United Artists Theatre

**jcole** · September-20-09, 06:35 PM

Promotional trailer showing premiere activities and publicity surrounding release of Otto Premingers film ANATOMY OF A MURDER [[United Artists), which was filmed on Michigans Upper Peninsula. The premiere took place in Detroit; present were Lee Remick, Joseph N. Welch, George C. Scott, Otto Preminger, Arthur O'Connell, Walter Reuther and Michigan governor G. Mennen Williams.

Promotional Trailer from Archive.org

**Russix** · September-20-09, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

If the UA is made into a performance building with live shows on the first level and movies on the other level it would bring the foot traffic back downtown. It would also be another stop for the people mover. Just imagine; The people mover is used to stop at every important venue downtown. The RenCen, The UA, Greektown, Cobo Hall, Rosa Parks Transit CEnter[[where people could catch the biofuel bus leaving the venues downtown and going home) etc. The people mover would live up to it's purpose.Retail could probably be in the UA building also. Like a mini mall or something. I think Grand Circus Park will make a comeback.

It's a full city block away from the GCP station. Maybe they should get rid of the train and put in a conveyor belt.

Stosh · September-20-09, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by Russix

It's a full city block away from the GCP station. Maybe they should get rid of the train and put in a conveyor belt.

Or better yet, a catapult.
Live performances and movies would pale by comparison.

**jcole** · September-20-09, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

Or better yet, a catapult.
Live performances and movies would pale by comparison.

That could be the new mass transit for the city. A trebuchet on every corner.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-21-09, 01:23 AM

here's hoping that this is some real news and not some asshole making things up =)

*Crossing my fingers for good measure*

**mallory** · September-22-09, 07:46 AM

hornwrecker,

Where did you find that b&w night shot of the UA? What a great picture! I figure it was taken in 1946 since that is when "Zeigfeld Follies" with Judy Garland was released. I think you credited WSU for the picture. Are those online or at their library? Great find!

**Hornwrecker** · September-22-09, 11:49 AM

That's at Wayne's Virtual Motor City: http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?c=vmc

Do a search for Bagley.

**casscorridor** · September-22-09, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

If the UA is made into a performance building with live shows on the first level and movies on the other level it would bring the foot traffic back downtown. It would also be another stop for the people mover. Just imagine; The people mover is used to stop at every important venue downtown. The RenCen, The UA, Greektown, Cobo Hall, Rosa Parks Transit CEnter[[where people could catch the biofuel bus leaving the venues downtown and going home) etc. The people mover would live up to it's purpose.Retail could probably be in the UA building also. Like a mini mall or something. I think Grand Circus Park will make a comeback.

Sounds great, but I highly doubt this development would make Grand Circus have a comeback, much less Downtown [[now, i recognize downtown has already had quite a comeback since the 1990s, but when I mean a real comback, i mean where streets are filled with people, and the population is double or triple the size, and everything is within walking distance... including all of one's groceries). Much progress has already been made-- new stadiums, restaurants, shops, ammenities, lofts, etc. but it is still nowhere near being where it ought to be.

Redevelopment of UA would be great, but by no means a silver bullet. I doubt it would even have as big effect as the Book Cadillac [[unless, perhaps there was a major movie theatre located there... a second theatre for downtown). There is still dozens of empty parcels surrounding the UA building, and I doubt even if the building was redeveloped the area would look vibrant with all those empty lots.

So although big projects, like the Stadiums and Book Cadillac, Compuware, etc are important and lead to more development, if that is all there is, those gains will be quickly undone. Instead, focus should be placed on developing small scale buildings [[2-6 stories), and filling in ALL empty lots to restore the street wall. Encouraging small shops to open providing needed services such as dentists, doctors, dry cleaners, grocery stores, pharmacies, coffee shops, video rentals, clothiers, shoe stores, etc, etc. Putting focus on this is not popular with our leaders, as they are drawn toward big flashy projects such as the casinos. But the real comeback will come when we have a 24 hr, 7 day a week, 365 days a year Downtown that offers every good and service one would need within walking distance.

Making it easy for small businesses to open is essential, as is a health mix of locally-owned, francised, and corporate owned stores. Prove to national retailers that Downtown is a viable place to do buisiness. They won't be convinced by a new stadium or casino, or renovated building. They'll be convince when they see the sidewalks filled with people.

Focusing on small scale development would also mean that development would spread out from Downtown into surrounding neighborhoods faster. Instead of building a 30 story skyscrapper, build 6 five story buildings.... which would have MUCH more effect as it fills in the empty lots that severely hurt the viablity of our Downtown.

**MotownSpartan** · September-22-09, 06:05 PM

Anyone else notice that the yellow shoots coming out of the UA building are eerily similar to the shoots coming of the [[now being demolished) Lafayette building. Not a good sign?

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-22-09, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSpartan

Anyone else notice that the yellow shoots coming out of the UA building are eerily similar to the shoots coming of the [[now being demolished) Lafayette building. Not a good sign?

doesn't really matter, those are industrial chutes, they're used to throw things straight down into a dumpster. Both buildings have to get things thrown out of them regardless of the ultimate result of the building

**Gistok** · September-22-09, 07:41 PM

From what I've heard there were a lot of mattresses and homeless bric-a-brac found on many floors of this former "Hobo Hilton". Since this building was NOT sealed for many years, an accumulation of crap found its' way inside. This is all being removed.

**cman710** · September-22-09, 09:45 PM

Hornwrecker, good to see you around. I thought perhaps you had never made it onto the new Forum. Your posts are always very informative.

On a side note, I noticed that a lot of the windows on the UA are partially open. Is that the workers keeping them open during the day? I would imagine so.

