Detroit
Movie Palaces
The
Film Programs of the Detroit Film Theatre, Michigan Theater, and
Redford Theatre
The Film Programs of the Detroit Film Theatre, Michigan Theater, and Redford Theatre
Your Guide to Classic Movie Theater Filmgoing!
|
Read
about recent events
in the Detroit Movie Palaces blog! |
Explore
theater history Gaylord Carter Plays at Redford (May 1981) |
Look What's Coming!
|
Get
a world of laughs at the Alliance
Francaise Comedy Film Shorts Series at the DFT
May 31.
|
|
Learn more about the grieving process in the documentary Transforming
Loss at the Michigan
May 30.
|
|
The renovated Redford re-opens with Julie Andrews flying high as Mary Poppins July 12-13. |
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Books By Web Site Author
Detroit Film Theatre
Elegant Showcase
The DFT auditorium was built in 1927 as part of the original construction of the DIA. As you wait for a film to begin, it's easy to get lost in admiration for the different details of the auditorium. The dark blue and gold color scheme adds to the depth and intimacy of the theater. As you gaze around, you find mysterious faces, figures, and animals sculpted in the silver and gold detail of the walls, ceiling, and doorways.
The physical beauty extends outside of
the auditorium. The inner and outer
lobbies are an efficient mixture of brass, glass and stone that guide
you through the theater with a heightened sense of sophistication. From
the inner lobby, two symmetrically located stairways lead to the balcony
and the Crystal Gallery Café. These stone stairways include risers
made from the Pewabic Pottery that is crafted in Detroit.
The small spaces and hard surfaces add muffled, dreamlike echoes to the texture of the theater. Some carved-out stone at the top of each stairwell looks like fossil excavations. Look more closely and you'll see the names of artists who have inspired the setting—Beethoven, Bach and Mozart on one side, and Molière, Shakespeare and Schiller on the other.
Comfortable food smells greet you near
the top of the stairs to the balcony level. The Crystal Gallery Café
includes snack food like cookies and cake; alcoholic and nonalcoholic
beverages; and full meals like salads, soups, and quiche. The café
makes the DFT a self-contained experience for patrons 
looking
for just a dinner and a movie. It also adds a welcome touch of friendliness
and relaxation after a serious DFT film.
The café is set in an airy, well-lit space that is ornamented with chandeliers, high vaulted ceilings, and large windows that bring in much natural light. And although you can't take the food into the theater, the relaxed atmosphere of the café more than compensates, with its cushioned chairs, small round tables, and subdued air of conversation. The lights from the John R entrance to the DIA add dramatic shadows to the ceiling of the café.
Next Page: Sophisticated Surroundings
