Comments on: A Decade of Detroit Movie Palaces http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/ The Film Programs of the Detroit Film Theatre, Michigan Theater and Redford Theatre Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:10:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Administrator http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/#comment-1316 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:39:25 +0000 http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/#comment-1316 Thanks for the recent history of the Redford Theatre. Your detailed description of how the theater used to look helps show how much progress has been made by the all-volunteer staff. I'm really impressed with how the outer lobby is being restored. While listening to the organist, I often gaze around the theater with admiration at all the fine detail.   Sometimes I sit in the aisle way outside the balcony, soaking in the atmosphere as I listen to a pleasurable mixture of organ-playing and enthusiastic voices rising from the concession area.  While I sit there, I also get a close-up look at the finely painted woodwork and the ceiling of the inner lobby, with its chandeliers from the old Oriental Theater in downtown Detroit.  Thanks for the recent history of the Redford Theatre. Your detailed description of how the theater used to look helps show how much progress has been made by the all-volunteer staff. I’m really impressed with how the outer lobby is being restored. While listening to the organist, I often gaze around the theater with admiration at all the fine detail.  

Sometimes I sit in the aisle way outside the balcony, soaking in the atmosphere as I listen to a pleasurable mixture of organ-playing and enthusiastic voices rising from the concession area.  While I sit there, I also get a close-up look at the finely painted woodwork and the ceiling of the inner lobby, with its chandeliers from the old Oriental Theater in downtown Detroit. 

]]> by: Allen FitzGerald http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/#comment-1308 Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:59:34 +0000 http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/#comment-1308 Robert, I would like to say thank you. As one of the volunteers at the Redford Theatre I have spent 32 years working at the Redford. It was the theatre I went to as a child. I saw Jerry Lewis there in the 60's. I did not know the organ was even there until I went to a concert with my parents in 1974. When I was going there their was a black lump in the pit. I never paid any attention to it. There were gold drapes on the walls and the paint was yellow. The main ceiling was still blue but the under side of the balcony was white. The lobby was yellow with a white ceiling and the outer lobby was brown paneling with a drop ceiling. As you can see we have done a lot of restoration work to the building. When we took it over the theatre had closed. They tried a showing of the stewardess (rated X) It showed for about 3 days. The owners told us the choice of who to offer the theatre to was us or a church. I am glad it was us. For all of our faithful patron’s .A great big thank you. Please introduce your self when you are there. I can usually be found behind the sound and lighting booth. I love to talk about the theatre and our restoration. Again Thank You. Allen FitzGerald Robert,
I would like to say thank you. As one of the volunteers at the Redford Theatre I have spent 32 years working at the Redford. It was the theatre I went to as a child. I saw Jerry Lewis there in the 60’s. I did not know the organ was even there until I went to a concert with my parents in 1974. When I was going there their was a black lump in the pit. I never paid any attention to it. There were gold drapes on the walls and the paint was yellow. The main ceiling was still blue but the under side of the balcony was white. The lobby was yellow with a white ceiling and the outer lobby was brown paneling with a drop ceiling.
As you can see we have done a lot of restoration work to the building. When we took it over the theatre had closed. They tried a showing of the stewardess (rated X) It showed for about 3 days. The owners told us the choice of who to offer the theatre to was us or a church. I am glad it was us. For all of our faithful patron’s .A great big thank you. Please introduce your self when you are there. I can usually be found behind the sound and lighting booth. I love to talk about the theatre and our restoration.
Again Thank You.
Allen FitzGerald

]]> by: Administrator http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/#comment-1088 Wed, 16 May 2007 22:34:10 +0000 http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/#comment-1088 Wow - this kind of reply makes worthwhile all the hours spent researching the Looking Back column, digging through web sites to find material for the Foreign Language and Old Movie listings, and sparking my imagination for blog material. Thanks for all the interesting observations - I hope they inspire others to share their experiences. I second the comments about the Penn. It reproduces the old neighborhood movie experience that is so well documented in the current Detroit Historical Museum exhibit, Detroit: The 'Reel' Story: 100 Years of Going to the Movies in Metro Detroit. Its programming includes a Thursday night series of classic movies like Breakfast at Tiffanys, Rear Window and The Maltese Falcon. Another memorable experience of my 10 years attending these three theaters has been the anniversaries: 75-year celebrations at the Michigan and Redford in 2003, and the 25th anniversary of the DFT in 1999. For most people, these theaters (including the DFT auditorium) have existed all their lives - they've always been there. They haven't had a limited lifespan like so many other theaters, including the boxy mall-based theaters that were so popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Wow - this kind of reply makes worthwhile all the hours spent researching the Looking Back column, digging through web sites to find material for the Foreign Language and Old Movie listings, and sparking my imagination for blog material. Thanks for all the interesting observations - I hope they inspire others to share their experiences.

