Indian Hills Theater

It is incorrect to say that the Indian Hills was "carved into four screens." The original Cinerama auditorium is still intact. Three screens were added to the building. The first was added by the original circuit, Cooper Theaters, and was called the "Cameo." Later, two more screens were added by Commonwealth Theaters. So, this is a 4-plex consisting of the original Cinerama auditorium and 3 smaller houses.

Actually, the main auditorium is almost "new" Shortly before they terminated their lease, Carmike nearly completed a total restoration of the big house. New seats. drapery and a sound system capable of SDDS and DTS was installed. Carmike left before installing new carpet. That and some minor cosmetic repairs are all that are needed to bring it back to original glory. Several years ago the louvered screen was removed due to age and replaced with a solid sheet screen. The new screen matches the dimensions and curve of the original but of course would be replaced in the event that our efforts to reopen the theater for Cinerama are successful.

For those who are interested, go to my web site www.omahafilmevent.com and check out the 10 film events I have produced in Omaha that have attained international recognition. Six of these events have been held at the Indian Hills theater. Go to the "past events" page to see...the events I've held at the Indian Hills ..BEN HUR, THE LONGEST DAY, THE SEARCHERS, KING KONG, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and a Ray Harryhausen festival with MYSTERIOUS ISLAND and JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. These events have helped tremendously in keeping the theater in the publics' eye, regardless of Carmike Cinemas bankruptcy.
Four other events were held at the Cinema Center theater, which also has a large screen and 800 seat auditorium... If efforts to reopen the theater are successful, I would continue the film tributes at the Indian Hills theater.

I can't believe they closed it.. As a former employee, I'd hate to see it torn down; not only is it a piece of our city's cinematic history, it's one of only 12 (? I think 12) cinemascope screens in the world. Between the huge events Mr. Crawford sponsored and the unique build of the theater... FYI, the screen is currently new and in one piece, but it was originally in strips. There are two "dead" projection houses in the wings of the main theater, on either side of the mezzanine (it has a spectacular mezzanine) because it used to require three projectors to run cinemascope. Today, it runs just like the theaters in the cam (house 1, added in the 70's) and houses 3 & 4 (added in the 80's), but can take both 35mm and 70m film (the projector has switching gates and rollers) in both scope and flat print (it has a normal aperture plate, just like the other projectors). It also contains a lot of antiqued equipment - next to the normal building and tearing tables are old fashioned tables with hand-cranks. It's really an amazingly place, and deserves to be preserved.

This theater is a treasure to the Omaha Community and Film History. Many memories are kept at that theater. I'd hoped that one day, I too could wait in line with my children for the New Star Wars movie. That could have happened with Lucas revisiting his trilogy. But now, a Money Driven Monstrosity of a Hospital wants to tear down the theater where so many memories and future hopes lay.

Please visit the website of the Indian Hills Preservation Society for information about upcoming events to save this national cinematic landmark.
http://hometown.aol.com/cinerama3/myhomepage/profile.html

Greetings.
In re: Indian Hills Cinerama Theatre.
This is a beautiful photo and an Important issue.

In the text, it is stated that "efforts are also being made to restore the theatre back to its Cinerama roots with installation of a 70mm projector.

It is not accurate to say the Cinerama theatre would return to its roots with a 70mm projector. Cinerama used three-strips of film in three synchronized projectors, and a fourth strip of audio stereo tracks. The later 70mm releases by "Cinerama Corp." such as "2001" and "The Bible" were released after the original firm was bankrupt and new operators tried to put the Cinerama brand on single strip film releases. Only seven releases were actually made using the Cinerama 3-camera, 3-strip film process.

At the same time, 70mm was not new; it was in use in some theatres; but it was not Cinerama. Some of us grew up thinking we had seen Cinerama because we saw releases of the Cinerama Corp. in 70mm. This was not Cinerama, however.

Nevertheless, it would be more correct to say that restoring the 70mm equipment would be a "STEP" toward the original Cinerama roots. At least it is a wide screen (not as wide as Cinerama) and can work well on a curved Cinerama screen.
Right?

Mike Kinerk

Yesterday, demolition began on the two small theatres by the Indian Hills main screen. Meanwhile, a national theatre chain is interested in buying the Hills and renovating it to include digital projection. My fear is that the owner, Methodist Hospital, could care less. We'll soon find out. Finally, I've been following the efforts to save the theatre for a documentary I'm making. I'll keep you posted on what develops...

