Sierra Community Theatre
210 E. State Street,
Jefferson,
IA
50129
210 E. State Street,
Jefferson,
IA
50129
1 person
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Related Websites
Sierra Commumity Theatre (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fridley Theatres, Pioneer Theater Corp.
Architects: Jack J. Liebenberg
Firms: Liebenberg and Kaplan
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Previous Names: Head's Opera House, Iowa Theatre, Sierra Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
515.386.3176
Nearby Theaters
Opened on December 17, 1884 as Head’s Opera House. On March 28, 1931 it was remodeled to the plans of architectural firm Liebenberg & Kaplan and became the Iowa Theatre screening Claudette Colbert in “Honor Among Thieves”. It was operated by Finkelstein Theatres with seating listed at the time of 300. In October 1945 it fell under the Pioneer Theatres banner and then in March 1974 Fridley Theatres took over with a complete remodel. It was operated by Fridley Theatres. On March 27, 1974 it was renamed Sierra Theatre with a single screen playing first run attractions until around 2013. It is now run by volunteers as the Sierra Community Theatre.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
Here is part of a January 1958 article in the Jefferson Bee:
Cecil B DeMille’s production ‘The Ten Commandments’ will come to the Iowa Theater in Jefferson on Wednesday Feb 5 and will run through Saturday, Feb 15. The motion picture has received world-wide acclaim from the press, advance audiences and ministers of all faiths as an overwhelming motion picture experience.
Ten years in the planning, three years in research, three years in the writing and more than a year in the actual shooting, the picture is by far the biggest production in film history. A dramatization of the Book of Exodus, it stars Charlton Heston as Moses, Yul Brynner as his enemy, Pharaoh Rameses II, Anne Baxter, Edward G Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, Debra Paget and John Derek.
Starring also are Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nina Foch, Martha Scott, Judith Anderson and Vincent Price. Extras number upwards of 25,000.
Don’t like the placement of the Marquee. It was called also in the seventies a Fridley-Luxury Theatre.Must have dropped the “Luxury”.
Fridley dropped it in 2012. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SierraCommunityTheatre
The NRHP registration form for the Jefferson Square Historic District reveals that the Sierra Theatre was built in 1884 as Head’s Opera House, and was dedicated on December 17 that year. The theater was on the ground floor and a Masonic hall was upstairs. In 1914, the Masons bought the entire building.
The theater was extensively remodeled in 1916, as noted in the December 23 issue of The Moving Picture World, which said that iron columns had been removed and replaced by girders, and heating upgraded from wood stoves to a steam plant. Four boxes had been added, the stage had been remodeled, and new opera chairs installed. The opening program at the renovated house was Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation.
This is no longer operated by Fridley Theatres. It is called the Sierra Community Theatre and is operated on a volunteer basis by the Community. They don’t have a website they use facebook.
Website: http://www.sierracommunitytheatre.org/?r=no
The Facts: The 251 seat Sierra Community Theatre is headed by a board of directors who are volunteers from the community. This board created the non-profit 501c3, “Sierra Community Theatre”.
The day to day is currently ran by the manager who stayed after the switch from Fridley Theatres on November 2nd, 2012. There have been at least two paid staff ever since.
After the switch we showed a film for the weekend in 35mm. We upgraded to digital projection during the week of November 5th, 2012. This conversion was thanks to the many wonderful sponsors from our community who contributed to our “See You at the Movies” capital campaign.
We currently have 7.1 surround sound, RealD 3D, and USL Assisted Listening and Closed Captioning. We continue to play first run films.
If you have any other questions about us please contact us via our website at www.sierracommunitytheatre.org
Link about Jefferson theatres.
http://carrollspaper.com/Content/Local-News-Archive/Local-News/Article/Programs-to-spotlight-movie-theaters-Grand-Junction-history/1/1/27494
In the early 90’s when I lived in Jefferson and was building the Niichi plant I remember this being a family owned theater by a local family. They ran movies Fri, Sat, Sun. and had a video rental place downstairs and the son ran a youth dance club upstairs while he was in college.
The Head’s Opera House was actually renamed the Iowa Theatre after its March 1931 remodeling. It was renamed the Iowa Theatre on March 28, 1931 reopening with Claudette Colbert in “Honor Among Lovers” along with a Strange As It Seems short, a Grantland Rice Sportlight, and an unknown cartoon.
After World War II died, the Pioneer Theatres chain took over both the Iowa Theatre and the Howard Theatre in October 1945 following the chain’s 15th anniversary.
The Iowa Theatre was remodeled in March 1974 but was still open at the time. On March 27, 1974, it was renamed the Sierra Theatre, screening Walt Disney’s “Robin Hood” as its first film under the Sierra name.