Redford Theatre Building

National Register

National Register of Historic Places Filing

Local SignificanceArchitectureTheater1927

The Redford Theatre is significant as an unusual example of Chinese-Japanese theater design and as a well preserved example of the 'atmospheric' theater genre of the 1920s. The theater is significant as well for its long and continuing role as an entertainment center whose programs currently include organ concerts, vintage silent and sound motion pictures, and vaudeville-type acts. Now a part of Detroit, the Redford Neighborhood, was once a separate town known originally as Sand Hill. Detroit absorbed the small community in the early twentieth century, but Redford continued to have something of a separate identity. The Redford Theatre was built in 1927 near the commercial center of the Redford Neighborhood. The Detroit firm of Verner, Wilhelm and Molby, engineers and architects, with Detroit engineer Ralph F. Shreve as associate, designed the theater. The firm, which consisted of Frank L. Molby, an architect, William F. Verner, an engineer, and Eugene B. Wilhelm, survived only a few years in the 1920s before the partners split up, and the Redford is the only theater of theirs which has thus far been documented. The structure is the only known Michigan example of a theater containing Chinese or Japanese design elements. Built as a combination vaudeville and movie house, the theater was provided with a 'Barton' organ manufactured by the Bartola Musical Company of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The theater operated as a movie house until it was closed in 1974. In an effort to preserve both the structure and the Barton organ in the auditorium, the Motor City Theatre Organ Society (MCTOS) leased the theater from 1974 until 1977 when its members voted to purchase the building. Since that time MCTOS has restored much of the theater's outstanding oriental interior design and its Barton theater organ. Through its current sponsorship of organ concerts, motion pictures and theatrical events at the Redford Theatre, MCTOS has added to the building's significance as an important and viable cultural resource.

Physical Description

The Redford Theatre, built in 1927 in the 'Old Redford Neighborhood' is located about ten miles northwest of downtown Detroit. It is a red brick structure with a symmetrical, two-story front containing the entrances to the theater and flanking storefronts. The exterior contains a composite of stylistic elements while the interior contains Chinese and Japanese design elements. The theater's front facade faces west toward Lahser Street. A recessed area at the center of the west facade houses five sets of aluminum doors which open into the theater lobby. A ticket booth projects from the center of the recessed area. The walls at the entrance are now faced with aggregate panels colored brown and white. A yellow and red enameled metal marquee spans the west facade above the entrance. The second story of the west facade's central portion houses four windows, two of which are obscured by the marquee. The windows are of the double-hung type with decorative surrounds consisting of twisted columns with corinthian capitals, limestone, round-arch heads, and a tympanum containing swags and comedy-tragedy masks executed in relief. The central portion has a low gable and its cornice is embellished with a brick corbel table. In each side of the central entrance portion of the west facade are two storefronts in the first story and a band of six eight-over-eight windows under a tiled and bracket-supported pent roof in the second story. A limestone sill course spans the second story. The storefronts have large glazed surfaces and marble window aprons. The doors on the west facade's center lead to the theater's outer lobby. The outer lobby has been remodeled, and all wall, floor and ceiling material is modern. Six pairs of double doors lead from the outer to the inner lobby. The inner lobby houses a concession stand, two staircases leading to the mezzanine, and doorways to the auditorium. The lobby ceiling is vaulted and has a smooth, plaster surface and painted ceiling medallions. The wall surfaces are of smooth plaster. The breastwork of the mezzanine balcony as well as moldings and pier capitals in the inner lobby are decorated with painted, polychrome oriental motifs. Two electric chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The floor is covered with carpeting. The Chinese/Japanese-style auditorium has a full stage, orchestra pit and balcony. The proscenium and flanking organ chambers have red tile pagoda roofs. The auditorium's smooth, slightly arched, plaster ceiling is painted to resemble a blue sky with clouds and a lighting system consisting of small light bulbs set in the ceiling create the impression of twinkling stars. Painted tree tops and mountain landscapes are visible above the organ chambers. Exit doors in the balcony have torri surrounds. The plaster walls of the organ chambers are painted to resemble grey, regular-coursed stonework. Other walls in the auditorium are also of grey-painted plaster. The floors are of concrete, painted grey. The full stage at the auditorium's east end has a hardwood floor and footlights. The original light console and weighted fly systems remain. On the south end of the stage housing are four stories of dressing and property rooms. An important feature of the theater's interior is the fully operable, three-manual Barton organ. The console, set on a four-post lift in the orchestra pit, is decorated with gold and black-painted Chinese motifs. The organ is maintained and used on a regular basis by the Motor City Theatre Organ Society. Alterations to the theater's exterior include the resurfacing of the walls about the entrance, replacement of the original marquee, and the modernization of the southernmost storefront. Important interior changes occurred during World War II when, due to the anti-Japanese sentiment, some of the oriental motifs were covered with drapery and plaster. More recently, the outer lobby was remodeled. Much of the original appearance of the inner lobby and the auditorium has been restored since 1974.

Architect/Builder

Verner, Wilhelm, Molby, R.F. Shreve, Assoc.