I second the comments about the Penn. It reproduces the old neighborhood movie experience that is so well documented in the current Detroit Historical Museum exhibit, Detroit: The ‘Reel’ Story: 100 Years of Going to the Movies in Metro Detroit. Its programming includes a Thursday night series of classic movies like Breakfast at Tiffanys, Rear Window and The Maltese Falcon.

Another memorable experience of my 10 years attending these three theaters has been the anniversaries: 75-year celebrations at the Michigan and Redford in 2003, and the 25th anniversary of the DFT in 1999. For most people, these theaters (including the DFT auditorium) have existed all their lives - they’ve always been there. They haven’t had a limited lifespan like so many other theaters, including the boxy mall-based theaters that were so popular in the 1970s and 1980s.

]]> by: Laura Barnes http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/#comment-1087 Wed, 16 May 2007 17:56:17 +0000 http://detroitmoviepalaces.com/blog/2007/05/11/a-decade-of-detroit-movie-palaces/#comment-1087 Thanks for telling us about how this site came into being. Very interesting story. My journey with historic theaters started at the Redford in 1986. I had friends that faithfully attended films there and I went with them and just fell in love with the theater. All my experiences with films were in very common box-theaters. I'm old enough to say I can remember single screen movie theaters and in my late teens I saw the rise of the multi-plex. The movie theaters I experienced growing up was all about the film and nothing about the venue it was shown in. Once I visited the Redford I was impressed that the films were wonderful and I got an extra bonus of an organ concert before the film, the illusion of being in a beautiful Japanese garden setting and when I'd look up at the ceiling I saw twinkling "stars" above. The movie going experience became much more of a treat. I was also impressed by the sense of community I felt every time I visited. In the late 1980's and early 1990's I remember Don Lockwood (who I believe passed away within the last few years) would greet the crowd and tell us a little about the film. I saw many of the same volunteers week-after-week selling concession items or directing traffic in the women's bathroom. (For those who don't know, the women's room is very long and skinny. It is difficult to see what stall is available and there was a very sweet older lady that stood towards the end of the skinny hallway and let people in line for the bathroom know what stall was available.) You were always well taken care of at the Redford Theatre. Then in the mid-1990's I visited the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. WOW! What a beautiful place and the films were so unique. They showed films from around the world and many films were shown with sub-titles! I've never experienced anything like that before. I don't have a lot of money to travel but whenever I saw a film at the Michigan Theater from India, France, Italy, or other countries I felt like I was actually visiting that country. The organ concert and the fresh popcorn with REAL butter was such a treat! (Not fake butter topping that is featured at most multi-plexes) I quickly realized that you get more for your money at beautiful historic theater. Eventually I started volunteering with the theater and loved every minute of it. Then in 1999 I lost my job and started to look for a job that I really loved. I searched in the non-profit world in Ann Arbor and was offered a couple of positions but nothing suited me well. Then Gayle Steiner, the Development Director at the Michigan Theater approached Russ Collins, the Executive Director about creating a position for me as the Membership Manager/Volunteer Coordinator. Russ agreed to create this position for me and take a risk. This risk paid off, membership revenue went from $65,000 a year in 1999 to almost $300,000 in 2007. I have a job I love too! The Detroit Film Theater also has a special place in my heart. I've seen several films there over the last 15 years. My favorite was the William Castle film festival they had a few years ago around Halloween. I still have my Ghost Viewer/Ghost Remover glasses from the film 13 Ghosts. I display them proudly in my office. What a fun night and I LOVE the lounge at the DTF. I always buy a little snack or a glass of wine when I go to the DTF. Their lounge is so lovely that it MAKES you want to buy a drink or a snack. I must confess my love of historic theaters has grown. I went to the League of Historic Theatres conference in Kansas City in 2005. It was such a pleasure to tour all the historic theaters in that town and I'm looking forward to attending the LHAT conference in Boston this summer and touring more theaters. When I'm on vacation now I tend to check out the historic theaters in the towns I visit too. The Tampa Theatre in Florida was a delight to see this past February when I was on vacation. Lastly, in my little hometown of Plymouth, I take pleasure in seeing the Penn Theatre flourish. It is a 1940's style theater and not as grand as DTF, Redford or the Michigan but it is a critical part of the downtown landscape of Plymouth. It almost got demolished but the citizens saved it. The Penn is a downtown gathering spot for the Plymouth community and I hope it always stands proudly along side Kellogg Park. It makes Plymouth a more interesting place to visit and there is a sense of community there that is priceless. Thanks for keeping this blog going. I check your site most every day. Thanks for telling us about how this site came into being. Very interesting story. My journey with historic theaters started at the Redford in 1986. I had friends that faithfully attended films there and I went with them and just fell in love with the theater. All my experiences with films were in very common box-theaters. I’m old enough to say I can remember single screen movie theaters and in my late teens I saw the rise of the multi-plex. The movie theaters I experienced growing up was all about the film and nothing about the venue it was shown in.

