The Uptown Theatre is one of the oldest surviving theaters in the
Twin Cities area. It was in active use from 1916 to 2020.
History
The theatre was originally opened as the Lagoon Theater on June 3, 1916. A name change to the Uptown on April 11, 1929, coincided with the installation of sound equipment and a screening of ''The Dummy''. A fire broke out in the ventilation system during ''
Trade Winds'' on April 25, 1939, but the cinema was rebuilt soon after by the firm of
Liebenberg & Kaplan.
This new Uptown Theatre re-opened on November 16, 1939, with ''
The Women''. It was designed in
streamline moderne
Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...
, with two incised roundels on the exterior stone facade that portrayed themes of travel and adventure in cinema. Murals in the auditorium depict early explorers gazing at the future Minneapolis and the Father of the Waters presiding over water sprites that symbolize the lakes of the city.
The Uptown closed in 1975 but was purchased and re-opened by the
Landmark Theatres chain in 1978. After years of classic double features, the theater began screening foreign and independent films starting with ''
The Coca-Cola Kid'' in November 1985. The building was deemed a heritage site in 1990 and soon after remodeled their lobby to re-create
art moderne and
neo-baroque elements.
Landmark closed the theater on January 31, 2012, for renovation and upgrades. The theater re-opened September 14, 2012, showing ''
Sleepwalk with Me''. The new design added a full bar and replaced
35mm 35 mm may refer to:
* 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film
* 35 mm movie film, a type of motion picture film stock
* 35MM 35 mm may refer to:
* 135 film, a type of still photography format ...
with digital projection.
The structure has a 60-foot tower that once featured a revolving beam of light marking the
Uptown
Uptown may refer to:
Neighborhoods or regions in several cities
United States
* Uptown, entertainment district east of Downtown and Midtown Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
* Uptown, area surrounding the University of C ...
area of
Minneapolis and could be seen for miles around. It was the first three-sided vertical tower sign in the country and had to be approved by civil aviation authorities.
The theater stands at one of the busiest intersections in the Uptown area (
Hennepin-Lagoon) and has been a landmark in the area for decades. It is also one of the few cinemas in the midwest that offers balcony seating.
The Uptown screened mostly foreign and
art films and ran
cult film
A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...
s at
midnight screenings. It ran ''
The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' from May 19, 1978 through 1997. The film returned on a monthly basis in 2009.
The theater was known for its often clever and amusing marquees.
The theatre closed in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic;
Landmark Theatres was evicted in June 2021 due to unpaid back rent.
Footnotes
External links
Cinema TreasuresTwin Cities City Search
Buildings and structures in Minneapolis
Cinemas and movie theaters in Minnesota
Movie palaces
1916 establishments in Minnesota
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