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Detroit circa 1919. "Grand Circus Park from Detroit Athletic Club." The Statler and Tuller hotels, and the two Winged Victory statues seen here. Photoplays being advertised include "When Men Desire" starring Theda Bara, Alice Joyce in "The Cambric Mask," Cecil B. DeMille's "For Better, For Worse," Elsie Ferguson in "Eyes of the Soul," and "Stolen Orders." 8x10 glass negative. View full size.
From the rooftop of the DAC today - looking to the right of the perspective of this picture (more North) and across the street is Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers) and a little more right to that is Ford Field (home of the Detroit Lions).
The tall building just left of center is the David Whitney Building, designed by Graham, Burnham & Co. (the successors of Daniel Burnham's Chicago office) and built in 1915-1916. The project architect was undoubtedly the firm's very talented chief designer, Peirce Anderson. The top of the building was "modernized" c. 1950, and the bottom is currently obscured by the viaduct that carries Detroit's downtown "People Mover." I understand that the building is currently vacant, although plans are in motion to do something with it.
The original quote from Theda Bara and the original "Vamp" from early movies in the teens, who publicity showed seduced men dying at ther feet. I had forgotten her. Whenever the women around my house were being overly dramatic (quite often), my mother would say: "OK, Theda Bara, knock it off". Sadly, only a handfull of her movies have survived fire and time. Just the same, she was a huge movie star in her time.
Cecil B's "For Better, For Worse."
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