Changing Skyline: Uptown on verge of a remake

The tales of glorious old movie palaces that have been effectively buried alive are starting to form a distinctive genre of their own. Forsaken by their owners, these theaters are left to rot until - one day! - they are rediscovered by a band of pure-of-heart film buffs who recognize their true beauty beneath the dust and bad renovations.

Epic struggles ensue. Money is sought. But much of the time, a happy ending remains beyond their grasp. This region's roster of long-running tearjerkers includes Center City's Boyd Theatre, North Philadelphia's Uptown, Haddon Township's Westmont, and the Lansdowne Theater.

In a crowd like that, who would have thought that a poor orphan like the Uptown would emerge as The One?

The Uptown's devoted fans have finally secured enough funds to start renovating the handsome, latte-hued art deco building on North Broad Street, one of Philadelphia's last great neighborhood theaters, and once the city's answer to Harlem's famous Apollo Theater.

With almost $2 million in hand, including $350,000 from the federal stimulus program, the Uptown Economic Development Corp. expects to begin construction in July, says its president, Linda Richardson. Her group's task will be to restore the colorful tiled facade of the historic 1929 building, designed by Philadelphia's Louis Magaziner, and rehab the four office floors above the theater.

As for the original 2,040-seat auditorium, it will have to wait for the sequel.

While the two-phase project won't immediately bring back movie nights, the effort is still a big step for the storied theater, which hosted the likes of the Supremes, the Jackson Five, and James Brown during its days as a concert venue. If all goes according to plan, the office renovation should position the theater for a major comeback in a few years. The Uptown's nonprofit will launch the project with a 1 p.m. ribbon-cutting on Saturday.

How did the Uptown, on perennially struggling North Broad Street, between Susquehanna Avenue and Dauphin Street, end up as a plucky movie-house survivor?

Unlike many historic theaters, the Uptown has the good fortune to be part of a larger complex, one located on a still-vital commercial stretch just north of Temple University. Its upper floors will be rented this fall to provide income for the upkeep of the building, Richardson explained. Once back on its feet, she believes the Uptown will be able to raise money to renovate the ground-floor theater, a job now expected to run $5 million.