Summit Theatre
257 Main Street,
Harrison,
NE
69346
257 Main Street,
Harrison,
NE
69346
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Playhouse Theatre, Lusk Theatre, Home Theatre
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Built as an Odd Fellows Building in 1902, the Playhouse Theatre was opened by February 1909. It was still operating as a silent movie theatre in 1931 with 225-seats. It was closed in 1932. It reopened in May 1933 it briefly operated as the Lusk Theatre, and on July 13, 1933 it became the Home Theatre. On August 17, 1934 it changed its name to Summit Theatre still with 225-seats. The 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook had the Summit Theatre with 193-seats. It was closed for refurbishment in May 1947, reopening on June 12, 1947. In 1950 it had 180 seats.
The July 20, 1959 issue of Boxoffice reported that Ray York had sold the Summit Theatre to Charles Umphenour. On December 28, 1959 the Summit Theatre was closed with Paul Newman in “The Young Philadelphians”.
Contributed by
Michael Kilgore
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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 was open by the February 1909 Sanborn. It appears the building was constructed in 1902 (the last digit has fallen off the cornice), but it doesn’t appear on the July 1902 map.