Chief Theatre
102 I Street,
Weeping Water,
NE
68463
102 I Street,
Weeping Water,
NE
68463
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Additional Info
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Elite Theatre, Elite Electric Theatre, Rainbow Theatre, Liberty Theatre
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The Elite Theatre was opened by 1911. In January 1922 it was renamed Rainbow Theatre. In June 1922 it was renamed Liberty Theatre when it had 300 seats (later reduced to 240). It was renamed Chief Theatre on May 28, 1937 following a Streamline Moderne style makeover. It appears in a 1940 postcard of Weeping Water, NE. The postcard is mislabelled as Main Street 1930’s Ambler. However the street has been independently confirmed as I Street also known as Eldora Avenue in Weeping Water. The movie playing when the photo was taken is “We Who Are Young” on September 6th and 7th, 1940 per a local newspaper at the time.
The Chief Theatre was closed on January 14, 1962 with Richard Basehart in “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”. It was demolished on October 28, 1964.
Contributed by
Eugene Sheridan Jr
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Comparing aerial views from 1965 and more recently at Historic Aerials, it is apparent that the Chief Theatre has been converted into the United Methodist Fellowship Hall, at 102 I Street. The old stone building of the original church as seen in the vintage photo is still standing at the corner of I and Elm. A new building, built sometime between 1999 and 2003, connects the old church with the fellowship hall, forming a courtyard on the I Street side of the complex.
H.E. Brookings took on the World War I era Liberty Theatre and gave it a streamline makeover and new name relaunching May 28, 1937 as the Chief Theatre
Closed on January 14, 1962 with “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”, and was demolished on October 28, 1964.
This opened as the Elite Theatre as early as 1911, sometimes known as the Elite Electric Theatre during its early heyday. It was renamed the Rainbow Theatre in January 1922, and was renamed the Liberty Theatre in June of that same year.