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Redford Theatre

1/23/2012

18 Comments

 
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It was perfect picture-taking weather!
This past weekend, I had the great pleasure of seeing one of my favorite classic movies at the beautiful Redford Theatre in Detroit.

I had heard of the the theater (theatre?) before, and knew it was supposed to be a restored treasure. I didn't realize just how wonderful it is inside.

The theatre's (theater's?) own website has some very nice photos on it, and I took a few as well that are featured later on this page. No photos can do justice what it's really like inside.
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After buying a ticket for just four dollars, I entered the lobby. It was buzzing! T-Shirts for sale along with a 50/50 raffle to rise money for theatre restoration.

And cheap snacks!

My large pop, small (real-buttered) popcorn and candy came to a total of four dollars. Four!

And waiting in line for snacks was a nice experience, as I found myself surrounded by movie lovers of all ages. The father & son in front of me discussed superheroes while we waited. 

There were a lot of families here. It was nice to see, but I felt a little bad for any kids who were sold on this movie experience being anything like Star Wars. It's a little slower and quieter than that. 

OK, a lot slower.

We could hear the vintage organ throughout the theater. The Star-Spangled Banner was played while I was in line, and I could see people in the theatre standing and singing. 

Exploring the theatre, opened in 1928, there were so many little details to absorb. The Men's room was indicated by a "Men's Lounge" sign. There was a small glass case off to the side featuring some fun books and toys that evoked the era from the day's featured movie.

When I saw the case, it finally hit me: I was in the company of People Who Cared About Movies.
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Honestly, I started to get a little overwhelmed. This is a Movie Palace. This is reminiscent of when going to the movies was a Big Deal. You've seen movies and pictures of people getting all fancy to go see a movie? Well, this is where it happened.

I was forming all of these thoughts when I looked to my right and realized that there was a balcony. So I went up and walked right to the front.

When you visit the theatre, take time to explore the balcony, even if you don't sit there. It's the best view of the whole room. Pictures on the theatre's website are very nice, but they do not capture the bright, rich, vibrant colors all around. It took my breath away.

I took what pictures I could, but even my own snaps don't really give you the full effect. I tried taking a few shots of the ceiling, with its little pin-points of starlight set into a rich, blue sky. None of them came out very well in such low-light conditions.
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I sat in the front row of the balcony for the first half of the movie.

The organ music was very nice, with songs performed mostly from the Old Standards Songbook. Before the movie started, it was introduced by a nice gentleman wearing a hat, who's name I did not catch. 

[He mentioned that Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet went on to star in the TV show Lost in Space. Welp, no. Different robot. But that's ok.]

[EDIT: Although, as Kevin notes below, he did appear on a couple of episodes of Lost in Space!]

In the introduction to the film it was mentioned that the organ player was only sixteen years old. I thought he was making a funny, but it was true! Justin LaVoie is just sixteen years old! And he's great!

Here he is performing Michael McDonald 's Sweet Freedom during intermission. 
Before the main feature the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Mad as a Mars Hare" was shown. Not the funniest of the Marvin the Martian appearances, but it kept with the spirit of Forbidden Planet's theme of space exploration.

I've reviewed the movie itself here. It's one of my favorites, so it was a blast seeing it in CinemaScope for the first time. 

As is the case with most vintage theatres, the seats are not modern, and therefore uncomfortable. The main floor seats had slightly more legroom than the balcony.

I am all about keeping things "real", but I think this would be the be one thing that I would go ahead and modernize.  You want people to be comfortable as they visit your time machine theatre. They'll come back more often! Gone With the Wind is playing in March, but there's no way my back will make it through nearly four hours (plus intermission).

I imagine that this is a debate that happens in the conference rooms of old movie-houses all over the country.

The Redford Theatre shows movies just about every other weekend (not often enough for me). I've never seen "Charade", which is up next, followed by the "The Apartment", which is great.

Check out the schedule today, and make a plan to visit the Redford Theatre! The staff was friendly and excited. The vibe is all positive. The patrons of this theatre are movie lovers and you can feel it. 

Eight bucks for a full afternoon of entertainment.

Plus, free parking! 

It's a great time for the whole family at a great price!
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Robby the Robot
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Not Robby the Robot.
18 Comments
Kevin link
1/23/2012 02:38:25 pm

Robby the Robot DID show up in Lost in Space a few times, as an evil robot! If memory serves, he tried to replace the good robot and they ended up having a robot fight of some sort.

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Vert link
1/23/2012 02:51:01 pm

Thanks, Kevin!

