Max Gail

**1701** · April-08-09, 09:46 PM

Just saw Max Gail on TV tonight.[[Detroit born actor, was on the old Barney Miller series amongst others). It made me think of his sister who owned a business downtown back in the 70's. It was a gift shop/snack bar and featured small tables where people played backgammon during lunch breaks. I seem to recall it being on Larned or Congress near Shelby. Does anyone out there remember the name of the place? Was it Emily's?

**56packman** · April-08-09, 09:48 PM

It was an ice cream parlor, I think it was on Congress. It had the big "Welcome to Detroit" sign painted on the side. I went there once, couldn't get waited on, left.

**mommydearest** · April-08-09, 10:08 PM

She started out as "Emily's" in the Penobscot Building and then moved to the store on Congress which was known as "Emily's Across the Street."

**gnome** · April-08-09, 10:14 PM

I think it was called Emily's Across the Street. Emily Gail lives out in Maui, sells real estate and peeks in on this site now and then. I don't think she and Pooh Andrews [[?) are together any longer.

**FredGarvin** · April-08-09, 10:35 PM

Max Gail's dad started in the show business industry here in Detroit. He used to run a talent booking business. I have an old Play Bill showing my grandfather, as the leader of a big band in Detroit back in the '30's and '40's sceduled to play at an event, and Max Gail's name shows up as the booking agent. Kinda cool, huh?

**irish_mafia** · April-09-09, 05:19 AM

Emily's "Say Good things about Detroit". They were sponsors of one of the early runs in the city 1980ish I believe.

**rjk** · April-09-09, 05:45 AM

It's been a few years, but every once in a while I use to see one of her bumper stickers [[City Council) plastered on a streetlight.

I seem to recall reading that MG started out as a teacher in GP.
Anyone know if that's true?

**rb336** · April-09-09, 07:31 AM

Anyone recall Max Gail's docmentary about the rather thugish methods used to secure property for the Poletown plant?

**Supersport** · April-09-09, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by 56packman

It was an ice cream parlor, I think it was on Congress. It had the big "Welcome to Detroit" sign painted on the side. I went there once, couldn't get waited on, left.

Classic! LOL

**jfk** · April-09-09, 07:55 AM

They still do business in Southfield. I grew up with the Rice's. They lived on Meadowbrook across from the fifth fairway of Western Golf+C.C. in Redford Twsp. http://www.gail-rice.com/index.php

**1701** · April-09-09, 08:01 AM

"Emily's Across the Street" Yes, that's it! Brings back good memories when working downtown was desirable and fun. Downtown still felt like a 'neighborhood' then.

**downtownguy** · April-09-09, 11:52 AM

Other sister Ann ran Gail's office supply, located in the Penobscot Bulding for years until Office Depot/Staples put the independent office supply companies out of business.

Ann, Emily and Max were all twins--family had three sets of them. Emily and Max were "twinned" with one another as I recall.

**downtownguy** · April-09-09, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by 1701

"Emily's Across the Street" Yes, that's it! Brings back good memories when working downtown was desirable and fun. Downtown still felt like a 'neighborhood' then.

1701, I think downtown still feels like a neighborhood. Many of my suburban friends don't know their neighbors or their local merchants by name, but I can. And that also goes for their local office supply owner--which I knew well until Gail's closed.

**jiminnm** · April-09-09, 01:04 PM

I used to go into Emily's 2-3 times a week for lunch. Her place then became Mickey's.

**RJ_Spangler** · April-09-09, 01:58 PM

It seems to me that there was another sister, Mart, who was a singer that I used to know a little. She had a band or bands with Ralph Koziarski [[the Inside Band & the Outside Band).

I did business with the Gail & Rice Agency back in the day. They were pretty big at one time here in the area.

My Aunt grew up with the Gail's on Grosse Ille, a long time ago. She and my mom told me they also owned an office supply biz downriver somewhere...

**RJ_Spangler** · April-09-09, 01:59 PM

Mary, not "Mart" T being next to Y & all...

