Uptown Theatre, 1928
The Uptown Theater was built as the focal point of the Schuster Building on Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway. It was the first theater in Kentucky equipped to show both silent and sound films. It was single screened with a classical arched stage and an orchestra pit and dressing rooms for performers who entertained between films. It sat 1243 people. Balconies on the side were actually air vents. The Georgian Revival building was designed by the architectural firm of Nevin, Wischmeyer, and Morgan, designers of the Pendennis Club. The Uptown operated as an independent theatre run by 4thAvenue Amusements until television took its toll in the late '70s. It closed and reopened in the early '80s showing second runs, B-movies, and classic films. The doors finally shut in 1989 after cable TV, home videos, and increased operating expenses were too much to overcome. It was the 2nd to last neighborhood theater left in town. Attempts were made to save the theater but none were successful. The auditorium was demolished for parking spaces in 1994, but the front entrance and lobby area survived. The original marquee was destroyed by the April 3, 1974 tornado and never rebuilt. | 