Harold M. Schoonover launched the Mazda Theatre in the Cass Building on July 22, 1914 in Aurora. The opening film was “Her Mother’s Sins.” Just after World War I, the rival Victory Theatre was opened by C.M Grosvenor on the city’s east side. In March of 1924, Schoonover bought the Victory. He refreshed the theatre after closing it for two months. It re-emegred as the East Side Theatre on May 30, 1924. The 300-seat theatre then converted to sound later becoming the Pawnee Theatre.
As for the Mazda, it installed sound on February 1, 1929. At the theater’s 32d anniversary with Schoonover still in charge, Red Skelton wrote, “The first 32 years are the hardest. From now on, everything should almost manage itself.” Schoonover retired after 45 years and the theatre survived into the 1980s.
The Okeene Opera House opened on Main Street in 1907 with 250 seats and likely on a ten-year leasing agreement. Though mostly used for live events, traveling moving picture shows were interspersed in the opera house until a full time movie theater opened on May 15, 1913. It closed but the Majestic Theatre opened in 1915 in a converted retail location. With the opera house struggling, the Majestic Theatre then moved to the Opera House in 1917. The venue was renamed as the Majestic Theatre.
Roetzel sold the theatre in 1923 to W.S. Allen and A. C. Martz, editor of the Okeene Record. Martz renamed the venue as the Rialto Theatre on May 25, 1923 showing Richard Talmadge in “Taking Chances” supported by a comedy short starring Vera Reynolds, “Designing Husbands.” Under new operators, the Rialto wired for sound to remain viable. In 1936, new operators took on the location likely on a new 20-year lease and changed the name to the Roberta Theatre.
Orville Von Gulker took over the operation in 1938 but he became known for something far different in 1939 when he created the first ever Rattlesnake Roundup. Von Gulker’s snake roundup is a tradition that carried on into the 2020s. He also became head of the new Allied Theatre Owners of Oklahoma, a trade association.
In 1948, the Von Gulkers changed the name of the theatre to the Vee-Gee Theatre as they were often referred to by friends as the Vee-Gees. Regular movie screenings ended in September of 1956 at end of lease with the theatre ending up in the 1957 delinquent tax roster - never a good sign. However, the venue was used for special events and agricultural trade film screenings until at least 1962.
The Cardinal Drive-In launched with Susan Hayward and Robert Mitchum in “The Lusty Men” on July 3, 1953. It appears to have closed at the end of a ten-year lease with a double feature of “Night Creatures” and “The Bashful Elephant” on September 1, 1962.
The Ideal Theatre was listing as of January 1, 1915 - very likely its opening date - as the first dedicated movie theatre in town. However, Tedens Opera House was where movies first played in the city and continued doing so into the 1920s. The Ideal was equipped with a poorly functioning sound system in 1929 to show talkies. It appears to close on January 15, 1930 likely at the end of a 15-year leasing period.
Leon R. Jarusz of Chicago took on the Ideal equipping it with DeForest Phonofilm to play the talkie, “Caught Short” at the theatre’s rebirth as the Lemont Theatre on August 16, 1930. The theatre closed during 1937. Operators Arthur and Helen Lindenau took on the venue and relaunched it as the Arthur Theatre on January 1, 1938 on a 15-year lease with “Four Daughters” supported by a Disney cartoon and newsreel. They made improvements in 1948/9 to keep the theatre competitive. But three years later, Helen Lindenau closed the venue on December 12, 1952 as television was hurting business and at end of lease.
The Lemont Chamber of Commerce took on the venue because it felt that reopening the theatre would have a halo effect on the downtown business. The Chamber relaunched the Arthur with new hope beginning January 8, 1954 with Tony Curtis in “Houdini.” But the Chamber found what Lindenau had already discovered - residents weren’t going to the movies like they used to. The Arthur Theatre closed on June 6, 1954 with the Martin & Lewis comedy, “Money From Home.” The Chamber of Commerce said the Arthur would return in the Fall but - when it didn’t - it was taken over by the local newspaper, The Lemonter.
