Uptown Theater (Minneapolis) Explained

Uptown Theater
Location:East Isles, Minneapolis
Built:1939
Architect:Liebenberg and Kaplan
Architecture:Streamline Moderne
Designation1 Free1name:Landmark type
Designation1 Free1value:Minneapolis Landmark
Designation1 Free2name:Designation date
Designation1 Free2value:1990

The Uptown Theatre is one of the oldest surviving theaters in the Twin Cities area. It was in active use from 1916 to 2020.[1] The theater reopened on June 10, 2023 as a music and event venue. [2]

History

The theater 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.[3] 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.[3]

This new Uptown Theater re-opened on November 16, 1939, with The Women.[3] It was designed in streamline moderne, 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.[4] The theater re-opened September 14, 2012, showing Sleepwalk with Me.[5] The new design added a full bar and replaced 35mm with digital projection.

The structure has a 60-foot tower that once featured a revolving beam of light marking the Uptown 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 films 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.[6] [7]

The theater closed in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic; Landmark Theatres was evicted in June 2021 due to unpaid back rent.

The Uptown Theater was purchased by Swervo Development and it is planned to reopen as a music and event venue on May 5, 2023. [8]

The theater's iconic sign was removed for restoration in September of 2022 and replaced with a replica on August 16, 2023.[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Final curtain for iconic Uptown Theater . John Croman . June 7, 2021 . kare11.com . live . https://archive.today/20210711222048/https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/final-curtains-for-iconic-uptown-theater/89-b3a87316-b28b-4088-99fd-ca9018641939 . 2021-07-11.
  2. Web site: Inside the Newly Renovated Uptown Theater . April 13, 2024 . MSP Mag.com . Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.
  3. News: Iric. Nathanson. Remembering the Uptown Theatre's early days. June 15, 2021. MinnPost. December 11, 2023. September 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230901004321/https://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/2021/06/remembering-the-uptown-theatres-early-days/. live.
  4. News: Uptown Theater closing for renovation next week . Colin Covert . January 25, 2012 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120126073219/http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/138093318.html . January 26, 2012.
  5. News: New Uptown ready for its closeup. Colin Covert . . September 5, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307154738/http://www.startribune.com/new-uptown-ready-for-its-closeup/168694886/. March 7, 2016.
  6. News: Maker's Marquee: The Uptown Theatre's employees use the marquee to make their mark . Martina Marosi . September 15, 2011 . . August 30, 2018 . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180724032221/http://www.mndaily.com/article/2011/09/makers-marquee . live .
  7. News: Uptown Theatre's Best Marquees of 2014 . Alex Lauer . January 29, 2015 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150130002127/http://blogs.citypages.com/dressingroom/2015/01/uptown_theatres_best_marquees_of_2014.php . January 30, 2015.
  8. Web site: Minneapolis' Uptown Theater is coming back, with some big names on the marquee . MPR News.org . Minnesota Public Radio News . March 8, 2023 . March 8, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230308064829/https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/03/07/minneapolis-uptown-theater-is-coming-back-with-some-big-names-on-the-marquee . live .
  9. Web site: A New Uptown Theater Sign Replaces the Old . 2024-04-13 . www.southwestvoices.news.