Uptown Theatre

Joe Vogel on December 31, 2015 at 3:51 pm

The Cincinnati architectural firm of Rapp, Zettel & Rapp operated from 1903 through 1912. The principals were George W. Rapp (not to be confused with Chicago architect George W. L. Rapp), his son Walter L. Rapp, and partner John Zettel. Among the firm’s projects was a 1909 factory for the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company at Tonawanda, New York. From 1913 to 1930, the firm became Rapp & Zettel, and from 1931 until Walter Rapp’s retirement in 1958, Rapp & Meacham.

rzavisin on February 11, 2013 at 9:26 am

As a child, from 1943 til about 1948 I would attend the “cowboy westerns” every Saturday. ( The movies for “grown-ups” would start after 4PM.) The cost was ten cents for the double features held each week. Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Sunset Carson, etc..

To the right of the theater , now a vacant lot, was a neighborhood bar.

Joe Vogel on August 12, 2012 at 11:23 am

Here is an item announcing the plans for this theater in the October 30, 1912, issue of The American Architect:

“Architects Rapp, Zettel & Rapp, Johnston Bldg., have completed plans and estimates for the erection of a brick and concrete amusement building at 18-20 E. McMicken Ave., between Vine and Walnut Sts., to be known as the Variety Theater, at a cost of $12,000.”

The November 20 issue of the same publication had an item about another projected theater designed by the same firm:

“Architects Rapp, Zettel 8: Rapp, Johnston Building, are preparing plans for a theater building for the Boston Theater Co., corner Vine and Elder Sts., to cost $10,000”

This theater would have been only a short distance from the Variety/Uptown. I don’t know if the second project was ever completed, but if it was it must have been at the northeast corner of the intersection. The other corners all have buildings on them that clearly date from the 19th century. The building on the northeast corner could have been a theater, though if so it would have been a very small one, probably not seating many more than 300 patrons.

kencmcintyre on April 13, 2009 at 4:56 pm

Here is a 1981 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d3xvxm

stubaby on August 26, 2006 at 5:15 pm

of course, i recall the Uptown… saw a few films there, but when young , my theatre (and neighborhood) was the Empire… I guess there was no “marquee” overhanging sidewalk, but there were theatre posters, and ads in the paper (in the long gone ‘Neighborhood Theatres" section to let you know what was playing and when. In 1995, I met a woman whose father managed the Uptown theatre in the sixties… she herself sold tickets and worked the concession stand as a teen. Wish I had asked her more questions about place. Met another woman at time, who remembered area when it was a “good” neighborhood… she always attended the Uptown, rather than the Empire – said the Uptown was “cleaner!” Rather prim and proper, but very nice lady.

meheuck on May 4, 2006 at 3:23 pm

The following was written by VIDEO WATCHDOG publisher and lifelong Cincinnatian Tim Lucas at the old Mobius Home Video Forum board (a server crash lost all posts prior to a year and a half ago):

Further up Vine Street, where it begins its steep ascent into Clifton, there used to be another theater called the Uptown. I love my memory of this theater, which was like the Empire in that it hosted a day of movies only on the weekends for 75 cents. The big difference was, the Uptown didn’t have a telephone OR a marquee! You couldn’t find out what was showing till you plunked your three bits down! I went several times in 1966-67 with an older friend — the first time was one of those unforgettable days at the movies. We walked in on the last two reels of GIRL HAPPY (which I’d seen before), which was followed by INSIDE DAISY CLOVER and…THE EMBALMER!!! I can’t TELL you how high my heart soared as that title filled the screen!