The Michigan Theater

[barnfind]

I think I went to the Michigan in the mid 50s to see "The Seven Wonders of the World" and have been in a few of the other magnificent theaters of the era around the country.
They are really mind boggling to study the architecture and finish details back then.

In the early 70's the Fox Theater in Atlanta was facing a similar fate but it was rescued by a combination of individuals, the city, and corporations. It took many years, well into to 80s, but it was saved and stays booked with concerts, broadway plays, corporate events, films, etc so it can be done if there are a few folks that care. The surrounding area back was mostly rundown and a redlight disctrict but is now very "trendy" with the
folks who want to live in the UnBurbs.

The story:
http://www.foxtheatre.org/savethefox.aspx

It's probably best know as where Gone With The Wind premiered in 1939 but
music concerts kept it alive for many years after the restoration started.

[oliverguy]

My city is Reading PA. The intercities started to die 50 years ago when all the JI's came back from the war & wanted something better than their parents had. By the late 1970's Two car families, chain grocery stores with parking and Levittown developments sealed the deal. We are now two almost three generations past that point.

Sure some neatest areas are filled with trendy shops and eateries, but full scale resergence is unfortunatley not going to happen. It's time to come to grips with that throughout america. Only then can this space be re-used for something in the future.

[[email protected]]

Oliverguy, what your saying is sadly true. The more globalized this world gets the more important it is for us to adapt. However I see nothing wrong with people sitting back and remembering what was and wishing for what they'd like to see. I think anyone who jumps into the middle of a bunch of history collectors and tells them to accept what the world is turning into is stirring the pot. I love Victorian architecture and theaters and banks from the 1920's. I love to read about the times my parents lived through. It gives me a chance to stay grounded and not worry about money. Or the fact this world is going to hell. When we blindly tear down these old buildings and think everything has to be replaced with the future we're doing ourselves a real disservice. It's not going to be too long and we'll lose our history all together. It's already a sad fact that we've got a certain percentage of our college students who can't even tell you who our last vice president was or worse yet why Plymouth Rock is an important part of our past. And as our history disappears our hobby will too.

[oliverguy]

certainly didn't mean to stir the pot! I guess my point was for people to be realistic. I love seeing these places too and I'm a history buff. The history and lessons we take old buildings and cars are invaluable for future generations including my own kids. It shows them how people lived.

I guess my only point is that we can't save everything, and we should be choosy about what gets saved. The worst are probably best left to live in pictures of the way it was. If they stay around, they negatively impact peoples lives as a fire trap or maybe just an eysore. Manytimes the materials can be used on some other building restoration.
Just like car restorations, some must perish so the rest can live.

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by oliverguy

Manytimes the materials can be used on some other building restoration.
Just like car restorations, some must perish so the rest can live.

Yeah, I agree. Your last statement is a point I was going to make earlier and didn't. Actually I was ready to post it and decided not to. But I will now.

There are people who are involved in this hobby for no other reason than to profit. Although they walk among our ranks and claim to be devoted to the hobby they're only involvement is designed to make money off the true enthusiasts. Now please understand, not all who sell products, and are members of our group fit this description. I know of several people who's desire is to provide parts and services to keep our cars on the road. God bless them. The people that get on my nerves are the ones who buy perfectly running, driving and restored cars. Then dismantle them and sell the parts. Their only purpose is to make money. They constantly hang like vultures on the internet watching all sights and when an opportunity comes up that would provide a car for someone who's actually interested in the hobby, they drop in and offer just enough money to buy the cars and then chop them up and sell the parts for an inflated profit. And they will tell everyone they're providing parts to keep model t's on the road. My opinion is to not take one off the road to put 5 back on the road using salvaged parts if in fact the parts that are purchased are available through other channels. Macs, Langs, Snyders, Bobs, Bergs et al are legitimate parts suppliers. I have a friend that restores model t's and sells parts, many times at discounted prices because he can purchase enough from the other suppliers to save a few bucks on shipping and he's also an enthusiast for the hobby. The only time he'll scavenge parts is when they are on a vehicle that will never be on the road or if he goes to a swap meet or auction. And these used parts are provided at very fair prices. To the best of my knowledge he's never parted out a perfectly good vehicle. But others make a living parting out good vehicles.

[David Conwill]

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Detroit posts always create such controversy. Let me just say I'm happy to see old buildings preserved in any condition, and if we need to sacrifice unwanted theatres for parking, I'd prefer it be done this way than with a naked lot or a brutalist structure with nothing to contribute to the cityscape.

[yachtsmanbill]

I hafta rant too... as a kid, my mom and I travelled quite a bit; always went to places youd remember. The top of the washington monument, the Statue of Liberty, the St Louis Arch, the sears tower and even the Eiffel Tower... As a traveller by train or air in those days, it was something special, and most people wore better than casual clothes, like a sport coat and a tie, mom always wore a dress with gloves, then today you squish into a plane full of slobs that havent bathed for two days. RANT OFF.
Back on topic, its a rotten shame to go to a movie-plex mall with 28 different theaters, gangsters kick boxing each other outside from having just seen some digitized violent film, with 5000 people squished into nothing more than a morton building. Even back in the early sixties, we went to movie PREMIERS like How the West Was Won, Flight of the Phoenix, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Great Race, (got to see Tony Curtis and NATALIE!) etc with searchlights and lotsa dressed people out for the extravaganza.
Some time as an adolescent, I struck out on my own, and the world changed before I could notice. Now, all I wish for is closure on some of this stuff, but the bulldozers beat me to it. Plug Pulled! ws

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by yachtsmanbill

I hafta rant too... as a kid, my mom and I travelled quite a bit; always went to places youd remember. The top of the washington monument, the Statue of Liberty, the St Louis Arch, the sears tower and even the Eiffel Tower...

