The Downer Theatre was an historic cinema in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States, formerly operated by

Landmark Theatres Landmark Theatres is a movie theatre chain in the United States. It was formerly dedicated to exhibiting and marketing independent film, independent and foreign film, foreign films. Since its founding in 1974, Landmark has grown to 35 Indepe ...

. Opened in 1915, it was the oldest continually operating cinema in the city of Milwaukee. It is located in the Upper East Side neighborhood of the East Side of Milwaukee. The cinema became part of the Landmark Theatre chain in 1990, and was renovated and converted to a twin-screen venue. The theatre closed in September 2023.

History

The Downer Theatre was opened in 1915 as part of a mixed-use complex located on Downer Avenue in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Milwaukee developed by Oscar and Marc Brachman and movie entrepreneurs Thomas and John Saxe for a price of $65,000. Downer theatre opened during a time of rapid development in the area. The cinema was one of several dozen operating in the city of Milwaukee during the heyday of the cinema industry. It was remodeled in 1937 in a Streamline Moderne style. The current marquee and green enamel plate exterior replaced the historic brick façade during the 1930s era renovation. In the 1940s as consumption patterns and neighborhood demographics began to change, the Downer began to transition into the niche role as Milwaukee’s independent and art cinema under the leadership of long-time manager Estelle Steinbach. The cinema was renovated and subdivided into a two-screen operation in 1990. The theatre closed its doors in September 2023.

Design

The cinema was designed by Martin S. Tullgren and cost $65,000 to construct. Its bright green and red neon marquee is a local Milwaukee landmark. The two screens have capacity for 440 patrons. The cinema has a small snack bar that serves candy, popcorn and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The cinema is located inside a mixed-use two-story red brick structure located in the Downer Avenue Business Improvement District. Other tenants of the building include residential apartments, a bar, book store and pizzeria.

References

External links

OnMilwaukee ''OnMilwaukee'' is a digital media company and online magazine that provides lifestyle and culture news about Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The site features approximately 10-15 articles, blogs and briefs each day, focusing on dining, arts and entertainm ...

at CinemaTreasures.org {{Coord, 43.059657, -87.885664, region:US_type:landmark, display=title Event venues established in 1915 Theatres in Milwaukee 1915 establishments in Wisconsin