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John Lauter
1/23/2012 02:51:47 pm

Where did you sit in the balcony? ahead of the main cross-isle or behind (up) of it? the seats in the upper area are the old 1950s seats, and they are tired, and cramped. The front of the balcony and the entire main floor was re-seated in 2003 (at GREAT expense) and those seats are fine, very comfortible in my opinion. Glad you liked the whole experience, it's what we offer at the Redford.

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Vert link
1/23/2012 02:57:05 pm

I sat in the front row of the balcony, after first trying a few rows up. I'll definitely be back for "Charade", so I'll hop around and try some other spots. I really enjoyed my time at the theatre!

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Bryan
1/24/2012 11:20:28 am

The seats are not the most comfortable but are close to the original as possible. That's the main goal.... I agree they kinda suck

Andrea
1/23/2012 03:30:52 pm

Hi Scott! Nice blog :) I am a big Redford fan myself. I'd much rather go there than the "other" movie theaters. I'll be there for both "Charade" and "Gone With the Wind" (my all-time favorite film). I've seen it there before and, with the intermission, it's really not too bad to sit through, in regard to the seats. I usually sit in the front on the main floor and find those seats to be pretty comfy -- particularly the ones on the aisle. Glad you discovered the hidden jewel that is the Redford. Oh, and btw, I used to listen to you on 96.3 all the time :)

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Vert link
1/23/2012 03:45:12 pm

I'll try one of those seats, Andrea! (but I do enjoy sitting in back at the movies) It's a great theatre, and I'm glad I finally found it.

(Thanks for listening!)

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Charlie
1/23/2012 04:25:23 pm

Always glad to hear about another new fan of the Redford. I'm kind of new to the experience myself, but so glad I found it. So glad you did too!

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Vert link
1/23/2012 04:42:00 pm

Thanks for checking out the site, Charlie!

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Ken
1/23/2012 05:18:29 pm

Hey Vert!

The gentleman wearing the hat was Greg Sumner, he's a professor of history at U of D Mercy. Here's a couple of links on him.

http://www.udmercy.edu/about/meet_faculty/clae/Greg-Sumner.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Gregory-D.-Sumner/e/B001KHCV7C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

I only know, because I remember him from the Redford's presentation of 'It's A Wonderful Life' last month, and I remember he was autographing copies of his book new book on Kurt Vonnegut in the lobby last Saturday. Hope all is well with you!

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Vert link
1/24/2012 04:22:07 am

Thanks for the info, Ken!

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Donna
1/23/2012 11:29:36 pm

I love the Redford, too. I'm always glad to hear of someone else discovering and enjoying it! We enjoy it regularly! It's a very funky and REAL experience!

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Vert link
1/24/2012 04:03:55 pm

"Real" is a good way to describe it, Donna!

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Earl
1/31/2012 05:48:13 am

I have been going to the Redford for several years. I totally love the place, it is very relaxed and a nice place to go with friends or a date. It really is an ultimate experience - a movie plus organ music, intermission, raffle, cartoon, great popcorn, snacks. For such a great price I would recommend it to everyone.

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Vert link
1/31/2012 08:11:29 am

I agree, Earl! I'll be back for Charade this weekend. Thanks for checking out the site!

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Sarah
2/1/2012 12:28:54 am

You forgot to mention (when describing the ceiling) that there are clouds projected overhead that change throughout the evening!
And the Player Piano that is linked to the Organ so that is entertaining to see!
I honestly dont even notice if the chairs are uncomfortable or not because I am usually devoured by the film being shown and dont think about comfort if I'm on the edge of my seat! (though I wouldnt sit for 4 hrs through Gone With The Wind either, you dont have to sit during Intermission! Get up and explotre som more!)
For your next visit, know that they welcome people to (carefully) venture up to the Projection room to ask questions and see the reels of old film! I'd go during intermission while people are out grabbing more snacks or using the rest rooms. Not a lot of people know you can peek in there.
And yes the people volunteering there DO care about movies! And they want to share it with as many people as possible!
I'd say The Redford is Detroit's BEST kept Secret. But I say let the secret OUT! :)

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Sarah
2/1/2012 12:31:34 am

oh, and the parking lot is fenced in and has security in case people are warey about coming to Detroit...and its really on the outskirts of the city.

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Vert link
2/1/2012 05:19:20 am

Hey Sarah!

Thanks for filling in some of the parts I missed! I appreciate everyone's thoughts on this very cool theatre!

I'll be back this weekend, maybe I'll wander up to the booth!




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