Varsity Theatre
1500 O Street,
Lincoln,
NE
68508
1500 O Street,
Lincoln,
NE
68508
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Built on the site of the Rialto Theatre. The Varsity Theatre opened on November 1, 1934 with Grace Moore in “One Night of Love”. Davis & Wilson were the architects. The Varsity Theatre was closed in 1941, and the ‘Varsity’ name was transferred to the former Oliver/Liberty Theatre on N. 13th Street.
On September 11, 1971, Walt Jancke, built the Cinemas 1 & 2 a block away. In 1973, the Varsity Theatre was demolished to make room for the National Bank of Commerce.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft, Howard B. Haas
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The Lincoln Evening Journal published a photograph of the demolition of the Varsity on April 22, 1973. The Journal archives show that the theater opened on November 1, 1934 with Grace Moore in “One Night of Love.†Davis and Wilson were listed as the architects. The Journal said the theater building was built in 1889 and previously housed two other theaters, first the Oliver and then the Liberty. On September 11, 1971, Walt Jancke, its owner, built the Cinemas 1 & 2 a block away. Jancke said the Varsity would remain open until its demolition to make room for the National Bank of Commerce. The bank, today called Wells Fargo Bank, was built on the site in 1973.
Corrections: The first Varsity Theater (there were 2) opened in 1934 on the site of the old Rialto (1500 O Street). That theater closed in 1941, and the Varsity name went to 13th & P Streets, the location of the old Liberty Theater, which, in turn, replaced the Oliver (not Olivier) in 1924. The Oliver opened in 1889 as an opera house. Walt Jancke did not own the Varsity; he was city manager for Westland Theaters (owned by Larry Starsmore), based in Colorado Springs. They also owned the State Theater in Lincoln. When National Bank of Commerce bought the Varsity site, Westland built the Cinema Twin, Lincoln’s first “multiplex”.
Lincoln Starâ€"April 22, 1973.
ACTION LINE: Lincoln has a total of 5,817
theater seats. This compares with about 6.250 seats
20 years ago. According to theater veteran Walt
Jancke. Retired manager of the Nebraska Theater
Corp.
But the figures, of course, don’t tell the whole
story Although there were more seats 20 years ago,
there were only five screens Today’s smaller houses
provide a choice among 16 screens, enough to drive a
movie buff bankrupt.