(this is a copy of a letter I've also sent to the OWH page)
You can build all the new theatres you want, with all the flash and glitz available, but if you take away history, what in the present becomes worth holding on to?

The first movie I ever remember seeing was Disney's Fantasia when it was first re-released back in the early 80's, and I saw it at the Indian Hills. It has always my favorite theatre building, and later when my friends and I were in our late teen's, despite the growing multi-plexes we would often choose the Hills for movies for its centralized location, and the quality and atmosphere of the theatre. I had as fond of memories of the old Peony Park when it was still around. When I come back to visit Omaha it seems like more and more of the familiar landmarks are gone and the places I can show my little niece and nephew are becoming less. I hope that the company that is trying to buy the Hills does so successfully and soon. Or I fear, like Peony Park, we are going to have another scar on our landscape and another empty place in our Hearts that aches to see the new hole we have created in our lives. As we recently learned here in Indiana with the destruction of the RCA dome, it takes only a few hours to destroy, and a few months to clean up. But it will take people more then a generation to forget.

Please, for everyone, hold the wrecking balls and give people time to act. They saved The Rose, and given time they can also save Indian Hills.

Catherine Coate,
former resident of Omaha

It will be shame if this unique venue falls to the wrecking ball. Having spent 10 years working the Indian Hills sister theatre in Mpls, the Cooper Theatre, I can attest to the superior atmosphere for ANY motion picture format in the huge, round auditorium. Don't make the same mistake that we made here in Minneapolis. The Indian Hills is worth saving.

The Indian Hills was built while I was still an Assistant Manager at the Orpheum in Omaha (while it still ran movies). It was right at the end of the three panel Cinerama period. I saw "Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" there, but memory fails whether it was the original Cinerama for the 70mm Version. When the Cinerama company went out of business they offered the Cinerama theatres the option of buying the special lens that allowed a theatre to project pictures on the full size of the Cinerama screen. The operator of the theatre at the time (Commonwealth) chose to decline, meaning that about 20 feet on either end of the screen was not used. Even so, seeing a movie at the Indian Hill ("2001: A Space Odyssey", for example.) was a spectacular experience. While working at Commonwealth's Orchard Four in Omaha, I had the opportunity of relieving the Indian Hills manager for his vacation. The feature at the time: "RETURN OF THE JEDI"

Mike Geater

The original Cinerama auditorium is all that is left for now. We are still trying to save that. Please go to http://www.saveindianhills.com/ for the latest news.

Also be sure to sign the online petition to help save it at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/steve/petition.html

I am sad to report that despite pleas from Hollywood legends such as Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Janet Leigh and Robert Wise, on August 20, 2001, the owner, Nebraska Methodist Health System, Inc., demolished the Indian Hills for a parking lot. What was especially distressing was that on August 8, 2001, the Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission had voted unanimously to recommend that the Indian Hills be designated a "Landmark of the City of Omaha." The owner moved to demolish the theater before the Omaha City Council could take action to stop it. This Cinerama theater was the last of its kind in the world. Preservation of the theater had been publicly supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Society of Cinematographers. The State of Nebraska Historic Preservation office had indicated that the Indian Hills was of such national importance that, although less than 50 years old, it would qualify for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places

I saw How the West Was Won and Star Wars and the Indian Hills. I also saw the opening of Tron at Grauman's Chinese in Hollywood. The Indians Hills was BY FAR the best theatre I have ever been in BAR NONE. The voter's of Omaha should remember the actions of Nebraska Methodist Hospital and continue a barrage of complaint until EVERYONE associated with this despicable decision is GONE. Furthermore ALL government hearings dealing with Methodist's efforts to have ANY proposal or exemption should be attended by protesting multitudes. Punish them for the evil they do.

I just found out from reading this about the Indian Hills. I am sad but not surprised. I grew up in the suburbs of Omaha and know how these people think. They have no sense of their own history or architecture. It went the way of the Omaha Theatre, Peony Park, Jobber's Canyon, and anything else that isn't painted bright red with a big "N" on it.

And they wonder why people leave town?

