Chuck1231:
Thanks for the reply. I have to confess I have no memory of the Studio, but many of the Utah and Centre. It’s also nice to know the old Rialto survives as the “Off-Broadway”, which, if I’m not mistaken makes it the 2nd oldest operating theatre in SLC, behind the Capitol. As for the Utah, I’ve learned not to count my chickens until they’ve hatched. Let’s hope this all pans out without a hitch. Cheers.
The July news is fantastic. This is the best possible outcome. The Utah deserves to be a film house, not a live performance venue. That was always her lot. Having the SL Film Society run the show is awesome – returning the Utah to her 1980’s “glory” as an alternative film venue, void of all the stale, generic, antiseptic “qualities” of the modern megaplex: sameness, cheapness, smallness, sameness, more cheapness, and the overall sense of watching a movie in a strip mall. My prayers have been answered.
I see Grant Smith’s phenomenal repository of Utah theater history, Utahtheaters.info has closed down. Anyone have any idea what’s up? I’ve emailed Grant and hope to hear back.
Not one, but three 30-story condominium/office towers, along with the broadway-style theater. It’s a visually-striking development and somewhat impressive in scope. But, “The Proscenium”, to me, seems too artificial and contrived for Salt Lake – sufficiently faux and yet insufficient in scope to ensure also-ran status even in Vegas.
Salt Lakers appreciate genuine history and culture, not some second-rate Venetian-wannabee that won’t have a single slot machine nor even a cheap buffet. But, look on the bright side, in the cultural-mecca that is Sandy, you can always catch some Taco Bell or Eat-a-Burger before taking in your Broadway show …
Is anyone else following Sandy city’s bid to undercut SLC in the Broadway theater business? I guess the Real Salt Lake soccer stadium wasn’t enough, now they’ve got to screw up the downtown arts district. It they succeed and this sounds the death knell for The Utah I’ll never forgive Sandy. As if downtown SLC hasn’t suffered enough. :(
Apologies if you already know this much, but the original Robert Morton organ was acquired by Salt Lake organ and theater buff Lawrence Bray and installed in the Organ Loft in 1946. It seems to have been sold in 1956. It You can read about it here: View link
Perhaps the Organ Loft folks know it’s history after 1956.
This is fantastic news. SLC mayor Ralph Becker is trying to do right by Salt Lake and theater preservationists. It’s interesting to compare the photo of the theater as it is today, in the Deseret News, to the above photo from 1921. You’ll see how much of the ceiling work still remains, including the magnificent stained glass. You can also clearly see the flooring installed to separate the original theater, vertically, into two spaces. Here’s the link to the recent news piece in the Deseret News: View link
This theater is crying out for preservation. It would be an absolute crime to fail. If the SLC plan goes through I only hope the original decor and layout are largely preserved.
abbeynormal, you’ve made my day! That’s fantastic news! I wish I could have joined you for the screening/tour – this is something I’ve wanted to do since round about 92, when I last stepped foot in the theater. I can’t believe they actually fired up a projector in the ol' place! If you ever know of another opportunity to tour the place I’d be forever grateful if you could email me. Did you take any pictures?
As far as whom to contact about the current plans, I might recommend Dave Oka, head of Salt Lake City’s Redevelopment Agency. I had a brief email exchange with him in 2005 about the theater, after I had contacted the mayor’s office about news of the theater. He was pretty dialed in to what was going on. His email address is:
Oh, and thanks for confirming that there are indeed restrooms on the mezzanine level. I have no idea why that bothered me; I guess when memory fades and blurs with the imagined it’s always a relief to find out you’re not crazy. I don’t make a habit of dwelling on restrooms, but in the Utah, even they were magnificent.
Thanks so much for the great news. Let’s hope it comes to something good. Maybe I’ll quit my day job for an usher spot ;)
Thanks for the comment, utahguy. So, it seems the mezzanine level does have restrooms – I could, for some reason, only recall those on the main level, perhaps for their decor. It’s strange how memory can play tricks on you. As for the upper level, I believe it is a (spiral?) ramp that leads to the mezzanine, then a staircase up to the upper theatre entrance (or, of course, one could also take the long-non-functioning escalator near the mezzanine snack bar.) I think we need to lobby HOWA for a final tour if and before it gets razed.
