History

  • Opened in 1933 as The Midtown Theater
  • 1970’s – The Midtown becomes a porn house
  • 1982 – Dan Talbot purchases the theater and renames it The Metro as a dedicated art house
  • 1986 – Clearview Cinemas takes over and twins the theater
  • 1989 – Façade and marquee are landmarked
  • 2004 – Embassy Cinemas reopens the Metro Twin as an arthouse
  • 2005 – Theater padlocked, and entire interior is demolished
  • April 4, 2025 – Upper West Side Cinema Center completes the purchase of the theater, with plans to restore its landmarked façade and build a five-screen arthouse cinema within.
  • October 27, 2025 – Upper West Side Cinema Center, Inc., announces a new name for the theater, the Uptown Film Center.

Read about the history of the former Midtown/Metro Theater at the following web sites:

The Metro (Midtown) Theatre | by Tom Miller, Landmark West
Wikipedia Page
Cinema Treasures