall murals [[as seen in a later image in the Arcadia book).

These images in both the Chicago and Detroit UA theatres were called "semi-atmospheric"... where it gave the impression that you were looking out some large window at an exotic landscape.

**Gistok** · December-12-09, 10:59 PM

Here's an interesting group of 3 postcards of west Grand Central Park. The first one is of circa 1920-25, and the 2nd one is after 1928. The 3rd one is of undetermined date.

Notice on the 1st card that there is no United Artists Building behind the Statler, and there are no buildings on the NW corner of W. Adams and Park Ave. Also the Fine Arts Building had windows and arches on front and also on the side wall that the Strohs HQ [[later Michigan Mutual Building) would later cover up.

The 2nd card shows a complete street wall to west Grand Circus Park, which at some point in the 40s or thereabouts saw its' first building demolished... the 7 story brown colored Hurley Hospital, between the white Kales Building and the Fine Arts Building [[still a parking lot today). And the 2nd image also shows the vertical marquee [[can't read the writing) of the Downtown RKO Theatre on the 2nd [[tan colored) building. That 3,000 seat theatre had its' auditorium [[along Adams just out of view beyond the marquee) razed in 1953... but the office tower still exists.

And of course, since this 2nd image was produced... the Statler and Tuller Buildings, as well as all but the Fine Arts Building facade have been pounded to rubble as well.

The 3rd image is the view from Park Ave. & W. Adams looking between the Kales and Tuller towards the Statler and David Whitney.

It's sad to see that so much of the west GCP street wall is missing today.

**Whitehouse** · December-12-09, 11:14 PM

Compare that second picture with this.

[[bigger version.)

Not only some buildings went down, there's also a lot of vegitation missing.

Roughly the same view of the third picture, although from a much lower vantage point. Instead of the Tuller you're now looking on the right to the side of the UA building.

[[bigger version.

**Gistok** · December-12-09, 11:38 PM

Whitehorse, when they built the underground garage in east and west GCP back around 1955, they removed EVERYTHING from GCP, including the vegetation, the fountains and statues. The Arcadia Book on Downtown Movie Palace has a pic of bulldozers down deep into a hole the entire size of west GCP.

Once they finished the underground parking structure, all the statues and fountains were reinstalled, but new vegetation was planted.

Plus that 1955 era vegetation may not even still be there today. The city seems to periodically replace older more mature trees with younger ones [[all over the downtown area) over and over again. One of the favorite species of trees they use are Sunburst Locust trees... fast growing, their small leaves allows sunlight to filter thru, and they're easy to put Christmas lights on.

DetroitDad · December-13-09, 12:11 AM

Gistok,

Do you have any idea what that statue/sculpture is in the second postcard? It's on the South side of the park, where the sidewalk splits.

**Whitehouse** · December-13-09, 01:05 AM

This is the piece of the facade where the last marquee was hanging. This must be part of the original structure but was this present all over the complete length of the building before they updated the facade?

**MikeM** · December-13-09, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

Gistok,

Do you have any idea what that statue/sculpture is in the second postcard? It's on the South side of the park, where the sidewalk splits.

Isn't that Hazen Pingree?

**Gistok** · December-13-09, 03:04 AM

Yes I do believe that that is Pingree. In the last century both he and Maybury got moved around several times in GCP.

Whitehouse, the 2 ends of the front of the UA Building had a lot of masonry [[the NBD bank branch was at the other end). But the middle of the building had a lot of arched windows with Corinthian pilasters. See pic...

Sadly, the image that you posted appears to show that the old facade was removed, and not bricked over... as was hoped.

P.S. Sorry to call you Whitehorse [[I fixed it)... people are always putting a "C" into my name ..... "Gistock"

**Whitehouse** · December-13-09, 04:45 PM

I think this picture has Pigree sitting on the same spot as on the postcard. Kales/Kresge on the background.

