AADL Talks To: Frank Uhle, Film Projectionist, Author, and Cultural Historian

Thu, 01/22/2026 - 2:46pm

Frank Uhle came to the University of Michigan as an art student, joined the campus film society Cinema II, and has worked for several decades as a University of Michigan and Michigan Theater film projectionist. He also hosts a radio program at the local U-M independent radio station WCBN, and enjoys researching regional music history. In 2023, Frank penned the book Cinema Ann Arbor, which takes a look back at the history of Ann Arbor’s vibrant campus cinema culture from the 1960s through the turn of the 21st century. I talked with Frank about Ann Arbor’s love affair with cinema, from its early history to its cutting-edge film festivals; the maverick professors and students who built the vibrant campus film societies; and the cultural changes he's witnessed in Ann Arbor and in the film industry over the past several decades. 

Frank's book Cinema Ann Arbor is available in our catalog to check out or download. You can also read Frank's essay about legendary Ann Arbor record producer Ollie McLaughlin, written for AADL's Ann Arbor 200 project in celebration of the city's bicentennial.

AADL Talks To: Phil Hallman, Film Historian, University of Michigan Librarian and Archivist

Tue, 10/07/2025 - 12:04pm

Phil Hallman's lengthy relationship with Ann Arbor film culture began with trips to Ann Arbor during high school in nearby Plymouth and includes his involvement with the Ann Arbor Film Cooperative and city-wide film festivals through the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, Phil has been curator for the Mavericks & Makers collections housed at the U-M Library’s Special Collections Research Center; the Donald Hall Collection screenplay collection in the University of Michigan's Film, Television, and Media department, and has served as Film Studies Librarian and subject specialist liaison for the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. Phil talks with us about his long love affair with film, the heyday of Ann Arbor's famous campus cinema culture, and some gems from the collections he curates.

AADL Talks To: Russ Collins, Executive Director/CEO Marquee Arts

Fri, 10/25/2024 - 12:49pm

Russ Collins grew up in Ann Arbor and received a Masters degree in Arts Administration from the University of Michigan just before becoming Manager of the Michigan Theater in November 1982. Russ walks us through the evolution of the Michigan Theater over its near-100-year history, from the vaudeville and silent film eras through the ups and downs of the celluloid and digital eras. He also takes us into the weeds of technical changes over the years; discusses historical preservation efforts in renovations to both the Michigan and the State theaters; and touches on programming and marketing challenges following the collapse of the newspaper industry. Russ will retire in December 2024.