Gilbert Theatre
616 Court Street,
Beatrice,
NE
68310
616 Court Street,
Beatrice,
NE
68310
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The Rivoli Theatre was the heir apparent to the Gilbert. The grand opening of the Rivoli had to be postponed with that screening moved to the Gilbert. But thereafter, the Rivoli booked new features and the Gilbert was downgraded to carrying four-wall exploitation films and some live events with its last film screened as “Did Tunney Win the Fight?” on December 10, 1927. The Gilbert Theatre did not convert to sound. It was converted for other retail purposes by 1930.
March 21st, 1915 grand opening ad:
Gilbert theatre opening Sun, Mar 21, 1915 – 10 · Beatrice Daily Sun (Beatrice, Gage, Nebraska, United States of America) · Newspapers.com
From Motion Picture World, August 7, 1915: “Ben Johnson, the new manager at the Gilbert Theatre at Beatrice, has purchased a new pipe organ. He has closed his Lyric theatre in Beatrice in order to devote all his time to the new acquisition.” If he was investing in an organ it suggests he had begun or was about to begin showing films.
The January 15, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World had an item about Hal Kelly, manager of the Gilbert Theatre. The usual policy of the house at that time was to present five acts of vaudeville and three reels of movies, Kelly said.
Their is a Sherwin Williams Paint store at this address today. This is just down the street from the Holly Theatre.