**DetroitPlanner** · April-09-09, 03:10 PM

Gail's Office Supplies had stores in Downtown Wyandotte as well as in the Penobscott building. The Penobscott branch closed down not that long ago [[sometime in the early 2000's). I don't recall Emily's being in the Penobscott, but I suppose it was possible and makes sense in that the Gail's had a large retail establishment in the building already. Strange, though I can remember when the Penobscott post office was the Brooks Brothers! I can recall the Place @ Congress & Shelby being called Emily's accross the street. I can remember the Ice Cream, T-shirts, and video games.
Geez I'm old, I got to go, there are kids on my lawn I need to yell at!

**Beech Cricker** · April-09-09, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by RJ_Spangler

My Aunt grew up with the Gail's on Grosse Ille, a long time ago. She and my mom told me they also owned an office supply biz downriver somewhere...

The office supply store was on Biddle Avenue in downtown Wyandotte.

**1701** · April-10-09, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

1701, I think downtown still feels like a neighborhood. Many of my suburban friends don't know their neighbors or their local merchants by name, but I can. And that also goes for their local office supply owner--which I knew well until Gail's closed.

Downtownguy: I think we both share a love for Detroit and it looks like we both know our neighbors and local merchants by name. This is good. Iâ€™ll agree that downtown may still have a neighborhood feel, especially on many warm summer evenings. Downtown has really started to come alive again on many nights. But I can't agree that 2009 downtown has the same feel during the day that it had for workers, 30 to 40 years ago. Too much has been lost. That's not a dis to Detroit or Detroiters, it's just a sad reality in my opinion. Fortunately, the dialogue found on this board is a positive thing. Have a pleasant and happy Easter Holiday!

**eriedearie** · April-10-09, 01:21 PM

I remember Emily's Across the Street too! When I worked in the Penobscot Building with a friend of mine, we used to go in there on lunch sometimes. We thought it was a neat place and figured our youngest sons would like it too. So one Saturday, the four of us got together and took the bus downtown and we did a mini tour of our own. We spent a lot of our day wandering around Emily's and the boys remember her walking up to them and she had a monkey wrapped around her. She had the monkey peek over their shoulder when they were looking at some novelty items, and it scared them! Then they started laughing cause it was one of those puppet monkeys. They followed Emily around the store, while she "performed" with that silly monkey! She was real good with kids.

Gail's Office Supply is where our office manager shopped. Everything came from Gail's. Didn't matter what we needed - if they didn't have it in stock, they got it for us. Great people to do business with.

**56packman** · April-10-09, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Anyone recall Max Gail's docmentary about the rather thugish methods used to secure property for the Poletown plant?

Yes, there were some really nice properties that gave way to the GM Poletown plant, Two lovely Catholic churches and some stable neighborhood areas. But GM was going to build that plant, and take the production of Cadillac vehicles away from the Clark street plant. The jobs could either be retained in Detroit, or go down south, which was GM's first inclination. Coleman Young [[whom I have said many negative things about on DY) fought tirelessly to keep that plant, and those jobs in this area, and he, and his staff had to weigh the good against the bad.
Had that not occured, the new Cadillac plant opened in a southern state, what would that area be like today? Chrysler would have most likely pulled Dodge Main down, but what would have come of that property?

**grumpyoldlady** · April-14-09, 05:29 AM

I found Emily's website and sent her an email last year. She was happy to hear from an old Detroiter and former customer. I can still look around my home and find unusual knick knacks [[sp) that I purchased at her store. Always something different there.

**Lowell** · April-14-09, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Anyone recall Max Gail's documentary about the rather thuggish methods used to secure property for the Poletown plant?

Correction, it wasn't Max Gail's documentary film. It was "Poletown Lives" by Detroit's own George Corsetti [and a long time friend of mine].

Max was sympathetic to the protesters who wanted to keep their church and, in some cases, their homes and appeared in the documentary as he offered his support as a spokesperson with high profile.

This is a truly outstanding documentary loaded with lots of Detroit scenes, Dodge Main, Poletown and more. If you are learning Detroit, it goes in Detroit 101.