Uptown Theater

You should have something about the Terrace Theatre in suburban Minneapolis. In the 50s and 60s it was a lavish venue--maybe it sill is.

This is also a Liebenberg and Kaplan theater. It is the only remaining movie theater with a balcony in Minneapolis. It originally had a searchlight on at the top of the vertical neon sign that was a becon for the neighbrhood.

The theater before the fire:
http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresources/image.cfm?imageid=74767&Page=2&Keywords=Lagoon&SearchType=Basic

In this shot, the Granada or Suburban World is visible down the street just before the trees:

http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresources/image.cfm?imageid=127195&Page=12&Digital=Yes&Keywords=hennepin%2C%20south&SearchType=Basic

And Now:
http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/881

Long Live

ROCKY HORROR!!

During my college years (1979-1983) it showed double features of classic, foreign and cult movies. Quite a fun place for a college crowd.

Here is link to a photo and short history of the Uptown Theatre.
http://www.mnfilm.org/fun/mn_uptown.asp

From the "Twin Cities" file, I would assume that this is a photo of the Minneapolis Uptown:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amyart/35745980/

This is another photo of the Uptown Theater.

I'm thrilled to hear that the Uptown is still in business. I went there often during grad school in the early 1980s to see foreign films as well as old classics that somehow look better on the big screen than on your tv at home.

The Uptown Theater seats 900, not 800. Also, it might be worth mentioning that we are the only movie theater left in the state of Minnesota that has a balcony. Yours Truly, an Uptown Theater employee.

This is a recent 2006 photo of the Uptown Theater.

I wish the current owners would put in an effort to restore the lights and street appearance of the Uptown. They did such a great job on the Edina Theater. It sometimes seems as if it is a kind of neglect that precedes closing and demolition. I think that they should even restore the beacon that once topped the mast. The anti "light polution' crowd would go nuts I am sure. There seems to have been a minor attempt to light some of the bulbs recently. We passed it by assuming it was closed. Darkness comes on fast here in the Great White North and we need lights to welcome us in. The same people who admire the French and Paris sometimes hate lights in their own neighborhood and, I thought that some radical element may have burrowed in to influence the run down look the Uptown was beginning to take on.

So many dates with my wife ended up there. She nearly papered a closet with the wonderful weekly handbills of the wide ranging film program there. I especially loved the Italian fims there...from "Bread and Chocolate" to "Salo" to "Down and Dirty" to all of those Samurai Nights... Mifune and Kurosawa every night.. fun. This place along with the Suburban World down the block was the art house Vatican of Minneapolis. I saw all of the Astaire/Rogers films there.... a wonderful mix. The Rainbow cafe was always nearly next door for Onion Rings after 9:00 PM. You NEVER went down the block withouth reaching into the wooden box to pull out the playbill showing the dozens of films to be shown that month...marking the ones you intended to see. I miss that. ahhhh senile rapture.

There has been a recent effort (during the month of December 2006) to re-light the marquee of this wonderful cinema. The underside and front surfaces of the lower section looks sooo much better and the whole street seems brighter. This is a major improvement and I thank the Landmark people for making this beginning. More is to be done but this is very gratifying and beautiful. Now, to restore the Rainbow Cafe down a few doors down the block. <chuckle>

A Marr & Colton theater organ size 2/7 was installed in the Lagoon Theater in 1927.

Here is another photo of the Uptown Theater.

This is a recent close-up view.

Here is a 1938 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2jnfea

Here is another photo, circa 1980:
http://tinyurl.com/2npgls

Function should be Movies-Foreign and Independent.

1982 photo of the Uptown Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c23%2c3%2c-1&catpagesize=25&ProductID=28800
Another 1982 photo of the Uptown Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c23%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=5&catpagesize=25&ProductID=28801
Another 1982 photo of the Uptown Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c23%2c3%2c-1&catpagesize=25&ProductID=28802

1982 Night photo of the Uptown Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c23%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=6&catpagesize=25&ProductID=28803

This is a 2009 night photo.

Another 2009 photo is here.