UC Theater

UC Theatre
Address	2036 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA
City	Berkeley, California
Architect	James W. Plachek
Opened	1917
Closed	2001

The UC Theatre was a movie theater at 2036 University Avenue near Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, California.

History

Opened in 1917, the 1,300-seat theater was acquired in 1974 by theater owner Gary Meyer as one of the first theaters—along with the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles—in his Landmark Theatres chain. The theater had no relation to the nearby University of California, Berkeley. The theater was named a landmark by the City of Berkeley on 6 May 2002.

The theater closed in March 2001 when Landmark—no longer owned by Meyer—made the decision to close the theater rather than spend the reported $350,000 needed for a seismic upgrade. As of early 2006, plans to convert the theater to a jazz club have been submitted to the City of Berkeley.

Cultural events

The theater was the site of the premiere of Errol Morris' first film Gates of Heaven (1978), an event at which filmmaker Werner Herzog ate his shoe before the audience in fulfillment of a bet made with Morris. This event was recorded in the documentary Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980).

For many years, it was locally famous for its showings of the cult film Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).

External links

• article on James Plachek and his other buildings in the East Bay
• UC Theater at Cinema Treasures
• Berkeley Landmarks: UC Theater, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association showing exterior photo of theater, with Sweetheart of the Doomed (1917) starring Louise Glaum, on marquee