**Plains_Thunder** · September-23-09, 06:55 PM

Hello all. As always, great posts Gistok. Your information on theatres is superb! I am a volunteer at the Redford Theatre and in talking to a fellow volunteer, I learned some interesting news about the United Artists. Apparently, the same company that helped in some of our plaster restoration was recently at the United Artists doing some estimates on restoration this year. One road block they ran into was a lack of original plasterwork since most, if not all has been cleaned up. So, it looks like restoration is definitely being considered and hopefully pursued. We shall see.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-23-09, 07:32 PM

=) =) =) =) very happy =) =) =)

**esp1986** · September-27-09, 09:32 PM

Drove by the UA this evening, saw a couple lights on in the middle levels of the building, somewhere between the 8th and 10th floors I presume, have never seen them on before. Say what you will, but given some of the recent posts on here, including the one about a bid being solicited for plaster work, I think it is at least safe to suspect that a renovation may be around the corner if not already underway.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-27-09, 09:55 PM

Matty Maroun told me today they are in fact renovating it

**gumby** · September-27-09, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by mcsdetroitfriend

Matty Maroun told me today they are in fact renovating it

Just the building or including the Theater?

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-27-09, 10:17 PM

he wasn't sure - i did ask him specifically about the theater - but he said all he'd heard is that they're renovating it for government offices...but judging from the other poster's hearing of plasterwork, sounds like a pretty good thing is going down in the city

**esp1986** · September-27-09, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by mcsdetroitfriend

he wasn't sure - i did ask him specifically about the theater - but he said all he'd heard is that they're renovating it for government offices...but judging from the other poster's hearing of plasterwork, sounds like a pretty good thing is going down in the city

If they are renovating the office part, it wouldn't make much sense to let the theatre sit and rot even more. Olympia Entertainment will likely operate the theatre, but they were just waiting for a committment from a possible tenant before they wasted a lot of money renovating the building with no guarantee of possible use.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-27-09, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by esp1986

If they are renovating the office part, it wouldn't make much sense to let the theatre sit and rot even more. Olympia Entertainment will likely operate the theatre, but they were just waiting for a committment from a possible tenant before they wasted a lot of money renovating the building with no guarantee of possible use.

Exactly which is the same reasoning behind the train station sitting empty....they've had some pretty crazy proposals [[ie. hydroponic farming - feed the world!)

**Gistok** · September-27-09, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by Plains_Thunder

Hello all. As always, great posts Gistok. Your information on theatres is superb! I am a volunteer at the Redford Theatre and in talking to a fellow volunteer, I learned some interesting news about the United Artists. Apparently, the same company that helped in some of our plaster restoration was recently at the United Artists doing some estimates on restoration this year. One road block they ran into was a lack of original plasterwork since most, if not all has been cleaned up. So, it looks like restoration is definitely being considered and hopefully pursued. We shall see.

Thanks very much and welcome Plains_Thunder!

I am really glad that you posted this information... it at least gives us hope for C. Howard Crane's finest acoustic theatre [[at least in Detroit). Crane honed his acoustic magic on Orchestra Hall in 1919, and then refined it in his larger 1922 Capitol Theatre [[now Detroit Opera House). His 1928 Detroit United Artists was an acoustic and exotic masterpiece.

From what we know... the Art Deco inspired Indian Maiden busts throughout the theatre and lobby are gone [[stolen by scrappers). But there are specialized firms [[such as Conrad Schmitt Studios) that could sculpturally recreate one bust [[via old photos), and then create molds to recreate all the others in plaster.

The lower part of the Procenium was removed back in the 50s [[for a wider screen), and would have to be recreated. Similar procenium recreation work was done at the Detroit Opera House [[where one of the reliefs ware recast as an image of Dr. David DiChiera).

If the plasterwork still survives as in this photo [[taken about 2 years ago), then the upper procenium arch, much of the procenium canopy and the organ grilles are still somewhat intact. Ditto for the ceiling coves and fan vaults.

The worst damage to the theatre was in the rotunda lobby that separates the outer lobby from the auditorium. But the different sides of this circular space are a continuous repitition... so all they really need is 1 side relatively intact.

Any UA Theatre restoration [[as opposed to renovation) would likely be like the Detroit Opera House, where 90% of the plasterwork was replaced... either reproduced [[via molds made of the older plaster) or re-created.

Sorry, I lost the credits for this UA auditorium image taken when there were still holes in the roof. The drapes are from when they "didn't want to show all that old stuff anymore"... and hid the fancy organ grilles and missing procenium plasterwork.

**Gistok** · September-28-09, 01:26 AM

As mentioned... 90% of the plasterwork of the Detroit Opera House [[C. Howard Crane's 1921 designed/1922 opened Capitol Theatre) was replaced. Here's a pic of the Detroit Opera House auditorium [[from a 1998 MOT brochure cover) showing the newly restored procenium arch and above it the opulent and intricate geometric sounding board that gives the space its' marvelous acoustics.

Back in the 1990s [[according to Theatre Historical Society) no movie palace had been as badly damaged and then fully restored as the Capitol Theatre [[DOH). However, I do believe the UA is in worse condition than the Capitol was.

**cman710** · September-28-09, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Sorry, I lost the credits for this UA auditorium image taken when there were still holes in the roof. The drapes are from when they "didn't want to show all that old stuff anymore"... and hid the fancy organ grilles and missing procenium plasterwork.

Gistok, I am not sure of the credits for the photo, but I think it may be Ryan Southen's, as I know he did a series of shots inside the UA.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · September-28-09, 09:33 AM

I agree. Of all the recent photos of the UA, his have been the best, and had the most processing HDR [[hyper-dynamic range for non-photographers

**Danny** · September-28-09, 10:33 AM

Don't worry folks Illich holdings is a fixing the United Artists Building to be the next " PREMIER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY." It would good as new about 20 to 50 years.