Detroit is not a pretty girl. Her face has taken one too many hits to the jawline and no amount of makeup will cover up her bruises. The dress she wears may have been the height of fashion once but now the sleeves are torn, the hem is ripped and the rich tapestry of the fabric is splattered with mud. She crouches low to avoid the punches, but most times doesn't have the strength to fight back the angry crowd or, sadly, her inner demons. Although bullied on all sides, still she sometimes rises and it is then we see the gems she wears around her neck.
I want to introduce you to the places of Detroit I love. I want to show you what you will not see in the news or read about online, and what they didn't have time to feature in a two minute commercial. People are afraid of her because they do not know her, I know I was. However, when you look into her proud eyes and speak kindly - she smiles, and the careworn boulevards that wrinkle her face like rays of sunshine, lead you to her soul.
THE REDFORD THEATRE
Every city has a theater. The marquee's lettered face announcing the latest Broadway production or box office success. A place of show and imagination where actors dance about their stage in escape of themselves and for the delight of a captive audience. Detroit has her theaters too: the showy Fox, the gritty Fillmore, the intimate Gem. Her many suburbs claim big box multiplexes engaging those in search of more saccharine fare. But on the edge of town there is The Redford. And like a secret it sits silently, waiting to be discovered.
The richly colored Japanese motifs were covered up during World War II and the $4 dollar price for admission goes to a fund to help restore the theater to its original beauty. Volunteers staff the ticket booth and snack counter and they are friendly, inviting and always happy you came. The community effort to maintain and dignify a building like The Redford is refreshing in a city where many buildings of historical significance stand in ruin and decay. Tonight we went to see Roman Holiday, the 1953 classic movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
It made me 'so happy.'
When you go, arrive early because the Motor City Theater Organ Society does a performance before every show. It's fun to watch the organ slowly rise up from the theater floor, the hidden pipes joyously calling out the notes. The organists are all talented entertainers and when they are done the applause is genuine and loud. My favorite part is when the curtains open to reveal a massive United States flag, and, with the organ accompanying, the audience stands and sings The Star Spangled Banner.
Before the headliner, there is always a bonus feature. Tonight it was a Betty Boop cartoon, boop-oop-a-doop. Like Jessica Rabbit, Betty Boop's not bad, she's just drawn that way. In this case she was drawn naked through most of the show, but she was supposed to be a baby, so yeah, still awkward. Audrey Hepburn, in her movie debut, and Gregory Peck, always a ringer (see the movie), followed with a romp through Rome that totally makes up for the ending. Wait Joe Bradley, you're walking away too fast. She's going to follow you. I know it. Love first, duty second. Just. . . wait . . .
During the intermission we grabbed some Goobers and Milk Duds from concessions (Jon's a Goober, I'm a Dud). The chandeliers in the foyer are gorgeous.
When we take the kids to a show we usually sit up in the balcony with the other ruffians. Can you see the stars on the ceiling?
After the movie, Jon and I tried taking pictures but the lighting was all wrong. It could just be my camera (or camera operator), ok, it probably is, but a volunteer came over and asked if we would like him to raise the lights so maybe we could get a better shot. I love nice people.
Our black and white homage to the movie.
