Uptown Theatre
4816 N. Broadway,
Chicago,
IL
60640
4816 N. Broadway,
Chicago,
IL
60640
88 people
favorited this theater
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Soooo, How is the Uptown Theatre film???? What is in it? Can it be purchased somewhere? Anyone get to see it?????
Nick Digilio of WGN radio has an Interview with a member of the Friends of the Uptown Theater at 11:05 pm tonight on 720 am (6/4/06).
If you were at the Uptown Portrait event last summer, be sure to come to the Uptown Theatre documentary on June 8th to see yourself on the Silver Screen!
WATCH THE NEW DOCUMENTARY “UPTOWN: PORTRAIT OF A PALACE"
AT THE HISTORIC PORTAGE THEATRE IN CHICAGO
Date: Thursday, June 8, 2006. Time: 8:00 pm
Address: 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
The public debut of the short documentary film Uptown: Portrait of a
Palace will be hosted by Friends of the Uptown and the Portage Film
Forum at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 8, 2006, at the Portage Theatre, 4050 N.
Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Two additional shorts and live theatre organ
music complete the bill. The Portage Theatre has a full concession
stand. Admission is $8 in advance; $10 at the door. Plenty of parking
is available nearby at meters and a City lot. Proceeds will benefit the
Portage Film Forum and Friends of the Uptown. Call (773) 205-7372 or
visit http://www.silentfilmchicago.com for more information.
Uptown: Portrait of a Palace was produced and directed by John Pappas
and Michael Bisberg for Debra Tolchinsky’s Fall 2005 documentary film
production course at Northwestern University. A devastating hard drive
crash caused its delayed completion and release. However, the data was
recovered with the help of grant assistance and a remarkable,
first-of-its-kind (for the Uptown Theatre!) film has been released.
Progenitor of the largest U.S. movie palaces of the mid-to-late 1920s,
the Uptown Theatre, Chicago, operated profitably and survived several
shifts in entertainment and public taste before closing in 1981. Since
then, the closed colossus has been one of the biggest mysteries of
Chicago’s North Side. Though the Uptown is a popular favorite venue for
generations of Chicagoans and a City landmark since 1991, it is
increasingly threatened by its disuse and real-estate speculation.
The film explores the history of the Uptown Theatre and why the largest
and one of the most elaborate theatres in the nation has been left
vacant for 25 years. It uses interviews with eight sources close to the
theatre and breathtaking footage from inside the rarely seen venue to
invite the viewer to question what is really important in a society
fueled by money and private interest.
Is the Uptown a crumbling remnant of the long-forgotten past? Or does
the building possess the quality that Balaban & Katz (the theatre’s
original owners and promoters) touted when they gave it as a gift to
their loyal cinema patrons: A theatre built “Not for TODAYâ€"but for ALL
TIME.â€
Overall, the film shows how the Uptown Theatre remains an active venue
for the hopes of volunteers who support it, the factoids of historians
who have tracked it, and the dreams of a city that promotes the concept
of its renovation and reuse for entertainment in the near future.
We hope to see you there! To learn more and to download a trailer for a
sneak peek
of what’s in store go to
http://www.compassrose.org/uptowntheatre/news.html
John Pappas and Mike Bisberg of Northwestern University have recently finished their documentary on the Uptown Theatre, filmed last summer. It will be shown locally sometime in May, and I’ll post the information as soon as it’s available. For now, you can download a sneak peek at: http://www.compassrose.org/uptowntheatre/news.html
David Balaban, whose family built the theatre in 1925, has written a book on the Balaban and Katz theatres. It is available as of today (Wednesday). Follow the same link to read about David and his book.
There is a show on Discovery Channel called Urban Explorers – Chicago episode. They went in the uptown, and went all over it (booth, main floor, catacombs). I’m not sure if this show will be on again, i sure hope so. You guys would have loved it!
Hello:
For JIM RANKIN
I put the answer to my UPTOWN question here instead of one the Paradise site considering that this doesn’t belong there.
WOW, we have another winner! Like I said, I HAVE heard of the Uptown before and saw pictures of the outside…but not the inside. Boy did I get a crash course on it tonight! For one, it is HUGE! I didn’t know was that it is LARGER than Radio City! One thing for sure…it is like the Granada or Marbro on steroids. ME LIKES!!
However, there seems to be quite a bit of controversy stirred up around this beauty. Many Many hands in the pot. You hit it on the head when you said “it is daunting.” But it does seem like there is quite a bit of interest in it and I am crossing my fingers that something good turns out for the Uptown. I just can’t see something like this being lost. I am happy learn it it WAS NOT demolished and it is still standing AND moreover, it is restorable. I most definately will get the Annual on this one.
