The Uptown Theatre is one of the oldest surviving theaters in the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

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 The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

'' 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 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 ...

chain in 1978. After years of classic double features, the theater began screening foreign and independent films starting with ''

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'' in November 1985. The building was deemed a heritage site in 1990 and soon after remodeled their lobby to re-create

art 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 ...

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 ''Sleepwalk with Me'' is a 2012 American independent comedy film co-written by, directed by, and starring Mike Birbiglia. It also stars Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, Carol Kane, and Cristin Milioti. Before making the film, Birbiglia had already t ...

''. 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 area of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

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 film An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

s 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 ''

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'' 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;

was evicted in June 2021 due to unpaid back rent.

Footnotes

External links

Cinema Treasures

Twin Cities City Search
Buildings and structures in Minneapolis Cinemas and movie theaters in Minnesota Movie palaces 1916 establishments in Minnesota {{US-theat-struct-stub