Uptown Theater (Washington, D.C.)

The Uptown Theater
Location within Washington, D.C.
General information
Type Theater
Architectural style Art Deco
Location Northwest, Washington, D.C., United States
Coordinates 38°56′06″N 77°03′31″W / 38.9349°N 77.0585°W / 38.9349; -77.0585Coordinates: 38°56′06″N 77°03′31″W / 38.9349°N 77.0585°W / 38.9349; -77.0585
Completed 1936
Height
Roof 171 feet (52 m)
Design and construction
Architect John Jacob Zink

The Uptown Theater, also known as The Uptown or AMC Loews Uptown 1, is a historic single-screen movie theater in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

History

Opened on October 29, 1936, the Uptown Theater has hosted many Hollywood premieres and is widely considered "the best screen" in its metro area.[1] The theater was the 14th theater built by the Warner Brothers in Washington, DC.[2] The theater was designed by architect John Jacob Zink, whose firm designed over 200 theaters across the United States. The exterior is constructed of yellow and red brick and the facade is partially faced in limestone fluted panels. The limestone features typical Art Deco motifs, including zigzag patterns and floral reliefs. The marquee includes streamlined aluminum bands. The main entrance to the theater is located below this marquee. Two one-story storefronts flank both sides of the theater entrances.[3] Nothing remains of the original decor. The theater originally seated 1,120, but a $500,000 renovation in 1996 decreased capacity to 850.

The Uptown has a curved, 70 feet (21 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) high screen, one of the largest in the area.

Uptown in Neon Letters
Detail of Uptown Theater sign

In December 2010, the theater's Norelco 35mm/70mm projector was dismantled and replaced with a Christie Dual-Projector 3D system for the opening of Tron: Legacy.

Film premieres

  • World premiere of 2001: A Space Odyssey on April 2, 1968. The release was presented in a 70 mm projection format with a six-track stereo magnetic soundtrack. Following this screening, director Stanley Kubrick cut almost 20 minutes from the film's running time.
  • One of the first 32 houses to play Star Wars on its opening day (Wednesday, May 25, 1977) in 35 mm with a 4-track stereo soundtrack. The theater also started playing the film in the 70 mm projection format with a 6-track Dolby Stereo magnetic soundtrack on December 16 of the same year.
  • Madonna attended the world premiere of Dick Tracy on June 10, 1990.[4]
  • World premiere of Jurassic Park on June 9, 1993.[5]
  • The 8th U.S. theater to screen director Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now on October 3, 1979. Six-Track Dolby Stereo, which showcased a then-new quintaphonic split-surround audio mix. The film was shown without opening or closing credits or any studio logos; instead, a program was handed out to moviegoers.
  • World premiere of Dances with Wolves on October 19, 1990. During the screening, the projector broke down twice.
  • The Guardian, starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher, on September 7, 2006.[6]
  • Lions for Lambs, starring Robert Redford, Tom Cruise, and Meryl Streep and directed by Redford, on November 7, 2007.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "AMC Loews Uptown 1". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  2. ↑ van der Tak, Jean (Spring 1994). "The Uptown Theater" (PDF).
  3. ↑ Wood, Kathleen Sinclair (February 13, 1987). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Cleveland Park Historic District, Washington, DC" (PDF). National Park Service.
  4. ↑ Sherrill, Martha; Thomas, Dana. "THE FILM, THE FLASH THE SMILE". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  5. ↑ Roberts, Roxanne. "NIGHT OF THE LIVING DINOSAURS". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "MSN Movies". MSN. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
  7. ↑ "An Oral History of the Uptown Theater". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
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