Colfax Theatre
314 E. 11th Street,
Schuyler,
NE
68661
314 E. 11th Street,
Schuyler,
NE
68661
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Colfax Theatre (Official)
Additional Info
Architects: Leo J. Dworak
Functions: Movies
Previous Names: Favorite Theatre, Omar Theatre, New Schuyler Theatre, Strand Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
402.352.5847
Nearby Theaters
Located on E. 11th Street at B Street. The Favorite Theatre was opened in 1909. On February 13, 1930 it was equipped for sound and renamed Omar Theatre. On August 1, 1930 it was renamed New Schuyler Theatre, but was soon renamed Strand Theatre. On October 24, 1940 it was renamed Colfax Theatre following a remodel by architect Leo J. Dworak.
The theatre was closed for some time and was reopened in 2006. The theatre shows first run movies on Friday, Saturday & Sunday and is operated almost entirely with volunteer help.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d9gwbs
This house was known as the Strand Theatre until 1940. The August 24, 1940, issue of Boxoffice said that Harold Bowers and Carl Mansfield had taken over the Strand at Schuyler and would remodel it. The November 2 issue of Boxoffice said: “Harold Bowers has opened his Colfax at Schuyler, Neb., and the theatre will be operated by his father-in-law, Carl Mansfield.”
The September 11, 1937, issue of Boxoffice said that Joe Swoboda’s Avalon Theatre Corp.,operators of the Avalon and Strand theaters in Schuyler, had taken over another Strand Theatre at Pierce, Nebraska.
Schuyler had a Favorite Theatre in 1926 (The Reel Journal, September 18, 1926,) and Dome Theatre in 1930 (Boxoffice “Twenty years ago” feature on June 17, 1950.) These might have been aka’s for the Avalon and/or Strand/Colfax.
An E.G. Gannon took over the Avalon Theatre in 1945, and apparently operated it until he built the Sky Theatre in 1948 or 1949. Carl Mansfield was still operating the Colfax into the late 1950s, per various issues of Boxoffice.
A correction to my previous comment: The February 14, 1954, issue of Boxoffice said that Reggie Gannon, son of the late E.G. Gannon, had bought the Colfax Theatre with the intention of closing it. The Colfax is only mentioned retrospectively in Boxoffice after that. Reggie Gannon continued to operate the Sky Theatre until 1962, when he moved to Arizona.
The theatre dates back to the late 19th Century. Olsen & Jensen converted it to full time motion pictures in the first decade of the 20th Century. Fred LaChase and Arthur VanHousen took it over in 1909 and it became the Favorite Theatre with Mrs. Dan Francis at the player piano. Omar Reed and L.A. Proskoveck transitioned the venue to the Talking BesTone Sound System from Omaha, new screen and seating as the Omar Theatre. Its relaunch was on February 13, 1930 with Edward Everett Horton in “The Hottentot” supported by the Harry Langdon short, “The Fighting Parson” and an animated short.
The Monsky Bros. Circuit of Omaha took on the venue and on August 14, 1930, it was renamed the New Schuyler Theatre with “A Lady of Scandal.” Joseph Svoboda took on the venue renaming it the Strand. The Strand closed with “Gone With the Wind” on April 27, 1940 to undergo a refresh under new operators Carl Mansfield and Harold B. Bowers of Weeping Water.
All new seating were installed under its new operators, with Mansfield and Bowers renaming the venue as the Colfax Theatre on October 24, 1940 with “My Love Came Back.” Mansfield and Bowers sold out to the competing Sky Theatre and Avalon owned by Neva L. Gannon in 1954. The Colfax Theatre closed on February 28, 1954 with Bob Hope in “Here Come the Girls” supported by a newsreel, a cartoon, and an El Brendel comes short with “His Wedding Scare.” They used throwback pricing on the final weekend with 10 cent admission for kids and 25 cents for adults.
As noted, the theatre reopened in 2006/7 and was operating in the 2020s.