![]() "The growth of business on that part of Bagley avenue that has been touched by the magic of enterprise - that has felt the guiding hands of this far-seeing group, these public-spirited citizens - is one of Detroit's commercial marvels. The other two key pieces were the Michigan Theatre and the 22-story Detroit-Leland Hotel.īefore the Michigan Theatre rose in 1926, the eastern end of Bagley was "a wide, unkempt thoroughfare with nondescript buildings lining most of its length," the Detroit Free Press wrote in January 1928. The price tag on the building was about $5 million (about $63 million today, when adjusted for inflation), and it was the third piece in an ambitious building program planned for Bagley Avenue and sponsored by the Stormfeltz-Loveley real estate company. The Peoples' State Bank occupied the corner at Bagley and Clifford Street. The 18-story, 200,000-square-foot office tower was built in case the theater became unprofitable and originally housed furriers, tailors, beauty salons, even travel agents. 28, 1928, and the theater followed a few days later. Working at the theaterĬrane designed the theater and adjoining office building in the Spanish Gothic and Art Deco styles in 1927, though the office building opened Jan. And Detroit's United Artists was no exception. The theaters became as much of a draw as the films themselves and were part of the show. The intricate designs and lavish interiors of these so-called movie palaces allowed common, working Detroiters to enjoy the splendors of the rich. But there were many others nearby, such as the Oriental and Adams. ![]() ![]() The UA mainly competed with its nearby neighbors, the Michigan and the Crane-designed Fox, State and Capitol theaters. In the 1920s, the area around Grand Circus Park was becoming lined with dazzling places to see shows, each theater trying to outdo its rivals in opulence and flair. Howard Crane sat down to sketch out the UA on his drawing board, the United States was already enamored with motion pictures. ![]() The United Artists Theatre was one of several in Detroit that helped define the term "movie palace." It thrilled hundreds of thousands of Detroiters with its movies and interiors, wowed listeners as a recording studio for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra - and developed a peculiar habit of crushing Oldsmobiles.īy the time legendary theater architect C. ![]()
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