The documentary about the efforts to save the Indian
Hills is almost finished. Check out the website:
savingtheindianhills.com for more information.
Thanks!
Jim

My documentary about the rise and fall of The Indian Hills, "Saving The Indian Hills," is now completed. Currently, it is being entered in film festivals around the country and an Omaha premiere will take place in the spring of 2003. Meanwhile, check out the official website for the movie:
SavingTheIndianHillsMovie.com
(the url has changed from before)
Thanks!
Jim

I would like to thank JIm for sending me the documentary, I enjoyed the documentary very much thanks. Here is a review:
I have already seen this documentary twice and I am ready to watch this again. This documentary is for everyone, most importantly Cinerama fans, theater buffs, history buffs, preservers, and the citizens of Omaha. The movie goes from beginning to end of the theater with very informative information, with great narration, and a little music here and there create an exciting documentary for everyone. You never know what will happen in the movie one minute to the next. It also creates awareness of how the city of Omaha doesn't care about it's history and how greedy corporations can takeover the world if we don't do anything about it. This documentary really shows how hard it is to save a unique 60's theater compared to a 20's theater just because it doesn't have marble arches or doesn't have the same ornate style. This shows how everyday the world gets taken away, for something that doesn't get done as promised.

I would LOVE to see this film? How can I do so in the Los Angeles area?

A view of the Indian Hills Theater demolition can be seen at http://www.historicomaha.com/weekly69.jpg

My wife and I had our first date at the Indian Hills theater in late 1994. The movie was "Corina Corina" with Whoopi Goldberg. It was showing on the main big screen. My wife was floored when she saw the size of the main theater! Also, I happened too be in the area the day they started tearing it down. What a waste! I know that parking is at a premium, but so are buildings like this was! Methodist Health System should be ashamed of itself!

If ANYONE has pictures of the inside of the Indian Hills (or the outside, for that matter) that do not look like the ones above, PLEASE let me know at boothboy18@yahoo.com I am DAMN interested in anything Indian Hills related.

Also, where can one see that documentary about saving the theater? I can't find it anywhere...

Many thanks to Ron Hunter for getting me a copy of the Saving the Indian Hills documentary. Anyone who loved the Indian Hills must see it.

Here are photos of the Indian Hills Theater and a copy of the letter trying to stop the theater from being demolished:
http://cinerama.topcities.com/indianhills.htm

What a waste! All in the name of parking. I, too, would like to see the documentary...can anyone help a brother out?

Apparently, the parking lot which the Indian Hills was demolished to make way for is barely used. So much for the sense of 'urgency' on Methodist Health Systems' behalf...

It's just Omaha NE politics...I'm sure Methodist just saw the Indian Hills as some kind of "eyesore"... much like Con Agra saw the downtown warehouse district, which is still the largest registered historic district in the United States to be demolished....

Man- don't get me started on the big O. I left with my tail between my legs for the Northwest in 1990. You would not believe what Omaha has torn down. The World theatre- gone. The Astro (Childrens) theatre would be gone if Rose Blumkin had not stepped in. The crowning loss- I'm still angry about it- was the jobbers canyon buildings that _stupid_ ConAgra beat the council into tearing down in the 80's. Several blocks of incredible turn of the century (or older) historic brick factory buildings that hardly existed anywhere else. The CEO said "who cares about ugly old red brick buildings". Of course, their ugly new office park buildings all have red brick facades and no way will last 100 years. And then Indian Hills, torn down at a time when every Cinerama left was clearly worth a fortune. I will only say this- the new buildings and the World Herald building downtown have a good modern deco style. And most important, Omaha managed to save the Joslyn and the train station- two of the best deco modernist buildings in the USA. At least at the Indian Hills I did see some amazing films (including Star Wars in 1977). And I think The Cook, The Thief, his Wife and her Lover was on that huge screen too! The only problem with Cinerama was that the picture was definitely dimmer. Comparing Omaha to Seattle and Portland, some really great things have been tragically torn down in all these cities, but by the 1980's Seattle and especially Portland realized what they were losing and started aggressively saving even mediocre buildings. Cinerama in Seattle was saved by Paul Allen and restored to all it's 1950's wing-wang glory (I saw 2001 there in 2001- fantastic! too bad Kubrick did not live to see that, but maybe his reality then became more like the film then our reality). Seattle has local billionaires that occasionally do great things for the community. Omaha, on the other hand, only has the richest man in the world, who blithely let Indian Hills turn into an empty lot, despite his house, I think, is very close by. Thanks Warren for helping to maintain that fine Omaha tradition- self annihilation.

One building they _should_ have torn down sooner was the Asarco lead smelter which dumped lead over half the city for about 100 years. Wow- lead poisening- that might explain a lot in Omaha! Mad as hatters!

Retrogarde,
It's a damn shame that the only old theater in Omaha still showing films is the Dundee...at least the Orpheum and the Astro were saved...and people are chomping at the bit to close the Dundee so they can have the space for retail because it is on Dodge St... the rest have been erased forever by the greed of the city, just like the Indian Hills...

