Documenting the Detroit Theater in its Final Days

[Christopher Bindel]

When I first head that the Detroit Theater was closing I was sad but also optimistic. I had hoped that someone would come along and turn it into what it should have been, a thriving active theater with special events and community involvement. This was, of course, fools hope. As we all soon found out the theater was doomed, and McDonalds was to come and replace the building with one of its own un-architecturally significant structures.

I wish I could have done more to save the building, but it wasn't going to happen. So I did the best I could with what I know. I spent time over two different days documenting the building as best I could. Today I will be entering the theater for the last time, in an effort to improve on some of my earlier images. Below are some of the more interesting images with a link to more. I hope you all enjoy them, and will post some more after today's trip.



Plaster adornments around the stage


Curtains still above the stage


Originally used for stage lighting


The projection room


The cutters table still with film on it


The Detroit marquee from the apartment windows


Marble lined hallway in the apartments


Antique love seat in one of the apartments


The western theater lit only by an exit sign and the aisle lights


Plaster adornments hidden under burlap.


Damask patterned wall covering fabric which was covered up by burlap.


Plaster adornments


The electrical box back stage for the original stage lighting with signatures and notes written by past workers.


Plaster adornments on the top left of the stage, covered up with burlap before I tore it down.

The rest of the photos can be found here:
http://lakewoodobserver.com/photoblogs/christopher-bindel/saying-goodbye-to-the-detroit-theater-documenting-the-structure-in

[Peter Grossetti]

Christopher - "a thriving active theater with special events and community involvement?"

Lakewood has that ... it's called Beck Center. (at least until the community involvement goes away!)

[Christopher Bindel]

What I had in mind was a little different, but I understand your point.

[Christopher Bindel]

P.S. Can anyone see my pictures? They aren't showing up on my end, just as an image icon. Did I embed them correctly?

[Peter Grossetti]

Can't see them here.

[Peter Grossetti]

Christopher - my point is that "we" did not support Detroit Theatre (sure it got run down and ucky and sticky toward the end ... but, frankly, it was a second-run movie house)! In this day and age of Netflix and HD-digital-streaming-smarty-phone/ipad viewing capabilities, what did we really expect to happen to The Detroit? I'm surprised there are still youth soccer/football/basketball/t-ball programs operating in today's society given the propensity for wii-games and xboxx!!!

Progress???

[Stan Austin]

Pics are showing up----- nice job Christopher

[Sean Wheeler]

Christopher - my point is that "we" did not support Detroit Theatre (sure it got run down and ucky and sticky toward the end ... but, frankly, it was a second-run movie house)! In this day and age of Netflix and HD-digital-streaming-smarty-phone/ipad viewing capabilities, what did we really expect to happen to The Detroit? I'm surprised there are still youth soccer/football/basketball/t-ball programs operating in today's society given the propensity for wii-games and xboxx!!!

Progress???

The cause of death isn't the digital age any more than video games could ever supplant physical play. The Detroit Theater dwindled to the state it is in now because of a lack of imagination, daring, and investment by the ownership. Community support of the theater diminished as it's relevance diminished, sure, but there was plenty of time for different choices about the use of the theater to emerge over the decades long decline of the theater. It kills me to see the pictures above. I grew up here, and that place has mattered to the people of this town for a very long time. My grandparents went on dates there, my parents necked in the back row, and I remember walking into that big theater as a kid to watch the early animated version of "The Hobbit" in what I thought was a palace. I moved away for awhile, and when I came back in 1995, the owners of the theater had decided on second-run movies and totally ruined the place by dividing it all up. For me, the Detroit Theater quit being the Detroit Theater when it became Detroit Theaters. It's a lack of relevance that killed the Detroit Theater, and not the emergence of dvd's and streaming media. The Capitol Theater seems to have hung on and figured it out. The Detroit didn't, and it's Lakewood's loss.

Thanks for the photos. I really appreciate seeing these last days of the theater.

