Purple Rain (1984)

Doors Open: 2:00pm  |  Showtime: 3:00pm

PURPLE RAIN ~ THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

A young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dissatisfied band, as his star begins to rise. Starring Prince, Apollonia Kotero, and Morris Day. Directed by Albert Magnoli. Written by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn. The movie runtime is 1 hour and 51 minutes, Rated R, and will be screened on DCP.

Think you’ve got the pipes, presence, and passion to channel the Purple One on the Palace stage? As tribute to our vaudeville and movie house roots, before this screening of Purple Rain, we’re hosting “So You Think You Can Prince,” an electrifying vocal competition celebrating the music of Prince. Upload a 60-second video of yourself singing your favorite Prince song by Sunday, March 15—three finalists will perform live on the United Palace stage, and the audience will crown the winner. Submit your audition video here.

Purple Rain continues the Movies at the Palace Season of Courage, a lineup celebrating bold heroes, big dreams, and unforgettable stories on our grand screen. To learn more about our 2026 season, click here. And with a 2026 Movie Membership, enjoy two tickets to this and every regular monthly Movies at the Palace screening from February 2026–January 2027. Join here.

Please note: The Season of Courage is a different series than Movies at the Palace with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is not scheduled to be at this screening. 

United Palace History  

The ornate United Palace opened in 1930 as the Loew's 175th Street Theatre, a deluxe movie theater and vaudeville house, the last of the five Wonder Theaters in New York City and New Jersey. Its first act as a movie theater ended in April 1969 with a screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

With a groundswell of community support and our good friend, patron, and neighbor Lin-Manuel Miranda, movies returned to the United Palace in 2013. Since then, we have screened over 100 feature films, from world premieres (In the Heights, Halftime, and Rebecca as part of the Tribeca Festival) to all-time classics (It's A Wonderful Life), and community favorites (Mad Hot Ballroom). 

Our goal is to have the cinematic experience come alive for audiences too used to watching movies on their phones or TVs. 

One of our highest compliments came from Robert DeNiro who, speaking before a 50th anniversary screening of The Godfather, described watching a movie at the United Palace as: “The moviegoing experience doesn't get any better.”

Plan ahead for your visit! For a list of Prohibited Items and House Rules, click here.