After 5 years of work and one lawsuit that lasted 3 years and was finally dismissed in my favor, I'm thrilled to announce that my documentary, "Preserve Me a Seat" will premiere next week in three Nebraska cities: Wednesday, July 26th at 7:30pm in Grand Island, Nebraska at the historic Grand Theatre, Thursday, July 27th, at 7:00 pm at Omaha's last single screen theatre, The Dundee, and Friday, July 28th at 7:00 p.m. at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Center in Lincoln, Nebraska on the UNL campus. The documentary has also been chosen as the opening night film for the upcoming Estes Park Film Festival in Colorado, Sept 15-17th.
Here's some links to news articles about the premiere so far:

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1462&u_sid=2209186

http://omahacityweekly.com/article.php?id=1269

http://www.nebraska.tv/news/local/3338361.html

For more information about the documentary, which will also be available on dvd for only $12.99 next week too, please visit:
www.apartment101films.com

Thanks,
Jim

This weekend Nebraska Public Radio will broadcast a story about the documentary, "Preserve Me a Seat" and The Indian Hills Theatre. You can listen to the story online following this link:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/nprn/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=944950§ionID=1

Enjoy!
Jim

This new review of "Preserve Me a Seat," which features the efforts to save Omaha's Indian Hills Theatre appeared yesterday. Here's the link:

http://www.omahadailyrecord.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=35

Liked the movie very much..........

"THEY PAVED PARADISE AND PUT UP A PARKING LOT"....These lyrics were part of a song dedicated to a historic site in Los Angeles that was plowed under....sound familiar. I was surfing the web looking up 2 old buildings in Los Angeles (pacifics cinerama dome and the pan pacific auditorium) and I stumbled accross Indian Hills. ouch!!!! Same old song, different city. I find this so sad...Los Angeles does very lil to preserve some old buildings....I guess money talks and history is lost. I see a few people on these bulletins have seen the original "SAVING THE INDIAN HILLS". Does anyone know if there is a copy of this original documentary available???? Or is the entire footage of this documentary included in "PRESERVE MY TICKET" ???? Or was some footage of the original edited out in the cut of "PRESERVE MY TICKET"??? Does anyone know why that one guy who was originally part of the move to save INDIAN HILLS sold out and took sides with METHODIST HEALTH???? What were the details as to the legal hassle for trying to block the screening of the original documentary???? Sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me!!!!

Just a little FYI...as of several years ago anyway, I heard that a LOT of the nicer burgundy seats are in the possessin of the guy who owns the "Dundee Dell" here in Omaha. A bunch of the rust colored cameo seats ended up with the Council Bluffs school district, but apparently they were in really rough/filthy shape. Don't know for sure if that's still the case, just trying to share ! BTW - My husband saw Star Wars there for the first time as a kid, so it was a special place to him. When they tore it down, he stood there with tears in his eyes, especially when the roof caved in! It broke his heart! IMHO, the world did NOT need another parking lot!

This is a 9/28/2000 article about the proposed closing of this theater.

"Omaha, Neb., Movie Theater to Close by Thursday.

Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Author: Taylor, John


The operator of Omaha's Indian Hills Theater is expected to close the moviehouse at the end of business Thursday.

A spokeswoman for Carmike Cinemas Inc., the Columbus, Ga., theater chain that operates Indian Hills, said she could not comment on the company's plans because of legal proceedings. Carmike filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors in August, seeking time to refinance its debts.

Carmike has canceled all Indian Hills Theater movie advertising in The World-Herald beyond Thursday.

N.P. Dodge Jr., who represents the Indian Hills building's owners, said a Delaware bankruptcy court has notified his company that Carmike asked for permission to cancel the leases on several buildings around the country.

"Apparently, we are on the list of those several buildings," Dodge said.

Dodge said Carmike's lease expires in 2012. "They are up to date with their rent and will be until the end of the month."

In view of the cancellation notice, Dodge said, "we'll immediately begin talking to other theater companies to see if they would like to take up the lease."

If Dodge is able to keep the theater open under a different operator, those familiar with the Indian Hills' history will applaud.

The Indian Hills is believed to be one of only four theaters in the world capable of showing original three-projector Cinerama films.

To Larry Karstens, who in retirement has become an authority on the Cinerama technique and the theaters that showed movies using the process, Indian Hills represents history.

He said Cinerama theaters have deeply curved screens that require three projectors to show specially made films. The other three Cinerama theaters are in Seattle, Los Angeles and Bradford, England, he said.