No problem, abbeynormal. Thanks for responding. It’s funny how memory blurs into the imagined – was it there? Or is it my mind playing tricks … If this grand old place is ever slated for the wrecking ball I’d hope that we can at least talk Mr. Howa into a tour with cameras in hand. But let’s make sure it doesn’t come to that. I remember in the early 90’s, probably about 92, when the place was nearing “final” closure, I wandered in off the street as it was open and empty. I gave an impromptu tour to my wife. Now I wish I had shot video or at least photos.
There were so many aspects of its uniqueness that I enjoyed – like the skinny little escalators going from the mezzanine up to the upper theatre, the ornate bathrooms, the spiral ramp (?) up to the mezzanine, the abandoned snack bar on the mezzanine, great curtains, all the decor, or course. Looking back, in 85-87, when it was an art theatre, primarily, it was always a bit of a surreal experience to see a film there: there would literally be one or two employees working the whole place and you’d often find yourselves almost alone in this magnificent, majestic, once-proud auditorium, enjoying art cinema with the only the ghosts of a bygone era as company. I could practically feel the energy of old Salt Lake’s higher society. It was sad but magical all the same. No doubt this speaks to its demise under Plitt. The modern multiplexes haven’t an ounce of the charm or character of these grand old houses. If anyone has any photos that haven’t been made public I’d love to see them.
It’s so sad to me that so few people in Salt Lake seem to realize what they stand to lose. With the sole exception of the Capitol, there really isn’t another old movie house left in the city that can compare to the Utah. It’s majesty certainly matches or exceeds that of the Centre, in my mind, and I remember a fair outcry when the Centre was demolished. But the public seems mostly apathetic about the Utah, perhaps in part due to it’s non-descript facade and slow fade from the movie scene. Too bad. Here’s a quote from the Deseret News article about the demolition of the Centre in 1989 (thanks to Grant Smith for reprinting it on his site):
“James McPherson, who is on the board of directors of the Utah Heritage Foundation, said he and the foundation had hoped the Centre could be preserved.
“I recently visited Cincinnati for a convention and they are now agonizing about that city’s one big downtown theater being torn down several years ago. Today, it could have been incorporated into their downtown master plan. It’s too bad we can’t learn from the mistakes of others,” he
said. (emphasis mine)
McPherson felt that the Centre could have been utilized as a performing arts facility of some type, with the peripheral retail spaces used as galleries, boutiques, cafes or other arts-oriented sites."
I have a question for utahguy or jbd (or anyone for that matter). Do you recall if there were restrooms on the mezzanine level, or just up the stairs to the upper theatre, that were similarly ornate to the downstairs facilities? I recall the downstairs rooms fairly well but I have only a vague memory (or dream) of similar rooms off to the sides of the upper, balcony theatre. I know it’s odd to give much thought to a restroom, but such is the majesty of the Utah Theatre. Thanks.
I’m with you, abbeynormal. Trouble is, I don’t have $10+ million to spare. It is a bit strange to me that the theatre was operating without too much trouble into the early 90’s and now it needs $30-60 million to rennovate? I’m assuming the rennovation plan calls for removing the floor from the balcony to stage to create a single auditorium. But is this absolutely necessary? Why not do a minimal restoration, at least for now, so it is preserved? We’ve lost the Centre, the Villa (mostly), and many others – the Utah must be saved, somehow.
I also have great memories there from my college years in the 80’s. I think it could still thrive as a movie theatre, especially given there are no downtown options anymore except the bland multiplex over at Gateway – you know, the one that looks EXACTLY like the multiplex theatres at Jordon Landing, Jordan Commons, Century, etc. etc.. For me, moviegoing isn’t just about stadium seating and high-tech sound; it is about experiencing history – visiting these mythical film houses that hold so much magic and charm. Even the restrooms at the Utah had style.
Parking is perhaps a significant issue, but really, it’s not like we’re talking about New York. Salt Lakers need to get used to hoofing it for a block or two. Foot traffic is, after all, part and parcel of downtown revitalization. I hope and pray that HOWA will have sense of this history and not demolish it or sell it to an organization that plans to.