NRHP Ref# 85000171 • Data from National Park Service • Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0

Historic Photos

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Sourced from the National Register of Historic Places filing

Redford Theatre Building — Redford Theatre Building — Redford Theatre Building, 1927 Verner, Wilhelm, Molby, R.F. Shreve, Assoc., National Register of Historic Places filing, 17354 Lahser Ave., Detroit

Public Domain (Michigan Filing)

From Wikipedia

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The Redford Theatre is an atmospheric theatre in the Old Redford neighborhood of Detroit. The theatre opened in January 1928, advertised as "Detroit's most unique suburban theatre," due to its grand design, featuring Japanese and Chinese motifs. The Redford is part of a series of three grand cinemas in the Detroit suburbs operated by the Kunsky circuit, all of which stand today. The Redford features its original 3-manual/10-rank Barton organ, which is played regularly. The Redford's ownership passed to the Goldberg family and their Community Theatre chain in the 1930s. The Motor City Theatre Organ Society purchased the theatre in 1977, and continues to operate and renovate the space, presenting organ shows and classic movies. The theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

History

The Redford was built during a short-lived period of rapid expansion of the City of Detroit, its namesake neighborhood having been annexed into the city in 1926 from Redford Township. The annexation was accompanied by promises of further development and increased access to city services, and the construction of the Redford Theatre became a key part of that development. The theatre's construction was financed by bonds sold by Backus, Fordson, and Company in the amount of $225,000, equivalent to $3,260,000 in 2024. The opening of the theatre was the culmination of a weeklong festival, sponsored by local businesses. At its opening, the Redford was advertised as "Detroit's most unique suburban theatre," likening the experience of seeing a show there to "sitting in a Japanese garden." The theatre's interior also featured standard components of an atmospheric theatre, including a blue plaster ceiling evoking clouds and twinkling stars. The interior theme of the theatre extended to its 3-manual/10-rank Barton theatre organ, which was installed with Japanese and Chinese-themed instruments. During World War II, many of the original Japanese-style decorations, including the lobby chandeliers, were covered up or removed as part of a broader trend of anti-Japanese sentiment. Organ performances ended around the same time, although the organ remained intact. The original marquee was scrapped for the war effort. In 1966, the Motor City Theatre Organ Society, a local chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society, began a series of organ performances at the theatre. The MTCOS had begun to restore the organ the year prior, and initially performed their organ shows after the last film showing of the evening. The organ shows were successful, showing a continued desire for programming at the Redford. The MCTOS arranged to buy the theatre in 1977, and owned it outright by 1985, the same year as it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Work began that year to restore the Redford to its original 1928 appearance. The theatre currently seats 1610, lower than the original capacity of over 2000. The Redford continues to be operated by the all-volunteer staff of the MTCOS, and is committed to keeping prices for admission and concessions low. The theatre derives its revenue from admission, concession sales, and the rental of the venue for private events, including weddings.

Organ

The Redford Theatre features a 3-manual/10-rank theatre organ, built by the Bartola Musical Instrument Company. The "Golden-Voiced Barton" has been altered only slightly from its original state, with the addition of a piano and modifications to the tuba. The organ is played regularly at public events, including overtures before classic films, accompaniment for silent films, and full-length organ concerts. The Redford's organ is one of two theatre organs in Detroit that remain in their original venue, and one of fewer than forty Bartons in their original installations. A contemporaneous original-installation Barton organ is located nearby at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. The Redford's sibling theatres, the Kunsky-Birmingham (now an Emagine multiplex) and the Kunsky-Royal Oak (now the Royal Oak Music Theatre), featured similar Barton organs, but neither remain in their original venues. It has been digitally sampled and available for free for softwares like GrandOrgue and Hauptwerk.

Programming

Because of its location on the outskirts of Detroit, the spacious Redford often has not been a first-run movie theatre. However, like many current second-run theatres, it has shown films that were market-tested at other movie houses. For example, on May 16, 1956, the Redford presented two prominent 1955 films - The Rose Tattoo and The Trouble with Harry. When most of the movie theaters in the Detroit area were in the city of Detroit, the Redford Theatre screened many films that were first shown at one of the large theaters in the Grand Circus Park area of downtown Detroit. Cimarron opened at the Redford on April 19, 1931, after its Detroit premiere at the Fox Theatre on February 5, 1931. In 1956, The Searchers opened at the Palms on May 18 and arrived at the Redford on August 15. In the early 1930s, the Redford often showed three movies in one week (usually starting on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays). During one week in 1931, patrons enjoyed Joan Crawford and Clark Gable in Laughing Sinners (July 12–14), Lew Ayres in Iron Man (July 15–16) and Spencer Tracy in Six Cylinder Love (July 17–18). Accompanying Redford films of the 1930s were comedy shorts (Laurel and Hardy, Charley Chase and Our Gang), cartoons (Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Mighty Mouse), golf instructional films with Bobby Jones and vaudeville acts. In the 1950s, the Redford often showed double features, along with "Kiddie Matinees" on Saturday afternoons that included cartoons and special movies. Occasionally, the Redford hosted Detroit area premieres, such as the December 25, 1956 opening of Friendly Persuasion, which was crowded out of the larger theaters by blockbusters like The Ten Commandments. When movies started opening outside of downtown Detroit in the 1960s, the Redford was a first run theater for many prominent movies, including One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), Hud (1963), Von Ryan's Express (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Cool Hand Luke (1967), and The Graduate (1967). In the 1970s, when socioeconomic forces closed many Detroit theaters and opened many others in the Detroit suburbs, the Redford went into decline and later was reborn with a still-running series of classic Hollywood movies. The Redford is one of the few remaining theaters mentioned in a September 11, 1981 Detroit News article about film repertory houses in the Detroit area. Current film programming at the Redford Theatre consists of a bi-weekly movie series that ranges from silent films through the musicals of the 40s, 50s and 60s to some films from the 2000s. Spring and Fall festivals featuring films of the Three Stooges have grown in popularity. In addition to the classic film series and organ concerts produced by MCTOS, the theatre is available for rental by community groups wishing to produce their own shows.

Building Details

Architect: Verner, Wilhelm, Molby, R.F. Shreve, Assoc.
Year Built: 1927
Address: 17354 Lahser Ave., Detroit
National Register: Listed; Ref# 85000171

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