One industry that still seemed to flourish during the Great Depression was Hollywood, with people still attending movies in droves (guess there weren’t that many cars–how many does a drove hold anyway?) to get a little bit of escape from their hardships. We may not be in a depression yet, but you can pretend it’s that era when you go to one of my favourite theaters in the Twin Cities: The Heights. Built in 1926 by Arthur Gluek, it’s a beautiful place to see a movie, and when they show the classics, you can feel like you’ve truly been transported to another era. At the Heights, you can regularly watch film treasures from all eras they way they were meant to be shown.
I loved the Oak Street for the movies they showed, but I have to be honest, the building itself left me pretty cold. Back when it was being run well, the schedule made up for the fact that the building was in terrible disrepair. There were times when I’d want to see every movie playing for weeks at a time there. But the Oak Street is not what it was, of course.
The Heights! Such a great name for a venue that is the pinnacle of classic theaters in the Twin Cities. I’ve seen so many epics there, like Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, Gone with the Wind, and the Adventures of Robin Hood. And now, they’re going to show Casablanca on 12 February! I’ve seen Casablanca at the Uptown and the Oak Street, and wish (oh, how I wish) I could go see it at the Heights, but alas, I’ll be out of town. Fortunately, I will be in town for the Universal Pictures film noir series that starts the following Monday, and continues for the next four Mondays afterwards, featuring SEVEN film classics! Two of the Mondays are double features! Have I mentioned that I love this place?