Uptown Theater
3426 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington,
DC
20008
3426 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington,
DC
20008
42 people
favorited this theater
Opened by Warner Brothers on October 29, 1936, the Uptown Theater is the last movie palace in Washington, DC still showing first-run films. The Uptown is located near the Cleveland Park subway stop on the Red Line of the Metro. Many restaurants are on both sides of the street.
The theater opened with a seating capacity of 1,364 (914 seats in the orchestra and 450 in the stadium seated balcony). The Uptown Theater was designed by theater architect John Zink, a top designer of Art Deco and Art Moderne style movie houses. In 1939, Zink designed Baltimore’s historic Senator Theatre.
In the early 1940’s, the auditorium’s side walls were covered with fabric. In 1956, the auditorium was remodeled to allow films in wide screen Todd-AO. “South Pacific” ran for seven months in 1958 and “West Side Story” ran for nine months in 1961. In 1962, the auditorium was remodeled to show 3-strip Cinerama films. The original projection booth remains at the top of the balcony, but new booths were added at the front of the balcony. Since Cinerama ended, the center front booth continues to be used.
The World Premiere of “2001-A Space Odyssey” was at the Uptown Theater on April 2, 1968, in its original two-hour and 40 minute version. Kubrick trimmed 20 minutes, and the movie was then shown for 51 weeks. Local theater operators Circle tookover, and that company’s founders continue to own the building, though succeeding movie operators lease it. In 1987, Cineplex Odeon tookover, and that company later merged into Loews, which in time merged with into AMC.
Many films were shown in their original 70mm runs, and later, in reissues, to sold out crowds. The restored “Lawrence of Arabia” was shown in 1987, with director David Lean attending the premiere. The restored “Spartacus” was shown in 1991 and the restored “My Fair Lady” in 1994. Cineplex Odeon refurbished this palatial movie house in 1996, reducing the seating capacity to 840 and reopened it with the restored “Vertigo”. In 1997, the Uptown was host to the re-release of the Star Wars saga (aka “Star Wars: The Special Edition”). On opening day, the ticket lines wrapped around the block, turned the corner, and continued several blocks away from Connecticut Street. New prints of 36 classic films, starting with “The Jazz Singer” were shown in 1998 to celebrate 75 years of Warner Brothers movies. The other restored classics included “Rear Window” in 2000, and in 2001, a 20th anniversary run of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. In 2003, the Director’s Cut of “Alien” was shown, and in 2007, “Blade Runner, the Final Cut”.
Hollywood studios frequently have glittering red carpet film premieres at the Uptown Theater.
First run, blockbuster mainstream movies are the mainstay. Known for having the largest screen in DC (its curved screen measures 32 feet tall by 70 feet wide for ‘scope films), the Uptown Theater has been the best place to see event movies for several decades.
Contributed by
Karim Alim, Justin Zagri, Howard B. Haas
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Recent comments (view all 375 comments)
Like others, I stopped getting updates from CinemaTreasures after the update so I missed a few. As for the 35/70 projectors…Starting in 1954, the Uptown did have Norelco Todd/Ao projectors, which were replaced (relocated to the Cinema-7 theatre in Baileys Crossroads, VA), once 3-strip Cinerama was replaced by single strip (Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World), the Century “Cinerama” projectors were used until the end of film projection at the Uptown. I have not been in the theatre since 2005 so I do not know their disposition. AMC does not own the theatre nor the equipment so I don’t know what there obligation is on the disposal or retention of the fixed assets of the theatre.
-Steve
I noticed that in yesterday’s Post that ‘John Carter’ is being presented in both 2D and 3D – an Uptown first, giving it’s patron’s a choice in which visual version to see/pay for.
Hmmm. It is interesting to note that the same film is playing at the AMC Georgetown 14 nearby, in IMAX-lite. I’m assuming their IMAX-lite install is the same as the others..I haven’t been to the Georgetown 14 in years.
given ‘John Carter’ is a scope (2.35) film, wide screen movies always look great and suitable on the Uptown screen – no black borders above and below the movie as on an IMAX (or IMAX-lite) screen.
Hello To My Fellow Posters- i came across this website a year ago and was hooked from the get go. so i set up a project for myself- find as many grand old movie theaters or palaces to use the popular term that have not been gutted for retail space, were never a 2nd/3rd run or grind house, never showed porn, never used as a radio or t.v. studio, never converted to a concert hall or performing art center and were never twined, tri-plexed or if large enough quaded but and this is a big BUT has stayed in more or less their original state,design/condition as 1st run movie theater since the day it opened. thru my searching so far i have only found this theater and Grauman’s Chinese in Hollywood. they can’t be the only ones in the entire country can they? anyone know of other ones still operating as 1st run theaters?
There are several in the Los Angeles area: The Vista, Regent, Village, Bruin, and Gardena. The Cinerama Dome is still intact, although a large cinema complex has been built onto it.
well aptly John Carter didn’t last that long here, ‘Hunger Games’ opens 12am tonight.
@bigjoe: the Seattle Cinerama, the Ziegfeld – Baltimore’s Senator used to be until the recent news of the updates and adding a second screen.
John Carter lost money for its studio, Disney. Bigjoe59 might want to post his question as “News” since it doesn’t belong on this page. I want emails with updates to the Uptown, rather than on this other question.
I remember going to this theater in 1977/1978 to watch the original Star Wars. Can someone tell me if that movie played there for over 54 weeks?
Yes, lesbrown0, “Star Wars” played 55 weeks in total, beginning its run on May 25, 1977, and being replaced by “Grease” on June 16, 1978.