Fox Theatre
1020 Illinois Street,
Sidney,
NE
69162
1020 Illinois Street,
Sidney,
NE
69162
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox Inter-Mountain Theaters Inc.
Functions: Retail
Styles: Beaux-Arts, Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: U.S.A. Theatre, Fox U.S.A. Theatre.
Nearby Theaters
The U.S.A. Theatre was built during the big theatre boom around World War 1 as a diversion from the horrors of war. It was opened on August 11, 1917 with Willian Night in “The Blue Streak” & Billie Richie in “The House of Terrible Scandals”. It was improved and reopened on February 8, 1919. It had been equipped with a Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. The façade once lit up at night with light bulbs on the façade. In November 1929 it was renamed Fox Theatre. On June 7, 1940 it was given a Streamline Moderne style makeover. It was closed on October 15, 1951.
It was replaced by a new Fox Theatre along the street in 1951 (which has its own page on Cinema Treasures). Today most of the former U.S.A./Fox Theatre building houses a jewellery store.
The building is located within the Sidney Downtown Historic District.
Contributed by
Colin
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The interior of the jewelry store (Alberts Diamondland) does not reveal much (or anything really) of the original interior. The street view from Google Maps gives a sense of how the light bulbs might have looked.
From 2010 a photo of the USA Theater building in Sidney.
Note that the USA (or U.S.A.) Theatre was also known as the FOX.
The U.S.A. Theatre launched August 11, 1917 with William Night in “The Blue Streak” supported by Billie Ritchie in “The House of Terrible Scandals.” The improved theatre had a grand reopening on February 8, 1919 by Noah G. Brewer. The opening film was Dorothy Phillips in “Heart of Humanity” supported by Professor Manby on the Wurlitzer pipe organ. Fox Circuit took over the venue briefly as the Fox U.S.A. Theatre. The Fox U.S.A. closed on November 15, 1929 and relaunched on Thanksgiving now with Western Electric Sound and under the Fox Theatre nameplate.
The Fox received a major streamline moderne makeover reopening on June 7, 1940 with a Grand Reopening and Wallace Beery in “Twenty Mule Team.” The Fox closed October 15, 1951 with Hedy Lamarr in “Samson and Delilah.” The next night the New Fox Theatre opened and it has its own CinemaTreasure entry.