Leon R, Jarusz of Chicago took on the Ideal Theatre equipping it wit DeForest Phonofilm to play the talkie, “Caught Short” at the theatre’s rebirth as the Lemont Theatre on August 16, 1930.
Also the Wurlitzer E Pipe Organ destined for Hasting’s City Auditorium ended up at the Madison Square Theatre (turned Byrd Theatre in the sound era) in Chicago.
March 25, 1927 launch day for the Rivoli with Shirley Mason in “Sweet Rosie O'Grady and a Bobby Vernon comedy short, “Don’t Fire” supported by vaudville acts. The 1,500 seat theatre was said to be at capacity.
March 25, 1927 launch ad for the Rivoli with Shirley Mason in “Sweet Rosie O'Grady and a Bobby Vernon comedy short, "Don’t Fire” supported by vaudville acts. The 1,500 seat theatre was said to be at capacity.
Working backwards, Abbott & Costello and the Andrew Sisters launched the new State Theatre on January 1, 1942 an update to the Cornhusker Theatre building. The Cornhusker ran likely on a 10-year lease from January 21, 1931 to 1941 as Hastings' “Intimate Talkie Theatre” operating along with the Rivoli. Prior to that it appears to have been run as the Empress Theatre which opened in May of 1915 likely on a 15-year lease. It had converted to sound late in 1928 and shut down in 1930 likely moving the Vitaphone equipment elsewhere and closing with the silent exploitation film, “The Pace That Kills” on February 19, 1930.
The original Strand Theatre burned down in March of 1927. Run by W.L. Douglas, he replaced the theatre opening in July of 1927 as the Douglas Theatre. In 1928, Douglas sold the venue and it had six different operators into 1936 when the name was changed to the Strand Theatre with the theatre getting a deco makeover. The Strand was still operating in 1963.
On January 1, 1942, the Guy Henderson Building was purchased Ritz operator J.A. Guest who created the Tower Theatre. That became the Moore Theatre. Finally, the Moore Theatre was refrubished in 1961 under a new operator. The new Rodeo Theatre with 532 seats opened August 4, 1961 with Stereo Vision with “September Storm” supported by the Stereo Vision cartoon, “Space Attack.”
Oddly enough, the theatre was reportedly having financial difficulties in late February likely reaching the end of a 20-year leasing agreement and, then within a week of that report, burned down on February 26, 1962 ending the Guy Henderson Building and the Rodeo Theatre.
The Playhouse Theatre was located in the Odd Fellows Building as a silent movie house. On May 30, 1930, the theatre installed RCA Photophone to present talkies staring with the film, “Through Different Eyes.” But it then went into sporadic use in 1931 and 1932 with local businesses arranging special and/or free screenings. The theatre closed in 1932 but was reopened in May of 1933 as the Lusk Theatre. On July 13, 1933, it continued operation as the Home Theatre.
Feinstein and Edmondson took on the theatre in 1934 holding a contest to rename the venue. Youth Clarence Schnurr selected Summit and won $5 for the name of Summitt Theatre which started under that moniker on August 17, 1934. Schnurr chose it due to the city of Harrison’s designation as having the highest elevation of any Nebraska city and “you can use it in advertising the theatre,” Schnurr surmised.
The theatre closed on May 19, 1947 for a major refresh. It relaunched as the “new” Summit Theatre June 12, 1947 in the same location with sloping floor. It appears to have ceased operations on December 28, 1959 with “The Young Philadelphian.”
This venue opened as the Wray Theatre. It was taken on not long thereafter by Blanche M. Tyo who changed the name of the venue and the hotel to the Tyo Theatre and the Tyo Hotel. The theatre converted to Western Electric sound in 1929 to remain viable. Tyo sold the theatre to Myrtle Blanchard and a person with the last name of Tomlinson in August of 1932. The pair changed the name to the Blanchard Theatre.
