Bertrand Opera House

Bertrand’s New Opera House opened on November 12, 1903 with The Becker Musical Company arriving for a live stage show. Bertrand’s Opera House was used as a skating rink in 1905 as it appears to have struggled to gain traction. Live events returned including sporadic traveling moving picture shows to good effect. On August 25, 1916, Victor Peterson subleased the Opera House four days a week with a new Motiograph projector and ran the venue as the Ideal Theatre with live events scheduled under the moniker of the Bertrand Opera House.

The local paper suggests that the relationship was less than ‘Ideal’ as screenings were reduced and then the nameplate of the Ideal Theatre was dropped following the October 5, 1918 showing of “The Spreading Dawn” starring Jane Cowl. It was reported that the owners of the Opera House demanded much higher rental costs to continue operations in 1919. Peterson balked and moved the picture shows to a former drug store that he converted into a permanent, full-time venue called the New Victory Theatre on September 26, 1919. That theatre ran to the end of 1955 with movies.

The final event for the Bertrand Opera House appears to have taken place with a dance on June 4, 1919. The former Opera House became a grocery store / general merchandise store in 1921 which remained there until March of 1943. The former Opera House building was located on the east side of Main Street and was soon razed for the building of the Sandstorm Implement retail building.

Get Movie Tickets & Showtimes

Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.