After graduation, Detlie spent a short time working in the office of
Albert Kahn in Philadelphia. Detlie then moved to Hollywood and spent seven years working for the movie industry. He was nominated for an
Academy Award in 1941 for
Best Art Direction for the film
Bitter Sweet. Detlie served in the Army in World War II, including directing the camouflage of
Boeing Plant 2 in Seattle. After the war, he remained in Seattle and established a career in architecture, designing
Temple de Hirsch Sinai in Seattle and a number of large churches and parts of downtown Honolulu. He was an accomplished artist in water colors, acrylics, and oils. ==Personal life==