Blanchard then sold the theatre to James K. Powell effective June 29, 1933 when Powell showed “Melody Cruise.” One month later, Powell changed the theatre back to the Wray Theatre. If the newspaper is correct, the hotel was also renamed as the Wray Hotel under new operators in 1934. The final advertisements appear for the Wray Theatre in 1950 which coincides with the end of a 30- year leasing period. It appears that both the hotel and the theatre were demolished in 1959. And if they weren’t, my apologies to the Tyo family.
Opened on September 22, 1920, the $100,000 theatre launched with “The River’s End” supported by music by the Morrison Orchestra of Denver. M.L. Klinck also provided a coronet solo. Technically, on opening night it was known as the Klinck Theatre. However, Mr. and Mrs. Elgin C. Klinck announced that from that day forward it would be known as the Eldon Theatre in memory of their late son, Eldon. They vowed to keep the name of the Eldon as long as they owned the venue in memory of their late son, Eldon. (The Eldon is pictured at its launch in photos.)
On December 4, 1924, the theatre got new operators and was renamed the Grant Theatre. It converted to sound to stay relevant. In December of 1962, the State Fire Marshall prohibited smoking at the theatre effective on January 5, 1963. But as you can see above, the theatre was heavily damaged by fire on December 26, 1962. The final screening was a special Christmas show on December 21, 1962. A fund was taken up to repair the theatre but another fire in 1965 ended hopes of restoring the venue.
Reopened briefly after COVID-19 and was closed permanently in January of 2021
Closed in January 2021
Closed January 2021.
Harold M. Schoonover launched the Mazda Theatre in the Cass Building on July 22, 1914 in Aurora. The opening film was “Her Mother’s Sins.” Just after World War I, the rival Victory Theatre was opened by C.M Grosvenor on the city’s east side. In March of 1924, Schoonover bought the Victory. He refreshed the theatre after closing it for two months. It re-emegred as the East Side Theatre on May 30, 1924. The 300-seat theatre then converted to sound later becoming the Pawnee Theatre.
As for the Mazda, it installed sound on February 1, 1929. At the theater’s 32d anniversary with Schoonover still in charge, Red Skelton wrote, “The first 32 years are the hardest. From now on, everything should almost manage itself.” Schoonover retired after 45 years and the theatre survived into the 1980s.
The Okeene Opera House opened on Main Street in 1907 with 250 seats and likely on a ten-year leasing agreement. Though mostly used for live events, traveling moving picture shows were interspersed in the opera house until a full time movie theater opened on May 15, 1913. It closed but the Majestic Theatre opened in 1915 in a converted retail location. With the opera house struggling, the Majestic Theatre then moved to the Opera House in 1917. The venue was renamed as the Majestic Theatre.
Roetzel sold the theatre in 1923 to W.S. Allen and A. C. Martz, editor of the Okeene Record. Martz renamed the venue as the Rialto Theatre on May 25, 1923 showing Richard Talmadge in “Taking Chances” supported by a comedy short starring Vera Reynolds, “Designing Husbands.” Under new operators, the Rialto wired for sound to remain viable. In 1936, new operators took on the location likely on a new 20-year lease and changed the name to the Roberta Theatre.
Orville Von Gulker took over the operation in 1938 but he became known for something far different in 1939 when he created the first ever Rattlesnake Roundup. Von Gulker’s snake roundup is a tradition that carried on into the 2020s. He also became head of the new Allied Theatre Owners of Oklahoma, a trade association.
In 1948, the Von Gulkers changed the name of the theatre to the Vee-Gee Theatre as they were often referred to by friends as the Vee-Gees. Regular movie screenings ended in September of 1956 at end of lease with the theatre ending up in the 1957 delinquent tax roster - never a good sign. However, the venue was used for special events and agricultural trade film screenings until at least 1962.
