Uptown Theatre

rivest266 on January 12, 2020 at 8:20 pm

Reopened as the Arts on December 25th, 1951 with “La Ronde” (France).

majorjerryusmc on May 17, 2018 at 2:57 pm

I remember going to the Uptown in 1946 when we moved to SA and I attended St. Ann’s school. I recall a big conflict between the Uptown and St. Ann’s (possible with the archdiocese of SA) when the Uptown started showing foreign “Art” films. They were pretty mild by today’s standards, but St Ann’s felt insulted by the fact that the church was situated next door and the nun’s residence was across the street (Ashby, I think). St Ann’s got the ultimate revenge by buying the building and converting it into a parish hall. This was after the new church was constructed. The Uptown continued showing “Art” films. “And God created Woman” was an example. Such memories!

kencmcintyre on September 5, 2009 at 7:13 pm

This is from the San Antonio Express on August 12, 1928:

Victor’s Uptown Theater, recently completed suburban show home at West Ashby and Fredericksburg Road, announces its opening program starting Friday, August 17, at 1 o'clock. A midnight show will begin Thursday night, starting at 11 o'clock.

The Uptown after nearly a year in construction adds another link in the chain of 10 suburban houses to be owned and operated by the Victor Theater. Inc., which has been operating in San Antonio nearly a year. The new theater is acclaimed one of the most beautiful in the Southwest and is said to be the seventh theater of its class erected in Texas. Constructed and designed along lines of Moorish architecture, the Uptown is scheduled to be one of the foremost show places of San Antonio.

Nothing was spared to make it one of the finest suburban theaters in the country. Much interest in the opening has been manifested by the hundreds of phone calls relative to the opening date, and record crowd is expected at the first show. The Uptown will operate on a policy of continuous performance along similarly established lines of downtown deluxe homes, beginning at 1 p.m. and closing at 11 p.m. One of the features of the Uptown is the Victor Reuter organ, with Paul Kinard, organist at the console.

What is expected to be the outstanding feature of the theater policy is the sale of a family ticket, which will admit an entire family to the theater for the four complete changes at a very nominal cost. It is the first of its kind ever offered the public here.

The screen feature for the first three days will be a Clara Bow special “My Lady of Whims” which has been given much favorable comment in the advance notices. In this photoplay Clara is co-starred with Donald Keith, who also teamed with her in “The Plastic Age”. Clara has been heralded as "always getting her man”, and a shining example of “it”, but in “My Lady of "Whims” this supposedly subtle quality fails for once, seemingly to make the exception, and Clara is somewhat extensively manhandled. Besides the screen feature a comedy, news reel and scenic will be shown.

It is announced that Sunday. August 18, at 6:30 p.m. John Victor, president of the theater corporation, who besides being a showman also is the leader of the Third Symphony Orchestra of Texas, will conduct the Uptown Theater Orchestra in a “Twilight Musical Concert" playing the William Tell Overture, augmented by special scenic and lighting effects.