Uptown Theatre, Part II
The following information is from Ed Comber’s MAKING HISTORY column published in the Linn County Leader.
The Uptown saw an increase in importance through the 1940s and into the 1960s, when changes in movie-goers habits began to change.
1940s Era
World War II had just started when Glen Dickinson’s partner, H. J. Griffith bought him out to become the sole owner of the Uptown Theatre in April 1940. Griffith updated the equipment and continued the tradition of community-based entertainment, first-run movies, and added even more community outreach programs, many a direct result of World War II. For example, the theater hosted the “Miss Marceline” beauty pageant and various dance contests, like the “Big Negro Jitterbug Contest” on New Year’s Eve 1940 to give the community a different focus than the war the U.S. was supporting but hadn’t officially entered yet.
As part of the theater’s community involvement, the Uptown began showing anti-Hitler and anti-Japanese news reels. It also sponsored aluminum collection programs, ‘March of Dimes’ fundraisers, sold Defense Stamps, was approved as an official issuing agency for the sale of war bonds, held war bonds rallies, hosted benefits for veterans, did a fashion show, had a benefit for raising kitchen fat, held an amateur night for aspiring showbiz folks, and hosted a cooking show.
Community-based events continued through the 1940s. In 1941 around the time the U.S. officially entered World War II, for example, manager David Dallas had a “woman’s friendly neighbor program” that included “book readings, musical numbers, lectures and other features of particular interest to women”. The first of these was for the Daughters of the American Revolution. During this decade, the theater continued to host community fashion events, beauty contests, and rallies.
After the end of World War II, a 1946 advertisement confirms the theater was still showing first-run features like “A Thousand and One Nights” with roughly a 6-month delay in the showings, presumably due to the movies being shown in metropolitan areas first.
Plays, indoor sporting events, concerts and similar entertainment continued to be held at the high school during this period.
But the Uptown remained a steadfast, important part of life in Marceline and the surrounding areas. It played a significant role in helping the U.S. war effort through to the end of the war. After that, regrettably, the theater became just a regular part of the community.
1950s – 1970s
In 1951, the Uptown Theatre was sold to Louis Higdon, a former manager of the theater. By all accounts, it doesn’t appear he did much with the theater, but I know from speaking with Marceline residents in person and on the Facebook page “Marceline Memories”, that the newspaper and other media failed to publicize the theater.
Despite the sudden media blackout on the theater, the Uptown remained the only movie theatre in town until October 12, 1952, when the Star Drive-In theater opened at the corner of Missouri State Roads 36 and 5, approximately three miles north of the Uptown Theatre. The drive-in held 300 cars and closed in 1977. The Star was seasonal; thus, the Uptown continued as the only local place to see movies year-round and the sole place during the winter.
Four years after the drive-in theater opened, the Uptown Theatre hosted a movie premiere by Marceline’s most famous former resident: Walt Disney. In 1956, Walt and his brother Roy Disney held the Midwest premiere of The Great Locomotive Chase in Marceline attracting thousands to the city (PHOTOS?).
Throughout the 60s and 70s, the only two venues that existed in Marceline for films were the Star Drive-In and Uptown Theatre. The nearest other theaters that were advertised in Marceline’s newspaper were the Lin-Vi Drive-In in Brookfield, MO and the year-round Macon Theatre in Macon.
During this time and after, the Uptown continued its role as a center of the community, continuing as a place for films and various gatherings, though there appears to be only one notable event at the theater of note occurring after the 1970s: the Disney’s premiere of the Spirit of Mickey in 1998.
The stories I’ve heard from locals about their time at the Uptown Theatre have been wonderful. The number of people who had their first date there, or who remember “The Tingler” one owner (Basil) had rigged up for the Vincent Price movie. From what Hank and others have told me on the Marceline Memories Facebook page, Basil would walk up and down the aisles and knocking the boys’ feet off the chairs, or two ladies named Mary Belle and Ivorine, or the tales of people who used to live in the apartments above the theater, have been eye-opening. It is a place that is deserving of historic preservation for reasons that go far beyond Walt Disney. From its rocky beginnings with legal battles and a direct competitor to helping with the World War II war effort to it making memories for so many people, it is a place that brought the community together for decades and generations.
Ed is the Founder and President of the veteran-owned Midwest Preservation Group, LLC, a historical preservation company dedicated to assisting rural communities with preserving their history. For more details about the company and historic preservation, please visit the FAQ page of midwestpreservationgroup.com.
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