I sure hope the LDS Church does get involved. Obviously it will now take their deep pockets to save this treasure from the wrecking ball. They’re certainly putting a lot of $$ into revitalizing the north end of downtown SLC, perhaps some of it can trickle south just a bit. If you can post a link to the KSL news article I’d love to read it, and I’m sure Grant Smith would like to link to it on his Utah Theaters site. Thanks.
The Utah Theatre is truly a place of myth and legend. That it now sits derelict with a “for sale” sign on it’s facade is a tragedy second only to the loss of the Villa and perhaps the old Century, if even that. I still feel the magic and mystery of this place, even as it sits dark, empty, and derelict – a true testament to it’s history. Ever see marble or stained glass in today’s multi-plexes?
I saw many movies here in the mid-80’s, after it had transitioned to an art-film house under Plitt’s ownership, and perhaps a few in the 70’s when it was mainstream. Few realize the Utah was one of Salt Lake’s premier art-movie houses during this period, along with the also long-defunct Blue Mouse. Today’s Salt Lake art-film patrons owe this grand old house a deep, deep debt of gratitude. I can only imagine what it must have been like before it was split in two.
Some of the films I saw at the Utah in the 80’s: Malcom, Straight to Hell, Tampopo, A Room with a View, Man Facing Southeast, Subway, Maurice, Salvador, The Moderns, Slam Dance, In Defense of the Realm, Gothic, High Tide, Sid and Nancy, Corrupt, and many others.
I find it criminal that owners of historic single family houses need approval from the historical society for so much as a repainting, yet something as magnificent and historically important as this theater can be bought, sold, and demolished without so much as the blink of an eye. If I had the money I would not hesitate to purchase and restore this magnificent movie house to its former glory. I pray it gets restored. If it doesn’t , I’ll hope for a brick and perhaps a few photographs … ;(
Chuck1231:
Thanks for the reply. I have to confess I have no memory of the Studio, but many of the Utah and Centre. It’s also nice to know the old Rialto survives as the “Off-Broadway”, which, if I’m not mistaken makes it the 2nd oldest operating theatre in SLC, behind the Capitol. As for the Utah, I’ve learned not to count my chickens until they’ve hatched. Let’s hope this all pans out without a hitch. Cheers.
Sorry, Chuck1231, I didn’t notice Hyde had already commented on the photo.
The July news is fantastic. This is the best possible outcome. The Utah deserves to be a film house, not a live performance venue. That was always her lot. Having the SL Film Society run the show is awesome – returning the Utah to her 1980’s “glory” as an alternative film venue, void of all the stale, generic, antiseptic “qualities” of the modern megaplex: sameness, cheapness, smallness, sameness, more cheapness, and the overall sense of watching a movie in a strip mall. My prayers have been answered.
BTW, Chuck1231, your photo is awesome, but it’s of the old Studio Theater across the street, later to be named the “Utah III”: http://utahtheaters.info/TheaterMain.asp?ID=121
Grant’s site is back up … Hurray!
I see Grant Smith’s phenomenal repository of Utah theater history, Utahtheaters.info has closed down. Anyone have any idea what’s up? I’ve emailed Grant and hope to hear back.
Big-city-wannabee Sandy unveiled its plans yesterday: http://theprosceniumsandy.com/
Not one, but three 30-story condominium/office towers, along with the broadway-style theater. It’s a visually-striking development and somewhat impressive in scope. But, “The Proscenium”, to me, seems too artificial and contrived for Salt Lake – sufficiently faux and yet insufficient in scope to ensure also-ran status even in Vegas.
Salt Lakers appreciate genuine history and culture, not some second-rate Venetian-wannabee that won’t have a single slot machine nor even a cheap buffet. But, look on the bright side, in the cultural-mecca that is Sandy, you can always catch some Taco Bell or Eat-a-Burger before taking in your Broadway show …
Is anyone else following Sandy city’s bid to undercut SLC in the Broadway theater business? I guess the Real Salt Lake soccer stadium wasn’t enough, now they’ve got to screw up the downtown arts district. It they succeed and this sounds the death knell for The Utah I’ll never forgive Sandy. As if downtown SLC hasn’t suffered enough. :(
You’re welcome. That was my first thought as well. If I have occasion to visit the Organ Loft I’ll inquire.