I'm calling BS you old fart. I'll bet you were in your 30's when the St Louis Arch was built. Wait a minute, you were traveling around with your Mom in your 30's? Were you still living in her basement? LOL.

[yachtsmanbill]

Au contrare mon cher! I was on my 3rd wife already! ws

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by yachtsmanbill

Au contrare mon cher! I was on my 3rd wife already! ws

Ok, I'm in a teasing mood today. I didn't mean to cause any bad feelings. I really do get excited when I'm able to see the past surviving the travesties of man. When we destroy the past we're also destroying our future. I went on a tour today with a 1910 Maxwell, 1910 Buick, 1925 Model T and a 1950 Buick with a straight 8 overhead valve engine and a straight stick transmission. And I had my 1926 Model T. When we went into our destination we had several people walking around us and asking us questions. I think i was the youngest person there at 62 years old. I was talking to a couple guys about the fact that you see very few young people interested in our old cars. It's going to be just a few years and there will be a surplus of these vehicles because nobody will be interested. What caused this phenomenom? It was new technology. When we were young we had the opportunity to work on our vehicles. We tore them apart and fixed them ourselves. Our favorite things to play with were wrenches and hammers and screw drivers and a number of different tools. Heck I received tools for birthdays and Christmas. But the vehicles we've had since our children got to the age where we were when we became interested in mechanical stuff have been disposable and they end up going to a shop to be fixed. Our young people have never been exposed to our opportunities and our hobby is disappearing. It's a sad fact that our new high speed society is costing us our past and people are losing their ability to do for themselves. And the skills necessary to take care of yourself in the future will continue to create higher and higher costs to maintain our future. Those of us who chose to forget the trials of the past are destined to repeat them. It's a damn sad shame.

[yachtsmanbill]

Thats oh so true my freind, with one exception: The new 100K beemer threw a code and wont start... it goes on the flatbed to the dealer and the fagtechnician dons the blue rubber gloves before he plugs in the ANAL-izer...then scans the barcode tatooed on his arm. I say this because even as a warranty job itll cost you 3K to get outa the shop. I too remember getting the Craftsman 128 pc tool box for christmas to work on a go cart. Wont start... Ill hafta haul it in to the McCoulagh dealer to have the "cart tech" have a look-see. I need an extra xanax tonight... MRI at 0800 tomorrow! ws

[trulyvintage]

Originally Posted by yachtsmanbill

I hafta rant too... as a kid, my mom and I travelled quite a bit; always went to places youd remember. The top of the washington monument, the Statue of Liberty, the St Louis Arch, the sears tower and even the Eiffel Tower...

Bill,

I used to travel with my folks to visit places far from home too ....

Those were the good old days - me standing at the top of some
big city landmark taking in the view ......

Come to think of it now - seems they were down in the
old ford with the engine running more than once .....

Seems I had to even chase after them a few times .....


Wait a minute .......




Jim

[dumb person]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

... When we were young we had the opportunity to work on our vehicles. We tore them apart and fixed them ourselves ..... It's a sad fact that our new high speed society is costing us our past and people are losing their ability to do for themselves. And the skills necessary to take care of yourself in the future will continue to create higher and higher costs to maintain our future. Those of us who chose to forget the trials of the past are destined to repeat them. It's a damn sad shame.

(quote edited for length)
So there was a time i was locked in a library. i picked up a book called "The time machine". Probably the abridged version. What a tragic future it depicted. The people had no skills (or brain capacity) for pretty much that reason. Come to think of it that future is pretty much here, Everyday i feel a little bit smarter when i see dumb things other people do.

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by trulyvintage

Bill,

I used to travel with my folks to visit places far from home too ....

Those were the good old days - me standing at the top of some
big city landmark taking in the view ......

Come to think of it now - seems they were down in the
old ford with the engine running more than once .....

Seems I had to even chase after them a few times .....


Wait a minute .......




Jim

Oh Jim, I remember those times too. The Joe Dirt times of our lives. There was a couple times social services found me new parents but then they'd do pretty much the same thing. I mean I got to see a lot of the landfills and other sights in the towns around our area but I got to where I really didn't want to chase that darn car anymore. But I did find a lot of good old bicycle parts in some of those city dumps. I remember one time my brother and I were standing in one of those sights enjoying the view and swatting flys when all of a sudden a bear showed up. Oh yeah, great memories.

[trulyvintage]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Oh Jim, I remember those times too. The Joe Dirt times of our lives.

Jim

[eldany1929]

This place was used in the movie Street Kings 2. This movie starts with dangerous people meeting there.