Return to History Return to Community So it's the right time to hail the beauty of the Granada Movie Theater, built in 1928 and known in our days as the Suburban World. The theater was among the first in the city to be built expressly for the new "talkies" and was wired for "Vitaphone and Movietone" for best sound support.
With its classy art deco neighbor, The Uptown Theater, just a block away, the Granada provided another example of Gilded Age extravagance with its wonderful Moorish exterior and fantastical Mediterranean decor inside.
But there was something even lovelier waiting for the patrons: a deep blue ceiling and a "cloud machine" that offered the illusion of a changeable night sky. Tiny twinkling lights studded the ceiling, and when the lights went down, the magic began.
The magic is still there - for the moment. Plans are almost confirmed to carve this historic building in half and make two separate auditoriums with dinner theater service. All the seats would be removed (OK, some of the ancient seats really need removal) and tables for meal service set up. Much of the front auditorium would remain though.
Neither The Granada/Suburban World nor The Uptown is designated a National Register structure. Historic designation by local preservation ordinances means the Minneapolis City Council's review of the plans will be final. As this paper went to print, their approval appeared likely.
Thus passes a true wonder of our collective community history. Au revoir, dear.