Zala Theatre
Madrid,
NE
69150
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The American Theatre in Madrid launched October 31, 1919 as the replacement for its opera house. The venue opened with a live play. The theatre would find its audience with motion pictures and converted to sound to stay viable. Seating was purportedly increased to 300 during a 1933 renovation.
The American got a streamline makeover in 1940 along with its new name and neon sign, the Zala Theatre. It was stated that the name was selected in honor of an Indian tribe and its name was translated to “an evening of rest and amusement.” There isn’t much information to factually link the claim to the name but the miniker stuck for more than 15 years. The Zala closed in 1956 and the town’s citizenry had to drive to nearby Grant for films until the theater closed there in 1962. Then they had to drive further to Ogallala if they were to have a cinematic evening of rest and amusement.
Motion Picture Herald: June 9, 1956: “Closings in the recent months in the Denver territory … are the Zala, Madrid, Neb.; Otis, Otis, Colo.; and the Gem, Culbertson, Colo.”