The Cardinal Drive-In launched with Susan Hayward and Robert Mitchum in “The Lusty Men” on July 3, 1953. It appears to have closed at the end of a ten-year lease with a double feature of “Night Creatures” and “The Bashful Elephant” on September 1, 1962.
The Ideal Theatre was listing as of January 1, 1915 - very likely its opening date - as the first dedicated movie theatre in town. However, Tedens Opera House was where movies first played in the city and continued doing so into the 1920s. The Ideal was equipped with a poorly functioning sound system in 1929 to show talkies. It appears to close on January 15, 1930 likely at the end of a 15-year leasing period.
Leon R. Jarusz of Chicago took on the Ideal equipping it with DeForest Phonofilm to play the talkie, “Caught Short” at the theatre’s rebirth as the Lemont Theatre on August 16, 1930. The theatre closed during 1937. Operators Arthur and Helen Lindenau took on the venue and relaunched it as the Arthur Theatre on January 1, 1938 on a 15-year lease with “Four Daughters” supported by a Disney cartoon and newsreel. They made improvements in 1948/9 to keep the theatre competitive. But three years later, Helen Lindenau closed the venue on December 12, 1952 as television was hurting business and at end of lease.
The Lemont Chamber of Commerce took on the venue because it felt that reopening the theatre would have a halo effect on the downtown business. The Chamber relaunched the Arthur with new hope beginning January 8, 1954 with Tony Curtis in “Houdini.” But the Chamber found what Lindenau had already discovered - residents weren’t going to the movies like they used to. The Arthur Theatre closed on June 6, 1954 with the Martin & Lewis comedy, “Money From Home.” The Chamber of Commerce said the Arthur would return in the Fall but - when it didn’t - it was taken over by the local newspaper, The Lemonter.
Leon R, Jarusz of Chicago took on the Ideal Theatre equipping it wit DeForest Phonofilm to play the talkie, “Caught Short” at the theatre’s rebirth as the Lemont Theatre on August 16, 1930.
Also the Wurlitzer E Pipe Organ destined for Hasting’s City Auditorium ended up at the Madison Square Theatre (turned Byrd Theatre in the sound era) in Chicago.
March 25, 1927 launch day for the Rivoli with Shirley Mason in “Sweet Rosie O'Grady and a Bobby Vernon comedy short, “Don’t Fire” supported by vaudville acts. The 1,500 seat theatre was said to be at capacity.
The Plaza Theatre now has its own CinemaTreasures page.
Sorry - shot from 1908.
March 25, 1927 launch ad for the Rivoli with Shirley Mason in “Sweet Rosie O'Grady and a Bobby Vernon comedy short, "Don’t Fire” supported by vaudville acts. The 1,500 seat theatre was said to be at capacity.
Working backwards, Abbott & Costello and the Andrew Sisters launched the new State Theatre on January 1, 1942 an update to the Cornhusker Theatre building. The Cornhusker ran likely on a 10-year lease from January 21, 1931 to 1941 as Hastings' “Intimate Talkie Theatre” operating along with the Rivoli. Prior to that it appears to have been run as the Empress Theatre which opened in May of 1915 likely on a 15-year lease. It had converted to sound late in 1928 and shut down in 1930 likely moving the Vitaphone equipment elsewhere and closing with the silent exploitation film, “The Pace That Kills” on February 19, 1930.
Abbott & Costello and the Andrew Sisters launch the new State Theatre on January 1, 1942 an update to the Cornhusker Theatre building
The original Strand Theatre burned down in March of 1927. Run by W.L. Douglas, he replaced the theatre opening in July of 1927 as the Douglas Theatre. In 1928, Douglas sold the venue and it had six different operators into 1936 when the name was changed to the Strand Theatre with the theatre getting a deco makeover. The Strand was still operating in 1963.