Once I visited the Redford I was impressed that the films were wonderful and I got an extra bonus of an organ concert before the film, the illusion of being in a beautiful Japanese garden setting and when I’d look up at the ceiling I saw twinkling “stars” above. The movie going experience became much more of a treat. I was also impressed by the sense of community I felt every time I visited. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s I remember Don Lockwood (who I believe passed away within the last few years) would greet the crowd and tell us a little about the film. I saw many of the same volunteers week-after-week selling concession items or directing traffic in the women’s bathroom. (For those who don’t know, the women’s room is very long and skinny. It is difficult to see what stall is available and there was a very sweet older lady that stood towards the end of the skinny hallway and let people in line for the bathroom know what stall was available.) You were always well taken care of at the Redford Theatre.

Then in the mid-1990’s I visited the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. WOW! What a beautiful place and the films were so unique. They showed films from around the world and many films were shown with sub-titles! I’ve never experienced anything like that before. I don’t have a lot of money to travel but whenever I saw a film at the Michigan Theater from India, France, Italy, or other countries I felt like I was actually visiting that country. The organ concert and the fresh popcorn with REAL butter was such a treat! (Not fake butter topping that is featured at most multi-plexes) I quickly realized that you get more for your money at beautiful historic theater. Eventually I started volunteering with the theater and loved every minute of it.

Then in 1999 I lost my job and started to look for a job that I really loved. I searched in the non-profit world in Ann Arbor and was offered a couple of positions but nothing suited me well. Then Gayle Steiner, the Development Director at the Michigan Theater approached Russ Collins, the Executive Director about creating a position for me as the Membership Manager/Volunteer Coordinator. Russ agreed to create this position for me and take a risk. This risk paid off, membership revenue went from $65,000 a year in 1999 to almost $300,000 in 2007. I have a job I love too!

The Detroit Film Theater also has a special place in my heart. I’ve seen several films there over the last 15 years. My favorite was the William Castle film festival they had a few years ago around Halloween. I still have my Ghost Viewer/Ghost Remover glasses from the film 13 Ghosts. I display them proudly in my office. What a fun night and I LOVE the lounge at the DTF. I always buy a little snack or a glass of wine when I go to the DTF. Their lounge is so lovely that it MAKES you want to buy a drink or a snack.

I must confess my love of historic theaters has grown. I went to the League of Historic Theatres conference in Kansas City in 2005. It was such a pleasure to tour all the historic theaters in that town and I’m looking forward to attending the LHAT conference in Boston this summer and touring more theaters. When I’m on vacation now I tend to check out the historic theaters in the towns I visit too. The Tampa Theatre in Florida was a delight to see this past February when I was on vacation.

Lastly, in my little hometown of Plymouth, I take pleasure in seeing the Penn Theatre flourish. It is a 1940’s style theater and not as grand as DTF, Redford or the Michigan but it is a critical part of the downtown landscape of Plymouth. It almost got demolished but the citizens saved it. The Penn is a downtown gathering spot for the Plymouth community and I hope it always stands proudly along side Kellogg Park. It makes Plymouth a more interesting place to visit and there is a sense of community there that is priceless.

Thanks for keeping this blog going. I check your site most every day.

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