Apologies if you already know this much, but the original Robert Morton organ was acquired by Salt Lake organ and theater buff Lawrence Bray and installed in the Organ Loft in 1946. It seems to have been sold in 1956. It You can read about it here: View link
Perhaps the Organ Loft folks know it’s history after 1956.
This is fantastic news. SLC mayor Ralph Becker is trying to do right by Salt Lake and theater preservationists. It’s interesting to compare the photo of the theater as it is today, in the Deseret News, to the above photo from 1921. You’ll see how much of the ceiling work still remains, including the magnificent stained glass. You can also clearly see the flooring installed to separate the original theater, vertically, into two spaces. Here’s the link to the recent news piece in the Deseret News:
View link
This theater is crying out for preservation. It would be an absolute crime to fail. If the SLC plan goes through I only hope the original decor and layout are largely preserved.
abbeynormal, you’ve made my day! That’s fantastic news! I wish I could have joined you for the screening/tour – this is something I’ve wanted to do since round about 92, when I last stepped foot in the theater. I can’t believe they actually fired up a projector in the ol' place! If you ever know of another opportunity to tour the place I’d be forever grateful if you could email me. Did you take any pictures?
As far as whom to contact about the current plans, I might recommend Dave Oka, head of Salt Lake City’s Redevelopment Agency. I had a brief email exchange with him in 2005 about the theater, after I had contacted the mayor’s office about news of the theater. He was pretty dialed in to what was going on. His email address is:
Oh, and thanks for confirming that there are indeed restrooms on the mezzanine level. I have no idea why that bothered me; I guess when memory fades and blurs with the imagined it’s always a relief to find out you’re not crazy. I don’t make a habit of dwelling on restrooms, but in the Utah, even they were magnificent.
Thanks so much for the great news. Let’s hope it comes to something good. Maybe I’ll quit my day job for an usher spot ;)
Thanks for the comment, utahguy. So, it seems the mezzanine level does have restrooms – I could, for some reason, only recall those on the main level, perhaps for their decor. It’s strange how memory can play tricks on you. As for the upper level, I believe it is a (spiral?) ramp that leads to the mezzanine, then a staircase up to the upper theatre entrance (or, of course, one could also take the long-non-functioning escalator near the mezzanine snack bar.) I think we need to lobby HOWA for a final tour if and before it gets razed.
No problem, abbeynormal. Thanks for responding. It’s funny how memory blurs into the imagined – was it there? Or is it my mind playing tricks … If this grand old place is ever slated for the wrecking ball I’d hope that we can at least talk Mr. Howa into a tour with cameras in hand. But let’s make sure it doesn’t come to that. I remember in the early 90’s, probably about 92, when the place was nearing “final” closure, I wandered in off the street as it was open and empty. I gave an impromptu tour to my wife. Now I wish I had shot video or at least photos.
There were so many aspects of its uniqueness that I enjoyed – like the skinny little escalators going from the mezzanine up to the upper theatre, the ornate bathrooms, the spiral ramp (?) up to the mezzanine, the abandoned snack bar on the mezzanine, great curtains, all the decor, or course. Looking back, in 85-87, when it was an art theatre, primarily, it was always a bit of a surreal experience to see a film there: there would literally be one or two employees working the whole place and you’d often find yourselves almost alone in this magnificent, majestic, once-proud auditorium, enjoying art cinema with the only the ghosts of a bygone era as company. I could practically feel the energy of old Salt Lake’s higher society. It was sad but magical all the same. No doubt this speaks to its demise under Plitt. The modern multiplexes haven’t an ounce of the charm or character of these grand old houses. If anyone has any photos that haven’t been made public I’d love to see them.
It’s so sad to me that so few people in Salt Lake seem to realize what they stand to lose. With the sole exception of the Capitol, there really isn’t another old movie house left in the city that can compare to the Utah. It’s majesty certainly matches or exceeds that of the Centre, in my mind, and I remember a fair outcry when the Centre was demolished. But the public seems mostly apathetic about the Utah, perhaps in part due to it’s non-descript facade and slow fade from the movie scene. Too bad. Here’s a quote from the Deseret News article about the demolition of the Centre in 1989 (thanks to Grant Smith for reprinting it on his site):
“James McPherson, who is on the board of directors of the Utah Heritage Foundation, said he and the foundation had hoped the Centre could be preserved.
