Streetcars

31st St. & Hennepin Ave., 1953

 

Lagoon Ave. & Hennepin Ave., 1954

Lake St. & Hennepin Ave., 1954

courtesy of Hennepin Streetcar Museum

1948

Film on the marquee: A Star is Born

Bottom picture is full image of Landmark CD cover

courtesy of Hennepin History Museum & Minnesota Historical Society

Album Covers

Landmark Music compilation CD

Given out at Landmark theaters in the mid-2000s

Picture of the Uptown from 1948

Film on the marquee: A Song is Born

Phillipe - "Can I Follow You/Work Shuffle"

Arrogant Records

Released on vinyl in 1988 

Marquees in the News

On occasion, the Uptown Theatre's clever marquees manage to gain national attention.

In a recent interview with People Magazine, actress Saoirse Ronan mentioned how Ryan Gosling gave the audience instructions on how to pronounce her name at the 2015 Hollywood Film Awards. She then added:

"Someone sent me a photo two weeks later of a cinema in Minnesota, and on the sign in front it said "Brooklyn" and then underneath it said, 'Ser-sha, Like Intertia," Ronan tells PEOPLE. "I couldn't believe it! They actually put it on the front of the cinema, so the power of Ryan Gosling is stronger than anything else."

The Uptown actually pulled the quote from Ronan herself in a 2011 interview with the GateHouse News Service (via Wikipedia).

In July 2011, CNN posted an article titled, "Record highs broken in slew of cities." They remarked:

"The heat has affected many outdoor activities, prompting one Minneapolis movie theater marquee to read, "We have AC. Who cares what's playing.""

In June 2013, the Uptown tweeted their Much Ado About Nothing marquee, reminding the public that Joss Whedon wrote four episodes of Roseanne. By far their most popular tweet, it was even commented upon by Whedon himself.

Proposed Redesign

If I recall correctly, this was the original proposed design for the Uptown renovation that eventually occurred in 2012. Details of note: the bar was originally on the ground level (another storefront would ultimately take this place), stairs to the mezzanine were still in the lobby instead of the auditorium, and ticket cash registers were placed peculiarly close to concession cash registers.

Best Popcorn

Box Office/Concession Stand (1983 - 2012)

I've previously mentioned the bizarre box office/concession stand combo that was constructed in the Uptown around 1983 and remained until its decimation in 2012, but now here is photographic documentation! For the record, these pictures were taken in 1998, given the Love & Death on Long Island poster in the background.

For an added bonus, here's a look at the Lagoon Cinema lobby from around the same era, complete with candy scoops, Safety Last picture, and a Big Lebowski bowling shirt that currently resides in the Uptown basement.