Uptown Theater
3426 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington,
DC
20008
3426 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington,
DC
20008
43 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 1989, 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
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 399 comments)
Hello From NYC-
i have only been to the Uptown once. it was April of 1963 and i was on a family vacation during which we took in a showing of “How The West Was Won”.
now i discovered Cinema Treasures the last week of January 2011. so i decided to create a project for myself. said project was simple. using CT i was wondering how many of the grand old movie theaters/palaces built in the 1913-1941 heyday of such building were still single screen and still operating as 1st run theaters since the day they opened. after much browsing of CT of all the grand old movie theaters/palaces built in the U.S. in the 1913-1941 period i could find only 2 count ‘em 2 still single screen and were still operating as 1st run theaters since the day they opened. one is the Uptown and the other is Grauman’s Chinese in Hollywood. certainly an accomplishment.
I, too, have only been to the Uptown once. That was in 1963 or 1964 to see “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” I thought it was going to be in 3-projector Cinerama, and was disappointed to find out it wasn’t.
is AMC purposefully running this theater into the ground – ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is STILL here, but screenings have been reduced to one screening a day – sad, sad, sad. They could have easily booked the DCP of ‘Raiders’ or ‘Finding Nemo 3D', something? … ??
I have heard that “Trouble with the Curve” is probably opening here, in a week.
As far as AMC running this theater into the ground – I think it is more likely that chains, regardless of whether it is a big one such as AMC or a smaller one such as Clearview, simply have unimaginative business models that do not really allow for a cost-effective operation of large single screen theaters, which, admittedly, is a challenge.
A blockbuster-type film, even several weeks into its run, probably fills a larger percentage of the house than many of the films that are typically released during this time of the year. AMC’s reduction of showings to one-a-day seems to me similar to Clearview’s closing down the Ziegfeld in NYC when no big event film is available. However, even single-screen houses with imaginative and varied programming, such San Francisco’s Castro Theater, have taken to closing the theater on days such as Mondays and Tuesdays because the audience just is not there.
but even AMC’s non-booking of say the one off ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ screening on the 4th of October or even the Indiana Jones marathon (tomorrow) convey’s that AMC doesn’t care or want to make the effort to present alternate programming on a screen that needs (and deserves) it. Honestly, I kind of wish AMC would wipe it’s hands of the theater and let someone like the folk over at the Avalon take over and book films like the Castro does.
or let Cinemark run it and let them do their great Thursday ‘Classic Series’ film showcase.
Classic films, including 70mm always looks better on bigger screen venues like here, unless its a true 70mm film..filmed in 65mm and NOT a blow up. I remember seeing many 70mm films here, almost all blow ups and wondering why there was so much grain. Grain is one of those detractions that hinder the best theatrical experiences. On the other hand, the saving grace was the six-track stereo sound track that envelopes and draws you into the movie. Even some of the worst movies I’ve ever seen were decent theatrical ‘experiences’ because of the immersive sound and picture.
Raiders would’ve been nice to see again on the Uptown’s bigger screen. Unfortunately, I had to miss it this time around. A one week run is too short.
Hello, fans of The Uptown! Some years ago I took a snapshot of The Uptown, and I’ve turned that snapshot into a painting. To view, go to Facebook.com/ArtByTerryStephen
This theater holds so many memories for me. The premiere’s of many great films including 2001:A Space Odyssey, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, and Fiddler On the Roof, all in the 1960’s. The mother of my school mate at the time was a child herself during WWII in Japan, and some of the scenes in Fiddler reminded her of wartime in Japan bringing tears to her eyes as the lights came up at intermission.
In the 1980’s and 90’s I also saw the restored re-release of Rear Window here and Vertigo. Spartacus was also shown here with Jean Simmons in attendance.