| Moon Theater | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alternative names | Town Theater, Cooper Theater |
| General information | |
| Type | Movie theater |
| Location | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Address | 1410 Douglas |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 41°15′29″N 95°56′02″W / 41.258°N 95.934°W / 41.258; -95.934 |
| Opened | August 30, 1918 |
| Closed | June 1974 |
| Demolished | 1976 |
| Owner | World Realty Co. |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | 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]
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.[7] It was remodeled in 1958 for Cinerama by the Cooper Foundation.[2][8] 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 occupies the lot.