Opened as the Movieland Drive-in in September of 1948
On January 1, 1942, the Guy Henderson Building was purchased Ritz operator J.A. Guest who created the Tower Theatre. That became the Moore Theatre. Finally, the Moore Theatre was refrubished in 1961 under a new operator. The new Rodeo Theatre with 532 seats opened August 4, 1961 with Stereo Vision with “September Storm” supported by the Stereo Vision cartoon, “Space Attack.”
Oddly enough, the theatre was reportedly having financial difficulties in late February likely reaching the end of a 20-year leasing agreement and, then within a week of that report, burned down on February 26, 1962 ending the Guy Henderson Building and the Rodeo Theatre.
Ad as the Velma-Alma Drive-In Theatre
The Playhouse Theatre was located in the Odd Fellows Building as a silent movie house. On May 30, 1930, the theatre installed RCA Photophone to present talkies staring with the film, “Through Different Eyes.” But it then went into sporadic use in 1931 and 1932 with local businesses arranging special and/or free screenings. The theatre closed in 1932 but was reopened in May of 1933 as the Lusk Theatre. On July 13, 1933, it continued operation as the Home Theatre.
Feinstein and Edmondson took on the theatre in 1934 holding a contest to rename the venue. Youth Clarence Schnurr selected Summit and won $5 for the name of Summitt Theatre which started under that moniker on August 17, 1934. Schnurr chose it due to the city of Harrison’s designation as having the highest elevation of any Nebraska city and “you can use it in advertising the theatre,” Schnurr surmised.
The theatre closed on May 19, 1947 for a major refresh. It relaunched as the “new” Summit Theatre June 12, 1947 in the same location with sloping floor. It appears to have ceased operations on December 28, 1959 with “The Young Philadelphian.”
The Wyoming Theatre launched June 13, 1919 by Maurice Wolf in the Odd Fellows Building on June 13, 1919.
This venue opened as the Wray Theatre. It was taken on not long thereafter by Blanche M. Tyo who changed the name of the venue and the hotel to the Tyo Theatre and the Tyo Hotel. The theatre converted to Western Electric sound in 1929 to remain viable. Tyo sold the theatre to Myrtle Blanchard and a person with the last name of Tomlinson in August of 1932. The pair changed the name to the Blanchard Theatre.
Blanchard then sold the theatre to James K. Powell effective June 29, 1933 when Powell showed “Melody Cruise.” One month later, Powell changed the theatre back to the Wray Theatre. If the newspaper is correct, the hotel was also renamed as the Wray Hotel under new operators in 1934. The final advertisements appear for the Wray Theatre in 1950 which coincides with the end of a 30- year leasing period. It appears that both the hotel and the theatre were demolished in 1959. And if they weren’t, my apologies to the Tyo family.
Opening film January 13, 1936, was Warner Baxter in “King of Burlesque” supported by the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon, “The Cookie Carnival.”
The Ritz Theatre was launched on July 20, 1929 by C.W. Guthrie..
Opened on September 22, 1920, the $100,000 theatre launched with “The River’s End” supported by music by the Morrison Orchestra of Denver. M.L. Klinck also provided a coronet solo. Technically, on opening night it was known as the Klinck Theatre. However, Mr. and Mrs. Elgin C. Klinck announced that from that day forward it would be known as the Eldon Theatre in memory of their late son, Eldon. They vowed to keep the name of the Eldon as long as they owned the venue in memory of their late son, Eldon. (The Eldon is pictured at its launch in photos.)
On December 4, 1924, the theatre got new operators and was renamed the Grant Theatre. It converted to sound to stay relevant. In December of 1962, the State Fire Marshall prohibited smoking at the theatre effective on January 5, 1963. But as you can see above, the theatre was heavily damaged by fire on December 26, 1962. The final screening was a special Christmas show on December 21, 1962. A fund was taken up to repair the theatre but another fire in 1965 ended hopes of restoring the venue.