JG
Yeah: that is a pretty good article. Sums it all up. I hadn’t been aware of the legal battle over the theatre’s ownership.
Can someone clarify who all these groups are (Friends of the Uptown, Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts, Uptown Theatre Renovation Project, etc) and what role they play in the efforts to reuse the theatre?
A great article! Everyone should pitch in to do whatever it takes to ensure preservation and the reopening of this gem!!! It will be a focal point of the community. Good luck! – Michael from NY
Dear Michael,
May I suggest that you visit http://www.chicagosuptowntheater.com and read up on what’s presented there. If you contact those working at this site— who include a former owner of the Uptown and David Balaban of Balaban & Katz among others— they will be able to furnish you with a detailed history of the theatre (including original documents) as well as updating you on the problems that have plagued the Uptown’s restoration efforts. They should be most helpful to you in your film project.
Best of luck,
Richard Cohen
Hey everybody
I am a Michael LeVan. I have lived in the city of Chicago my entire life. I am a filmmaker and a attendee of Columbia College, heading into my final year. I love all the old movie palaces of Chicago. It has been my intent for sometime to Make a documentary on the history, and the ongoings of these historic theaters in the present. The means to make this documentary are finally in my grasp. I planned on featuring 3 theaters, the Copernicus Center(formally The Gateway), The Patio(Formally The Avalon), and The Uptown. While the Documentary will focus on the entire history, These are the three that will be visual examples, and the ones i would like to film in. I have spoken with the People at The Gateway Theater, and they are estatic that i am doing this. The only problem now is The Uptown and the The Patio. These two theaters seem to have ghosts of owners , or even managers. If somebody could help me in finding someone to talk too, i would be very appriciative. Also, this documentary will require interviews, and finding old information as well. If anybody would be kind enough to do either that would be fantastic. My somewhat set date to start filming is June 10 ,2006. My goal with the entire project is to help and benifit these theaters. Help alot more people to gain interest, and all the profit that i attain, if any, will be donated to help with these theaters. I am going to submit it to Wttw(Pbs Chicago) , and also the History Channel. So if anyone would like to help in anyway, they can contact me at my email.
or by phone (773)-656-5821
Well i appriciate if you read that entire thing, and hopefully i will be hearing from you
Michael Levan of Bleeding Chicago Productions
Hey everybody
I am a Michael LeVan. I have lived in the city of Chicago my entire life. I am a filmmaker and a attendee of Columbia College, heading into my final year. I love all the old movie palaces of Chicago. It has been my intent for sometime to Make a documentary on the history, and the ongoings of these historic theaters in the present. The means to make this documentary are finally in my grasp. I planned on featuring 3 theaters, the Copernicus Center(formally The Gateway), The Patio(Formally The Avalon), and The Uptown. While the Documentary will focus on the entire history, These are the three that will be visual examples, and the ones i would like to film in. I have spoken with the People at The Gateway Theater, and they are estatic that i am doing this. The only problem now is The Uptown and the The Patio. These two theaters seem to have ghosts of owners , or even managers. If somebody could help me in finding someone to talk too, i would be very appriciative. Also, this documentary will require interviews, and finding old information as well. If anybody would be kind enough to do either that would be fantastic. My somewhat set date to start filming is June 10 ,2006. My goal with the entire project is to help and benifit these theaters. Help alot more people to gain interest, and all the profit that i attain, if any, will be donated to help with these theaters. I am going to submit it to Wttw(Pbs Chicago) , and also the History Channel. So if anyone would like to help in anyway, they can contact me at my email.
or by phone (773)-656-5821
Well i appriciate if you read that entire thing, and hopefully i will be hearing from you
Michael Levan of Bleeding Chicago Productions
Hey everybody
I am a Michael LeVan. I have lived in the city of Chicago my entire life. I am a filmmaker and a attendee of Columbia College, heading into my final year. I love all the old movie palaces of Chicago. It has been my intent for sometime to Make a documentary on the history, and the ongoings of these historic theaters in the present. The means to make this documentary are finally in my grasp. I planned on featuring 3 theaters, the Copernicus Center(formally The Gateway), The Patio(Formally The Avalon), and The Uptown. While the Documentary will focus on the entire history, These are the three that will be visual examples, and the ones i would like to film in. I have spoken with the People at The Gateway Theater, and they are estatic that i am doing this. The only problem now is The Uptown and the The Patio. These two theaters seem to have ghosts of owners , or even managers. If somebody could help me in finding someone to talk too, i would be very appriciative. Also, this documentary will require interviews, and finding old information as well. If anybody would be kind enough to do either that would be fantastic. My somewhat set date to start filming is June 10 ,2006. My goal with the entire project is to help and benifit these theaters. Help alot more people to gain interest, and all the profit that i attain, if any, will be donated to help with these theaters. I am going to submit it to Wttw(Pbs Chicago) , and also the History Channel. So if anyone would like to help in anyway, they can contact me at my email.
