Chicago’s Uptown Theatre

Uptown Theatre interior courtesy of Cinema Treasures

Enjoy this video about Chicago’s Uptown Theatre by John Pappas and Michael Bisberg

From the directors – “What happens when a building slips through a crack in time? Leftover from an extinct era and useless in modern society, the Uptown Theatre has done just that. Closed in 1981, the 85-year old movie palace has sat in decay on Chicago’s North Side. This film explores the history of the Uptown and why the biggest and arguably most elaborate movie theatre in the country has been left vacant for almost thirty years. Is the Uptown a stoic remnant of the long-forgotten past, or is it, as Rapp & Rapp remarked when they built it, a theatre ‘not for today, but for all time’?”

Don Isham at the console in 1927. Photo and information by Tom Blackwell and PSTOS

Chicago Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts (CATOE) shared this wonderful photo and information about the Uptown Theatre’s Wurlitzer Organ.  After the silent era, Don Isham, pictured above, was organist at KOL Radio in Seattle and was also involved with the Rollerbowl Rink. Don Isham was a popular Northwest organist who also toured nationally.

Enjoy more photos and information about the Uptown’s Wurlitzer on the CATOE website.

ABOUT THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA: Founded by Ben Hall in 1969, the Theatre Historical Society of America (THS) celebrates, documents and promotes the architectural, cultural and social relevance of America’s historic theatres. Through its preservation of the collections in the American Theatre Architecture Archive, its signature publication Marquee™ and Conclave Theatre Tour, THS increases awareness, appreciation and scholarly study of America’s theatres.

Learn more about historic theatres in the THS American Theatre Architecture Archives and on our website at historictheatres.org