Karstens, retired from the Air Force and a job at the Omaha School District where he copied videos for teachers, has an online newsletter for Cinerama fans.

Karstens said Indian Hills' screen, 35 feet high and 105 feet wide, is the largest indoor screen ever used for Cinerama. A special screen, which resembled vertical venetian blinds, was used for Cinerama films, but it became too worn years ago and was replaced.

The screen's 146-degree curve gave films a pseudo 3-D effect, he said.

Omahan Bruce Crawford has presented five special film tributes at Indian Hills, including a one-night-only showing Saturday of John Wayne's "The Searchers." He said he earlier heard reports of the theater's closing. He told Saturday's audience that he hoped the Dodge company "will be able to keep the lights on and doors open."

The Cooper Foundation opened Indian Hills Cinerama in December 1962. Carmike acquired the theater in June 1997, becoming its fifth owner.

Carmike is one of several theater chains now struggling as a result of overbuilding of moviehouses in recent years. Two other major operators have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization this year -- United Artists Theatre Co. and Edwards Theatres Circuit Inc.

Theater chains built huge moviehouses across the country, boasting upward of 20 screens. Left in the wake were smaller complexes, such as Indian Hills, which has three smaller screens beside its original auditorium.

Carmike operates the Mall of the Bluffs 5 theaters in Council Bluffs. Those theaters are expected to remain open.

Carmike spokeswoman Suzanne Brown said that, so far, 65 theaters have been closed after leases expired or after the company received bankruptcy court approval to cancel the leases.

The Indian Hills building is owned by Dodge Investments Ltd., a limited partnership whose general partners are the N.P. Dodge Co. and Robert I. Hancock Co".

Well, ironically, the viability of the Indian Hills Theatre was actually more due to the fact that it DID have those extra theatres. In this day and age, a freestanding theatre really has to have the public behind it in order to keep it alive, and the truth is that Omaha, as with other past architectural institutions of this city, just wasn't at the table. There were a few posts in the local paper, but really nothing else. Without any support from the locals(nothing new here), there really wasn't much ANY preservation group could gain(I know, I've worked with several outside of the city). The idea of using the theatre for especially Cinerama purposes was just as naive, though. This held no viability whatsoever in the modern age. The truth be known, though, businesses like the Dodge real estate and the Methodist hospital are simply that-businesses, neither seeing any economic value in a theatre(I choose not to use their reference-'property'-due to the fact that the historically unique and important structure was not just another 'property', as termed by the hospital). Sadly, corporations like these two are never very forward thinking. Their myopia on the historical relevance of this one-of-a-kind 'property' will surely follow them into the future.
I actually felt that it may have been able to reopen as an 'arthouse' theater. Since Denny Moran's local Dundee Theatre gave up this bid many eons ago, this city has been in vital need of such a local theatre. However, now, one local native Rachel Jacobsen has received help in creating a new arthouse, north of the Omaha downtown district and Qwest Center Auditorium. Although it will not even be a third of the size of the Indian Hills, Omaha will at least, again, have an arthouse theater to its name. I hear it's to open next month. Another reasonable suggestion would have been to allow some other business to purchase the property, like a church, for example. I've seen several of these midcentury-modern structures receive new life in such a manner('new life' seems rather fitting, actually, in this reference). It would have made a beautiful outlet for such an assembly. However, again, the NP Dodge real estate company moved very quickly on selling the property, without really looking into other buyers. The theatre was right near the hospital and that business wanted it. So, it got it, simply put. Probably a good business move on the hospital's part. The more of Omaha's one-time major thoroughfare, Dodge Street, that the hospital gains, the more they believe they'll only gain more popularity. Ironically, Dodge Street is not what it was once, when it was a major shopping, restaurant, and entertainment district, now quite depressed, with a couple more major businesses nearby only just closing recently. The sale of Indian Hills was more the final nail in Dodge Street's coffin. Good move on the hospital corporation's part in beautifying an benefitting its local community, eh?
To answer an earlier query here on the subject of the film "Preserve Me a Seat", a one-time Omaha resident, one Californian Frank Merwald, who was part of the theatre's preservation group, filed suit on the film's producer Jim Fields in 2003, primarily due to the lack of extreme anti-Methodist faire contained in the film. Fields, who was more focused on the study of the theatre and its part in the field of architectural importance in preservation, ironically took the extra time this gave him and widened the scope of the picture, by addressing a wide array of architecturally important theatres around the country, raising the budget of the film a bit, but including now several other unique styles of theatres. Mr.Merwald, an executive television producer in California, in perjuring himself on several counts @ the final hearing of the suit, where he had a 'support team' made up of a few of the previous Indian Hills preservationists, finally gave Mr.Fields the red light to premiere his movie. In the meantime, Fields had also produced another documentary, "416", which had gone on to play a dozen film festivals, garnering several awards. His preservation film, "Saving Indian Hills", was now retitled "Preserve Me a Seat", and opened in Nebraskan native Fields' home, to a tri-city premiere in July 2006. It has since gone on to play for hundreds of viewers @ film festivals, as well as other cities, most recently in Springfield, Missouri, raising awareness of this important subject. I find the film both educational and entertaining @ the same time. This is the only real documentary-or handbook, for that matter-on architectural preservation, and vintage movie houses were a perfect example to use. If anyone enjoys these old movie palaces and/or has an interest in preservation, whatever you don't know about the subject you will surely understand after seeing Fields' film. The DVD is available for a penance, @ $12.99, on his website, apartment101films.com.
As for the Omaha woman who mentioned how her husband was crushed to see the theatre fall that day, I empathize with you. I, too, was present the day the theatre fell-and that scene in the film is still very difficult for me to view. However, view I do. I don't wish to forget very soon the dangers that can befall any city that offers such an important example of our history. Neither should anyone.