or by phone (773)-656-5821
Well i appriciate if you read that entire thing, and hopefully i will be hearing from you
Michael Levan of Bleeding Chicago Productions
For the latest views of the auditorium
please go to www.chicagosuptowntheater.com
And check out the slide show section.
David Balaban was kind enough to speak of the following website and those who are trying to preserve the Uptown, perhaps so that the performing arts may continue to enrich the lives of future generations within the beauty of this restored cinema palace:
http://www.chicagosuptowntheater.com
What is this plan that Rebirth is speaking of?
Thanks, Brian. Please note the taggers may vandalize the exterior but the building itself remains vacant, secure, guarded and alarmed. “Efforts to secure the building” remain active, successful and complete.
While graffiti is an unsightly nuisance that will be removed when the weather warms and resources are available, it is something that vandals do to all buildings everywhere in urban centers. If you look in Chicago up and down the Red Line, the UPTOWN is not alone in receiving tags last week (or any week). In fact, it was one of the last high-profile, far North Side buildings to get hit in this period of warm winter weather.
Unfortunately, the tags are beyond the scope of the city’s Graffiti Blasters. That means the owner or receiver spends thousands of dollars each time they remove a batch of tags. This is done one to three times annually, depending on resources and priorities.
Until such time it is renovated and reused, there are many more significant challenges facing the UPTOWN that deserve our focus, efforts and combined resources.
Despite all the efforts to secure the building, 5 or 6 new grafitti tags appeared in the past few days. It’s just too enticing of a billboard.
Richard Cohen and NativeForestHiller — Thanks for the nice comments and support! There are many people in Uptown who love for and take care of this beautiful old theatre, and we all hope to see her restored one day.
Rebirth — If there is a viable plan out there for the Uptown Theatre, please let us know how neighborhood advocacy groups can help. Based on the Compass Rose online and hardcopy versions of the Uptown signature drive, there are over 1500 people willing to lend a voice to back a good plan.
— Joanne http://www.compassrose.org
I will make this very short and to the point.
Hope is on the way. Very well thought out plans
that have been in motion for about a year will soon
bare fruit. This is not an empty promiss. Soon all
those skeptics will see this once great building
back, and better then ever. More to come soon.
Sorry but thats all I could say for now.
Very well stated!!! I give my heart away to those preservationists aiming to save a cultural, architectural, & historical treasure. The Uptown is among the most appealing theaters I’ve seen. Keep up the superb work. Thanks! – Michael from N.Y.
Compass Rose & others helping keep the Uptown preservation in the public eye,
Thank you and keep up the good work. There seems to be a timing for all things: a time when efforts seem to fail; and a time when they finally bear fruit. But only by persevering, especially in worthy causes such as preserving this glorious venue, can we finally see success!
The naysayers argued why the Grand Central Staion in NYC should be demolished to make way for modern development; but many fought to presevre her (including Jackie Kennedy) and finally she was saved from the wrecking ball. The GCS had deterioarated as badly or worse than the Uptoen, thousanbds of homeless people slept in her rat, and cockroach infested lower levels; but look at her now after her wondrous restoration!!! Restored to her former glory and then some through the efforts of arts loving, history preserving people like all of you!!
Keep up your faith and good work and all will be well when the day is done.
We’ve just updated our Web site with photos of the Uptown Theatre (including an exterior shot of the recent stabilization work) as well as old advertisements of the Uptown from its opening day. There is also information on a new documentary about the theatre that should be ready in January, and a link for more information about David Balaban’s new book on Chicago Movie Palaces. Finally, there’s a photo of the recent Friends of the Uptown photo shoot to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the theatre. You can click to zoom in and see individual faces of Uptown friends and fans. Enjoy!
View link
— Joanne
www.chicagosuptowntheater.com
Huh?
Sounds like bad politics too me.
Im sure if the theatre was on Michigan ave.
or State street this ongoing post would be but
a fraction of its size.
Thanks Jim.