Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour Part 7

The Fox Theater opened in 1928. Built in the temple style with a blend of Burmese, Chinese, Indian and Persian motifs, it was the first theater to be constructed with built-in equipment for sound films.

Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour Part 6

Music Hall opened as the Wilson Theater in 1928. It has an Art Deco facade with a Spanish Renaissance themed interior. Having left Orchestra Hall during the depression and playing at several other venues, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra moved into the Wilson Theater in 1946 and rechristened it Music Hall. When the Orchestra moved again in 1951 the building was used for other purposes. Rehabilitation began in 1973 and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places 1977. Music Hall is the last legitimate stage theater remaining in Detroit. It is the only Detroit venue built for the primary purpose of presenting live performances.

Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour Part 5

The Gem Theater opened as the Little Theatre in 1928. It was built for the Detroit woman's group "The Twentieth Century Club" as an addition to their Century Club facility which was constructed in 1903. After being opened for just one year, the theater was leased to Motion Picture Guild to show the first foreign films in Detroit. In 1959 the theater became the Vanguard Playhouse and hosted repertory theater. By 1967 the theater returned to being a movie house showing adult films until it closed in 1978.

The theater was completely restored and reopened in 1991 to host a series of hit musical and comedic productions. On November 10, 1997 The Century Club and Gem Theater were moved about a half mile from their original location to make way for the construction of Comerica Park. Thus, the theater had to be preserved for a second time. This time, the Century Club was restored as well. Many architectural features from the demolished Downtown YWCA were salvaged to facilitate the building's restoration. Pewabic tile from the pool, stained glass panels from the chapel, leaded glass doors, chandeliers, fireplaces and cornices were all seamlessly incorporated.

Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour Part 4

The Detroit Opera house began life as the Capitol Theater in 1922. The 4,250 seat Howard E. Crane designed theater was the first to open in the Grand Circus Park theater district. It is another fine example of the Palace style. The theater went through many name changes through the years before finally closing as the Grand Circus Theater in 1985. Michigan Opera Theater Took over the building in 1988 and restored it as its' 2,700 seat home.

Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour Part 2

Continuing on the Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour, this all that remains of the auditorium to the Michigan Theater in Detroit.

The Michigan was built in 1926 by the architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp as a concert hall and movie theater. In the 1970's the theater hosted many rock concerts featuring the top acts of the day. It was during this time as a club/concert venue that the theater began to fall into decline. Finally, in 1976, the theater was closed and demolition began. However, due to problems with the structural integrity of adjoining office building, the main hall and lobby were gutted and converted into a parking structure rather than demolishing the theater completely.

Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour Part 1

Preservation Wayne conducted their largest annual tour on August 18th, their Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour. Here is a glimpse at the remains of the lobby to the Oriental Theater. The Oriental Theater was located on West Adams Ave. It was the only atmospheric theater ever be built in Downtown Detroit. The Auditorium was demolished in 1953 but the attached building where the lobby was located still exists today as the Park Apartments building.



Water Winter Wonderland has some additional, earlier photos of the lobby.

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces is a walk back in time to the Golden Age of Cinema. Authors Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon have done a wonderful job stitching together the history of movie going in Detroit. Using photos from local archives, as well as Hauser's personal collection, the book provides glimpses of the city's lost treasures as well as rare looks at the survivors of that by gone era.

The origins of Detroit's movie palaces can be linked directly to the city's original entertainment district centered upon Monroe Street. Hauser and Weldon highlight the recital halls, vaudeville houses and burlesque theaters that dominated that area before moving on to cover the establishment of Grand Circus entertainment district. They detail the jewels of the necklace district with chapters devoted to the Capitol, Michigan, Fox, United Artists, Wilson, and Gem Theaters. The book wraps up with a look at the lost theaters of Downtown Detroit.

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces provides a comprehensive photographic record of the dozens of theaters that existed downtown during the first half of the last century. The interior photos of these opulent theaters, both lost and restored, are the true treasures to be found within these pages. It is a tragedy that so many of these architectural gems have been lost or damaged beyond repair. For younger Detroiters who weren't a part of the theater-going experience during that fabulous era, Hauser and Weldon have given us wonderful a taste of what it must have been like.

This is another quality addition to Acradia Publishing's Images of America series. Without question, you should make it a part of your own personal reference library.

Photos reprinted with permission from Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces, by Michael Hauser & Marianne Weldon. Available from the publisher online at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling (888) 313-2665.