**DetroitZack** · December-13-09, 06:07 PM

I thought I would share an old postcard I own of the Pingree statue.

**esp1986** · December-14-09, 10:26 AM

Went by the UA last night... the dumpster is gone from behind the fence, there is a cherry-picker in its place... lights were on inside on the ground floor, and there were street/spot lights on the outside of the building mounted above the second story windows...

**Jared9903** · December-16-09, 12:04 AM

What are the two buildings behind the UA in this picture, are they occupied?

**56packman** · December-16-09, 12:27 AM

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.

**Gistok** · December-16-09, 02:19 AM

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.

Actually 56packman, 2 corrections... I've already mentioned the Rapp & Rapp connection to both buildings!

And also... surprisingly the office portion of the Michigan Building is 95%+ occupied [[an enviable position for any downtown building). I just talked to the building owner last week and asked if any other buildings were pirating his tenants. He said "no".

Also, I was talking to the buildings super... and he mentioned that a while ago he was outside doing some work, when he heard a sudden loud boom. Part of the wavy canopy of the United Artists Building next door was being removed, and the heavy cement slab suddenly came crashing down, nearly flattening a very stunned construction worker.

The entire UA tacky canopy has since been removed... a costly process that likely would not have taken place if the building were being prepped for a demolition.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · December-16-09, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

The entire UA tacky canopy has since been removed... a costly process that likely would not have taken place if the building were being prepped for a demolition.

I hope you turn out to be wrong

**Gistok** · December-16-09, 02:45 AM

Originally Posted by mcsdetroitfriend

I hope you turn out to be wrong

LOL... mcs... you need to re-read the last statement in my last post.....

"The entire UA tacky canopy has since been removed... a costly process that likely WOULD NOT have taken place if the building were being prepped for a demolition."

Methinks you have it backwards....

**mcsdetroitfriend** · December-16-09, 02:52 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

LOL... mcs... you need to re-read the last statement in my last post.....

"The entire UA tacky canopy has since been removed... a costly process that likely WOULD NOT have taken place if the building were being prepped for a demolition."

Methinks you have it backwards....

Oh no I read it, and that's what I was referring to, and I still say, I hope you turn out to be wrong about the assumption

**Gistok** · December-16-09, 03:29 AM

Originally Posted by mcsdetroitfriend

Oh no I read it, and that's what I was referring to, and I still say, I hope you turn out to be wrong about the assumption

OK... my assumption is that I want the building to stay up... and the removal of that hiddeous canopy is a time consuming effort towards that goal.

So you want the building to come down?

**esp1986** · December-16-09, 08:04 AM

judging by what they have been doing, including putting doors on this building, and now streetlights, I really don't think it will be demolished, but it seems that works has ceased for the time being...

P.S. - Gistok - that tacky canopy came down sometime this summer, I posted about it being gone... I was there one weekend and saw it, and the next weekend when I drove by it was gone.

And I agree, that likely wouldn't have been removed if the building was being demolished... we will see what happens.

**Whitehouse** · December-16-09, 06:00 PM

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.

**Whitehouse** · December-16-09, 06:05 PM

Especially hearing that it's neighbour, the Michigan, is doing so well makes me think that there a great future for the building.

What worries me though, will the theater part suffer the same fate as the Michigan? No one has said it out loud but it is possible that the stage of the UA may be turned into parkinglot.....

**cman710** · December-16-09, 06:25 PM

I have always liked [[but never shared) this picture of the UA facade that I took during the Preservation Wayne Theater Tour in the summer of 2008. I love the way the look of the figure complements the holes in the wall and the bird on his head, as he is saying, "Oh no! What has happened to me?"

Lorax · December-16-09, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

Especially hearing that it's neighbour, the Michigan, is doing so well makes me think that there a great future for the building.

What worries me though, will the theater part suffer the same fate as the Michigan? No one has said it out loud but it is possible that the stage of the UA may be turned into parkinglot.....

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!