Dundee Theater
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| Address | 4952 Dodge Street Omaha, Nebraska United States |
|---|---|
| Owner | Denny Moran |
| Type | Independent art house |
| Capacity | 475 |
| Opened | 1925 |
| Years active | 1925-present |
| Website | |
| http://www.dundeetheatre.com/ | |
The Dundee Theatre is an historic 475-seat movie theater located at 4952 Dodge Street in Omaha, Nebraska. The Dundee is the last active single-screen movie theater in Omaha.[1]
History
Built in 1925, the Dundee Theatre originally opened as a stage theater for vaudeville acts, playing host to many performers including famed escape artist Harry Houdini.[2] The building was converted into a movie theater during the 1930s due to the Great Depression, however a stage, dressing rooms, and the original gold curtains still remain behind the movie screen.[3]
In 1958, the owners of the Indian Hills Theater, the Cooper Foundation, purchased the Dundee from the Goldberg Circuit. The Dundee showed art and foreign movies until 1965, when the Dundee ran The Sound of Music for 118 weeks. At the time, it was second only to a theater in London for the longest first run of a film.[4]
After a few more long runs of popular features, the theatre returned to programming art and foreign films. In 1974, the Cooper Foundation sold the Dundee to Edward Cohen and David Frank of Omaha. They changed the theater's offering to family pictures in an attempt to create a "top-notch house".[5] The theater closed for a short time and in 1980 was purchased and renovated by the current owner, Denny Moran of Moran Theatres.
Present day
Today the Dundee Theatre typically plays art films, although sometimes it features films in wider release. It also has a weekend midnight movie series when classic or cult films are featured.[6] The sound system utilizes Dolby Digital EX technology. Unfortunately, the Dundee Theatre has been closed, ostensibly for repairs, since 2011. As of September 2016, the theater is still closed. [7]
Some films featured as part of the Midnights at Dundee series include The Big Lebowski, Donnie Darko, Pulp Fiction, Princess Bride, El Topo, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Rushmore, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Foxy Brown and The Room.
References
- ^ Deknok, J. (2004). Dundee Offers Continental Charm. Omaha World-Herald, Jan 15, 2004. Retrieved 7/08/07.
- ^ Gorey, A. (2004) Dundee Theatre Rich In Character. The Gateway, Sep 17, 2004. Retrieved 7/08/07.
- ^ History of the Dundee Theatre. Retrieved 7/08/07.
- ^ (1966) Longest Film Run in Omaha. Omaha World Herald, August 7, 1966.
- ^ (1974) 2 Omahans Buy Dundee Theatre. Omaha World-Herald. Mar 3, 1974.
- ^ DeGroot, M. (2004) Midnight movies cinema treasure at 'Dundee's'. Daily Nebraskan, Oct 11, 2004. Retrieved 7/08/07.
- ^ http://www.omaha.com/go/dundee-theatre-to-close-for-renovations/article_0c7fb86f-35bb-58da-a7d9-cbf65bbc2918.html