Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Deteriorating Detroit and abandoned theaters

This is topic Deteriorating Detroit and abandoned theaters in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 03-14-2009, 12:38 AM:

I was reading a Times online photo article about Detroit and all of the abandoned and deteriorated buildings. There was a link to the French team who's photos were featured. They have a feature photo spread of abandoned and deteriorating theaters which I found fascinating and hauntingly beautiful. I thought I would share.

Times article on Detroit:
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1882089,00.html

Abandoned Theaters

http://reliques.online.fr/
(click on Abandoned Theaters of America)

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 03-14-2009, 01:23 AM:

Great find, Sean!

But I could almost cry.

Somebody please pass me a tissue. . . . [Frown]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-14-2009, 02:55 AM:

Yes, sad. There are tonnage of forgotten and abandoned locations all over this country of various interests. One need to do a search on this topic and it's amazing what one will find.

-monte

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 03-14-2009, 09:18 AM:

I am very fortunate to live in a city that managed to save 3 of the downtown theatres. The Ohio and the Palace are frequently used for concerts, Broadway shows and other large events. One especially nice location is the Southern, an 1890's vintage house with beautiful sound and beautiful sightlines. It seats 900 and is a perfect location for small groups.

AND, the Ohio is still equipped for film and shows them regularly in the summer. I think the equipment is still in the Palace, but hasn't been used in a long time.

Its really sad that we abandon so many beautiful places.

Posted by Galen Murphy-Fahlgren (Member # 4535) on 03-14-2009, 01:25 PM:

While it is true that Detroit has lost or is losing many of its major landmarks, it is also true that many important ones have been saved. The Redford Theatre is probably the most magnificent theater I have ever been too (I saw The Passion of Joan of Arc there, with a live chorus!), and the Detroit Film Theatre always has a great schedule, although the auditorium itself is nothing special really.

Apart from movie theaters, we have a fantastic symphony with an elegant symphony hall, an opera house which I have never been to, a few great live theaters, a really world class museum, and apparently a hopping jazz scene. In other words, Detroit is down but not out. With the right intervention, Detroit could once again be a cultural capital of the region, country, and world. The help would have to come from Washington though, because the city and state are broke as all getout, but a revival of Detroit culture would fix that quickly.

Oh, I guess we have some sports arenas too?

Posted by Jarret Chessell (Member # 5077) on 03-14-2009, 02:34 PM:

Don't forget about the 5000+ seat Fox Theater...

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-14-2009, 04:29 PM:

Although Honolulu had some very beautiful theatres that are all gone now, the most beautiful one of all still exists in downtown Honolulu. It is the historic Hawaii Theatre. It was built by locally owned at that time, Consolidated Amusement Company and opened in 1922 and during the early thirties, the Hawaii was the first to play sound films in the islands, Although it had lost a lot of it's original splendor, I used to enjoy watching a movie at that theatre when I was a teenager until it shut down in the seventies. It was scheduled for demolition but was saved when a group came forward when Consolidated donated the building so it can be restored. Today, the Hawaii Theatre is a national landmark and something we in Hawaii are very proud of.

-Claude

http://www.hawaiitheatre.com