[Christopher Bindel]

Thanks Sean for sharing. You pretty much hit the nail on the head of what I was trying to get at. There is plenty the theater could still have done if someone showed a little imagination. I just hope no one forgets that there is still another theater in Lakewood that can still, possibly, be saved. The Hilliard Theater, though much decade, could be rehabilitated if the right plan can be hatched.

If anyone wishes to see more photos then what I have posted here or that are in my linked blog, feel free to to contact me and I can show you everything I have.

[Jim O'Bryan]

It's a lack of relevance that killed the Detroit Theater, and not the emergence of dvd's and streaming media. The Capitol Theater seems to have hung on and figured it out. The Detroit didn't, and it's Lakewood's loss.

Thanks for the photos. I really appreciate seeing these last days of the theater.

Sean

If the Capital Theater stopped getting grant funding it would close tomorrow. I love the place, and
love the effort, and love old theaters, but the Capital Theater is a grant funded museum for how
we used to look at movies. Fun, sure, romantic, you bet, nostalgic sure, sustainable, very tough.

As of last Christmas, you could get a 42" Plasma screen for $299. That is about equal to a
movie screen. Actually at the Capital, from the middle row, my iphone is the same size of
the screen at a slightly bent arm's length. Not that I would ever want to do that. So for a
family of four, that would be about 6 trips to the movies.

A mix of on demand, more choices, low prices, and a new lower level of neuvo narcissistic
individualism, has led to the demise of privately owned, sustainable movie theaters in
mid-market communities.

Out of the box thinking! Why, we got another burger joint!

.

[Betsy Voinovich]

There are successful independent movie theaters in cities and towns that figured it out. In places where people valued the experience of seeing a movie together, and seeing it large, and realized it was one of the fun, safe things different people of different ages could do together. It is particularly something teenagers could do. We keep talking about how they prefer their I-screens but where can they physically go, after they're done skating and skateboarding?

Mixed use seems like a no-brainer-- there were offers in Lakewood regarding this theater, but they were too late, the theater already had a deal with McDonald's.

This link is the first one I found after searching for one second. There are a lot more. And yeah, each of them is different, each the product of interested, creative people who put their time and energy into finding something that would work in the community in which they live. Not easy. Well, no. But certainly possible.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/ ... bd4873||||

Betsy Voinovich

p.s. I love going to the movies and so do my kids. (And many of my grown-up friends.)

[Bill Call]

Christopher - "a thriving active theater with special events and community involvement?"

Lakewood has that ... it's called Beck Center. (at least until the community involvement goes away!)

The Detroit Theaters fate was sealed the day millions in taxpayer dollars was committed to the Gordon Square Arts District.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/story.as ... yid=136543

At the time the project was announced the neighborhood was in crisis and the Capital Theater was closed. A lot of taxpayer dollars, hard work on the part of the Detroit Shoreway and some imagination from City leadership turned things around. When the project was announced the Detroit Theater was open and the Beck Center was thriving.

There was no way the Detroit Theater was going to be able to compete with a taxpayer subsidized theater. At around the same time the Beck was making secret plans to move to Westlake and Mental Health Services and other agencies began targeting Lakewood for its homeless resettlement program and half way houses. Someone had a vision for Lakewood but I don't think you would have liked it.

The City of Lakewood has competent leadership. But it is leadership without vision or imagination. The Detroit Theater didnt have to be a McDonalds and Bunts and Detroit didn't have to be the site of a Get Go gas station.

[Grace O'Malley]

The City of Lakewood has competent leadership. But it is leadership without vision or imagination. The Detroit Theater didnt have to be a McDonalds and Bunts and Detroit didn't have to be the site of a Get Go gas station.

So true and so sad. And tellingly, none of these are any new business to Lakewood. McDonalds and GetGo are merely moves. Supposedly, the Taco Bell is moving to Detroit and Edwards.

It's like a board game - move a few pieces around and make it look like something is happening.

[Ellen Cormier]

Great pictures Chris! Thanks for doing this.

[john crino]

It is impressive to see all that is going on around town. Demo/construction wise. I passed a excavator/shovel and a dumpster on the Suzuki lot today. Anyone?