Pioneer Theatre
815 Central Avenue,
Nebraska City,
NE
68410
815 Central Avenue,
Nebraska City,
NE
68410
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Booth Brothers, Griffith Amusement Company
Architects: Charles W. Steinbaugh
Previous Names: Overland Theatre, New Idea Theatre, Empire Theatre, Paramount Theatre
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Located at Central Avenue and 9th Street. The Overland Theatre opened in 1897 showing early moving pictures. On November 29, 1906 as the New Idea Theatre screening movies. On June 13, 1907 it was renamed Empire theatre and was operated by Schnitzer and Wallen. 250 wooden chairs were nailed together. The program was changed three times a week. There was a Saturday matinee but no Sunday performances because of the Blue Laws. Admission was 5 & 10 cents.
During the summer movies were show in an Air Dome.
In 1915 it was remodeled and rebranded as the 400-seat Paramount Theatre. It was remodeled in 1927 to the plans of architect Charles W. Steinbaugh when it was operated by the Booth Brothers circuit. On July 12, 1940 it was taken over by the Griffith Amusement Company and renamed Pioneer Theatre. On December 3, 1947 it closed for the evening as normal, but was destroyed by fire in the early hours of the morning December 4, 1947.
It was replaced by a new Pioneer Theatre which opened in February 1949 (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures).
Contributed by
robert boehm
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
J Sterling Morton created the local opera house building nearby named the Overland Theatre in 1897 as a live venue. Movies were shown early in the Opera House’s existence and became an even more popular pastime leading to a new venue dedicated to films. The New Idea Theatre launched here on November 29, 1906 With short films and live entertainment. About six months later, new operators renamed the venue as the Empire Theatre opening on June 13, 1907 showing movies.
The venue changed names again to the Paramount Theatre in 1915. Its pipe organ became expendable not long after architect C.W. Steinbaugh’s remodeling of the Paramount in 1927 which would lead to sound movies. Its organ would move to the Booth Theatre in 1931. On June 24, 1939, the Booth Brothers sold three of their venues (Booth Theaters in Auburn and Nebraska City and Paramount in Nebraska City) to the Williams-Griffith Theatre Circuit took over the location.
Griffith gave the venue one final new name as the town’s original Pioneer Theatre on July 12, 1940. The Pioneer Theatre’s final screenings were on December 3, 1947. In the early hours of December 4, 1947, the building was destroyed by fire. A new Pioneer Theatre was built and remained in operation as a triplex to the 21st Century.
Correction - First Paragraph:
When the Overland Theatre opened in 1897, it showed early motion pictures which proved to be popular. On November 29, 1906, Nebraska City got its first movie theater when the New Idea Theatre opened in an existing building at 815 Central playing short films along with vaudeville acts. On June 13, 1907, it was renamed the Empire theatre and was operated by Schnitzer and Wallen with 250 wooden chairs nailed together. The program was changed three times a week. There was a Saturday matinee but no Sunday performances because of the Blue Laws. Admission was 5 & 10 cents.
The Paramount was one of the three Nebraska City theaters operated by Booth Brothers that was remodeled in 1927 with plans by architect Charles W. Steinbaugh, as noted in this article from the August 20 issue of Movie Age: