Joy Theatre

Small town theatres can stay operating for decades in the same family while others pass from operator to operator struggling to find their audiences. In the town of North Bend, Nebraska, the latter was in evidence. The town’s longest standing theatre of 45 years in the same location had at least 12 different operators and a variety of monikers.

The Star Theatre and the original location of the Lyric Theatre opened in 1912. C. Oak Armstead opened the Lyric Theatre on July 22, 1912 and by year’s end its projection featured a brand new Powers No. 6 projector.

1916 was North Bend’s high water mark for entertainment as the Star Theatre was joined by a new-build location for the New Lyric Theatre. These two venues were joined by the Empress Theatre (formerly the town’s live opera house) which had relaunched under that banner on January 1, 1916 and would later be joined by the first season for the town’s new Airdome. The Empress Theatre burned down that July and the Airdome ceased operations after the summer of 1916 leaving just the New Lyric Theatre and the Star Theatre. The theatre’s economic fortunes improved when the town voted for Sunday shows beginning in 1919.

In the 1920’s, talkies were coming and the operators of the Lyric Theatre and the Star Theatre knew that they could not both afford to convert to sound and generate enough revenue to recoup their investment. Star Theatre operator Fred Mehaffey bought the Lyric Theatre from A. Herman to consolidate in the Star Theatre location. He closed the Lyric Theatre on December 17, 1927. But likely figuring out the conversion complexities at the 15-year old Star Theatre, he sold both buildings to Anna Moss whose son ran the town’s only remaining theatre.

Details are a bit sparse, but Moss decided to equip the newer Lyric Theatre as an improved venue. As best as can be determined, the Star Theatre nameplate was moved to the former Lyric Theatre called the New Star Theatre with a relaunch on May 5, 1928 with Tom Mix in “"Outlaws of Red River”. Moss would also operate the Liberty Theatre in Morse Bluff. Otto Kleeman would purchase the theatre in 1929 and convert it to Western Electric sound in 1931.

In June of 1935, M.D. Buxton took on the venue then known simply as the Star Theatre. After a Streamline Modern style refresh, renamed the theatre as the Bend Theatre (aka “The Bend”). It relaunched under that name beginning on July 7, 1935 with Ann Sothern in “Hooray for Love.” In 1937, Albert M. Bang took over the Bend Theatre and gave it new projection and a new air conditioning system.

In 1941, E.L. McCartney refreshed the theatre with new seats and a new name. He rebranded it as the Nor-Bend Theatre with a grand opening on July 6, 1941 with Robert Taylor in “Flight Command.” The venue closed during World War II but was purchased by Henry Hynek who resumed operations in 1943.

Edward Gannon took on the venue after World War II and renamed it as the Joy Theatre. The revamped auditorium now held just 270 seats. In 1947, Blanche Colbert ran the Joy Theatre. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Waybill purchased the Joy Theatre in 1949. The television era was challenging for the many small town theatres and North Bend’s Joy Theatre was no exception. The Waybills sold the theatre with the operator leaving after a suspicious 1951 fire. The Waybills resumed operation after repairs in 1952.

George Mott bought the Joy Theatre in 1954. Mott closed when managers Mr. and Mrs. Lester Frank departed July 2, 1955. The theatre was improved with widescreen presentation for CinemaScope films. The Joy Theatre reopened briefly beginning on December 15, 1955 on a four-day a week policy. It closed at the end of the year and had a new manager in place for its reopening on February 26, 1956 with Spencer Tracy in “Broken Lance.”

Mr. and Mrs. Nick Eackel were in charge over a year and closed the Joy Theatre on December 1, 1957. Things looked grim for the town’s movie house until the VFW relaunched the venue mainly for bingo in 1960 and sporadic Chamber of Commerce and kiddie matinee screenings.

The Joy Theatre had one more shot at regular cinematic presentations under a final operator, Robert D. Miller, who brought two changes of shows in an ambitious six-day a week operation beginning on December of 1960 with Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.” There was no more Joy in town when the theatre appears to have closed permanently on March 18, 1961 with James Mason in “Journey to the Center of Earth”. It was demolished on December 28, 2009

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