Moon Theater

Coordinates: 41°15′29″N 95°56′02″W / 41.258°N 95.934°W / 41.258; -95.934

Moon Theater
Alternative names Town, Cooper
General information
Type Movie theater
Location Omaha, Nebraska
Address 1410 Douglas
Country United States
Opening August 30, 1918
Closed June 1974
Demolished 1976
Owner World Realty Co.
Design and construction
Architect Harry Lawrie of Mendelssohn, Fisher and Lawrie
Other information
Seating capacity 1,600

The Moon Theater was a silent movie theater at 1410 Douglas Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska.[1] The 1,600 seat theater was built on the site of Omaha's first movie theater, the Parlor.[1] In later years the theater was renamed the Town Theater and eventually the Cooper Theater. The building was demolished in 1976.[2]

History

The Moon Theater was built for The World Realty Company in 1918 at 1410 Douglas Street,[1] and was built right next door to the existing Rialto Theater.[3] The Moon joined the company's other theaters, the Sun Theater at 1410 Farnam Street and the Muse Theater at 24th and Farnam Streets.[1] A fourth theater, the World Theater would in later years join the trio.[1][4]

The Moon Theater was a Moorish-style building designed by Harry Lawrie of the Omaha architectural firm of Mendelssohn, Fisher and Lawrie.[4] The brick and steel structure boasted an exterior finish of terra cotta, white tile and marble. Over the entrance canopy hung a sign thirty-feet in height with the image of a crescent moon. The interior included decorative painted panels depicting scenes of historic interest and locations within the U.S. National Parks.[1] Playing off the theater's name, the theater's marquee prior to its opening announced, "Moon Rises Next Sat Eve, Sessue Hayakawa in Gray Horizons".[1]

During a promotion for The Great Air Robbery, an Essex Motors touring car built to replicate a 600 pound airplane bomber was driven through the streets of Omaha to the entry of the Moon Theater.[5] In 1929, the Moon Theater became a Burlesque theater.[6] In 1933, it became the Town Theater, hosting both stage shows and movies. Its first stage show under its new name was Talk o' the Town.<ref name="Marion Players Seen in "Talk o' the Town"">"Marion Players Seen in "Talk o' the Town"". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. April 17, 1933. p. 9. </ref> It was remodeled in 1958 for Cinerama by the Cooper Foundation.[2][7] It opened as the Cooper Theater with a showing of South Pacific, for a record 78 weeks.[2] At the time, the South Pacific run set a record for the longest movie run.[2] The Cinerama equipment was later moved to the Cooper Foundation's new Indian Hills Theater. The last movie shown at the Cooper Theater was Serpico in June 1974.[2] The theater was demolished at the beginning of 1976.[2] The Union Pacific Headquarters building currently occupies the lot.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Moon Theater Is Opened New Steps in Amusement". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. August 31, 1919. p. 41.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bringing Down House for Last Time". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. January 1, 1976. p. 7.
  3. ↑ Spencer, Jeffrey (2010). Remembering Omaha. Nashville, Tennessee: Trade Paper Press, Turner Publishing Company. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-59652-650-1.
  4. 1 2 "Half-Million Theater On Fifteenth Street". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. April 17, 1921. p. 47.
  5. ↑ The Hudson Triangle, Volumes 9-13. Hudson Motor Company. 1919. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "How Shifting Years Have Changed Omaha Theaters". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. October 27, 1929. p. 62.
  7. ↑ Holston, Kim R. (2012). Movie Roadshows: A History and Filmography of Reserved-Seat Limited Showings ... p. 158. Retrieved 22 March 2014.

External links

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