Ironically, Stephen Long, the CEO of Nebraska Methodist Health Systems, who decided the final fate of Indian Hills, is retiring according to a press release on their website, May, 2007. http://www.bestcare.org/site.asp?imghdr=0&app=PressRelease&spid=F2ABCF874476444EB941FDB519B499E6

Preserve Me a Seat will be shown on Friday, September 14 at the Portage Theater in Chicago, IL as part of the "Preserving Palaces" documentary film festival, along with Uptown: Portrait of a Palace. The festival continues Saturday, September 15 with The Wizard of Austin Boulevard, Loew's Paradise Theatre, and Memoirs of a Movie Palace. A theatre preservation discussion panel will follow the films on Saturday night. For complete information, visit www.portagetheater.org.

Nice 2001 photo of the Indian Hills Theatre.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neatocoolville/91817548/sizes/o/in/set-72057594054766350/

What a shame that such a beautiful-looking theatre was torn down despite so much support for the theatre and protest against its planned demolition came from so many prominent actors/actresses and movie directors alike. It looked like a real oner, if one gets the drift. Greed, greed, greed is what led to i ts demise, that's clear. One doesn't have to live, or even to ever have lived in Omaha to be aware of that. It looked as if going to see great film classics in that theatre could be the experience of a lifetime. I'm sure "West Side Story" would've looked absolutely spectacular on that great big 105' screen!

Three generations of my family worked at Indian Hills. I still can't believe it's gone, even after all this time. I drive past that empty parking lot all the time and try to imagine it there again. My grandfather worked for the Omaha projectionist union back in the 60s and spent time at Indian Hills. My dad and his brother both worked there as an usher and projectionist. In 1997 I was promoted by First International Theaters and moved to Omaha as Indian Hills Asst Manager. First International sold to Carmike Cinemas, and I moved to the Orchard Theater. My younger brother took my place as Indian Hills Asst Manager. Ironically enough, my uncle on my moms side is a security guard for Methodist Health System. If watch the Preserve Me A Seat trailer, he's the officer/guard that is escorting someone and putting his hand up to the camera. Just doing his job, but embarassing none the less.

Since I have a set of blue prints to the Cooper Cinerama Theater in Minneapolis which is the same building as the Indian Hills I have been looking for interest in building this again. Now that the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood is doing cinerama festivals each fall and Seattle has done some in the recent years. maybe a group of interested people could get the funds to make this happen again.
I worked as an usher in the Minneapolis Cooper during the mid 60's.
I would love to see this type of building raise again.
MHeaton

Part two of previous email: The Dome in Hollywood was not originally built for three projectors. They had to remodel to get that set-up. They also have a 35mm/70mm projection system in order to run other types of features. In this day and age there would probably need to be a multiplex attached to run other films to help bring the crowd in. However, there are a lot of Cinerama fans around the country - Each year for the last 8 years when there is a festival at the Dome the theater is full each performance to be able to watch that huge picture and fantastic sound system.
By the way, the Cooper's (all three including the Indian Hills) had tjhelargest screens in the world. More square footage thatn Imax.