United Artist Theatre Renovation

[MichaelAnthonyVideos]

[Lowell]

Great drone videography as always MichaelAV!

Nice to watch the masonry repair on the west wall, an eye sore I watched deteriorate from my 9 th floor office in the Michigan Building.

[MichaelAnthonyVideos]

Great drone videography as always MichaelAV!

Nice to watch the masonry repair on the west wall, an eye sore I watched deteriorate from my 9 th floor office in the Michigan Building.

Thank you Lowell! I like the old brick better.

[Burnsie]

Very cool video! Though title could be changed to "United Artists Building renovation", since the theatre is now demolished.

[Gistok]

Very cool video! Though title could be changed to "United Artists Building renovation", since the theatre is now demolished.

They did keep the theatre lobby and smaller storm lobby... I guess for future use... hopefully restored future use! Would make for an awesome restaurant with all the fancy plasterwork.

[Gistok]

Since those 2 images of the United Artists surviving lobby and storm lobby [they are both within the UA Building] show bland fancy plasterwork... here is a color interior shot of the similar former smaller Chicago United Artists [destroyed circa 1990 for an office tower]. There is no known color photo of the former Detroit United Artists Theatre, so this gives one an idea of what a restored lobby, perhaps used as a restaurant, would look like, color wise... a crazy mix of color, some jewel like.

Note: United Artists theatre chain owners Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Charlie Chaplin and director D. W. Griffiths... they commissioned Detroit architect C. Howard Crane to produced a trio of similar Spanish Gothic/Art Deco flagship theatres in 1927-28... the 2200 seat LA United Artists, the 2100 seat Detroit United Artists, and the 1700 seat Chicago United Artists.

[MichaelAnthonyVideos]

Good idea, thank you!

[Gistok]

Good idea, thank you!

Thanks! For those of you who have been into the Asian inspired restaurant PAO... inside the surviving lobby of the 1927 built Oriental Theatre [[originally 2950 seat auditorium... today a parking lot next to the Briggs Houz) on W. Adams. Well that PAO restaurant has just remnants of the formal Oriental Theatre as restaurant interior. But if the surviving UA theatre lobby became a restaurant... you could end up with the complete 1928 lobby on 3 of 4 walls.

[Zacha341]

These photos are great. Thanks for sharing!

[Vitalis]

Greetings Forum Phenoms,

The Detroit Free Press has an interesting section devoted to the grand opening of the United Artists Building from Sunday, January 29, 1928, starting on page 59 [[Part Five of that days paper.) "Magnificent New United Artists Building Throws Open." [[Third Unit in Bagley Improvement Drive.) Another moment of civic pride during the Roaring 20's.

Lest We Forget...

[MichaelAnthonyVideos]

It looks like it would make a very nice restaurant.

[Henry Whalley]

Circa 1975, United Artists had a screening room across the street from Masonic Temple that screened upcoming releases for film reviewers. The space was cozy with wide armchairs, ottomans, ashtrays, and they always provided bagels, donuts, coffee, tea, orange juice, etc. IIRC there was an alleyway between the screening room and a nice motor lodge that may have been called the Park [or Temple] Motor Lodge.

The hotel at the corner of Temple and Cass was little more than a high-rise brothel, if that's your idea of a good time..

[beachboy]

Henry Whalley wrote: "IIRC there was an alleyway between the screening room and a nice motor lodge that may have been called the Park [or Temple] Motor Lodge."

Was that the Park Place Motor Hotel? Across from Cass Park, later a senior living facility, since demolished. Stayed there early 1960s ... nice place with pool and coffee shop ... the neighborhood, not so much ...

[Henry Whalley]

Was that the Park Place Motor Hotel? Across from Cass Park, later a senior living facility, since demolished. Stayed there early 1960s ... nice place with pool and coffee shop ...

Thanks, that's the place! What a shame it was demolished...