Uptown Theatre

The Uptown still stands, though its substantial concrete shell now houses a senior citizens center.

The Uptown, the furthest east of Richmond’s Macdonald Avenue theaters and the final one to be built during World War II (or on Macdonald Avenue ever!) was opened by the San Francisco based Nasser Brothers circuit on December 15, 1944 with a pair of relatively “oldies”, “When You’re In Love” from 1937 and “Cowboy and the Blonde” from 1941. Architect O.A. Deichmann of San Francisco designed the Uptown.

With the exception of the Fox (former T &D & California, future United Artists) the Uptown became Richmond’s largest capacity theatre with 1200 seats. It was a large, spacious, comfortable theatre that featured low admission prices, second run double feature programming and great triple feature and seven cartoon Saturday matinees. It soon became a personal favorite of mine.

The Uptown closed in 1956 or early 1957. I vividly remember walking by the theatre the day after it closed (a surprise to me). They were already taking equipment out and the manager was standing there with tears in his eyes…as much as I loved movies and the Uptown, I felt like crying too!