“I recently visited Cincinnati for a convention and they are now agonizing about that city’s one big downtown theater being torn down several years ago. Today, it could have been incorporated into their downtown master plan. It’s too bad we can’t learn from the mistakes of others,” he
said. (emphasis mine)
McPherson felt that the Centre could have been utilized as a performing arts facility of some type, with the peripheral retail spaces used as galleries, boutiques, cafes or other arts-oriented sites."
And here we are … it’s deja vu all over again …
I have a question for utahguy or jbd (or anyone for that matter). Do you recall if there were restrooms on the mezzanine level, or just up the stairs to the upper theatre, that were similarly ornate to the downstairs facilities? I recall the downstairs rooms fairly well but I have only a vague memory (or dream) of similar rooms off to the sides of the upper, balcony theatre. I know it’s odd to give much thought to a restroom, but such is the majesty of the Utah Theatre. Thanks.
I’m with you, abbeynormal. Trouble is, I don’t have $10+ million to spare. It is a bit strange to me that the theatre was operating without too much trouble into the early 90’s and now it needs $30-60 million to rennovate? I’m assuming the rennovation plan calls for removing the floor from the balcony to stage to create a single auditorium. But is this absolutely necessary? Why not do a minimal restoration, at least for now, so it is preserved? We’ve lost the Centre, the Villa (mostly), and many others – the Utah must be saved, somehow.
I also have great memories there from my college years in the 80’s. I think it could still thrive as a movie theatre, especially given there are no downtown options anymore except the bland multiplex over at Gateway – you know, the one that looks EXACTLY like the multiplex theatres at Jordon Landing, Jordan Commons, Century, etc. etc.. For me, moviegoing isn’t just about stadium seating and high-tech sound; it is about experiencing history – visiting these mythical film houses that hold so much magic and charm. Even the restrooms at the Utah had style.
Parking is perhaps a significant issue, but really, it’s not like we’re talking about New York. Salt Lakers need to get used to hoofing it for a block or two. Foot traffic is, after all, part and parcel of downtown revitalization. I hope and pray that HOWA will have sense of this history and not demolish it or sell it to an organization that plans to.
I sure hope the LDS Church does get involved. Obviously it will now take their deep pockets to save this treasure from the wrecking ball. They’re certainly putting a lot of $$ into revitalizing the north end of downtown SLC, perhaps some of it can trickle south just a bit. If you can post a link to the KSL news article I’d love to read it, and I’m sure Grant Smith would like to link to it on his Utah Theaters site. Thanks.
Please check out Grant Smith’s great site for more detail about the Utah Theater: http://utahtheaters.info/Index.asp
The Utah Theatre is truly a place of myth and legend. That it now sits derelict with a “for sale” sign on it’s facade is a tragedy second only to the loss of the Villa and perhaps the old Century, if even that. I still feel the magic and mystery of this place, even as it sits dark, empty, and derelict – a true testament to it’s history. Ever see marble or stained glass in today’s multi-plexes?
I saw many movies here in the mid-80’s, after it had transitioned to an art-film house under Plitt’s ownership, and perhaps a few in the 70’s when it was mainstream. Few realize the Utah was one of Salt Lake’s premier art-movie houses during this period, along with the also long-defunct Blue Mouse. Today’s Salt Lake art-film patrons owe this grand old house a deep, deep debt of gratitude. I can only imagine what it must have been like before it was split in two.
Some of the films I saw at the Utah in the 80’s: Malcom, Straight to Hell, Tampopo, A Room with a View, Man Facing Southeast, Subway, Maurice, Salvador, The Moderns, Slam Dance, In Defense of the Realm, Gothic, High Tide, Sid and Nancy, Corrupt, and many others.
I find it criminal that owners of historic single family houses need approval from the historical society for so much as a repainting, yet something as magnificent and historically important as this theater can be bought, sold, and demolished without so much as the blink of an eye. If I had the money I would not hesitate to purchase and restore this magnificent movie house to its former glory. I pray it gets restored. If it doesn’t , I’ll hope for a brick and perhaps a few photographs … ;(