A History of the Ritz Theater

There were once more than 30 theaters located north of Dodge Street and east of 72nd Street. Among them, one stood out for its longevity and meaning to Omaha’s African American community. This is a history of the Ritz Theater.

Ritz Theater, 2041 N. 24th St., North Omaha, Nebraska — This is a 1958 ad for the Ritz Theatre at 2041 North 24th Street in the Near North Side neighborhood.

Located at 2041 North 24th Street, the Ritz Theater was a neighborhood institution in the Near North Side. A standout among Omaha’s theaters, the Ritz eventually served African Americans as equals to white people. Then white people moved out of the neighborhood and the Ritz became an exclusively “Black theater,” meaning that it was staffed by African Americans and patronized by African Americans. A white person continued owning it though.

Ritz Theater, 2041-43 North 24th Street, North Omaha, Nebraska — This is an original 1929 architectural drawing of the front of the Ritz Theater. It was located at 2041-43 North 24th Street in North Omaha.

The Glendale Realty Company started construction on the theater in August 1929. However, there were legal issues that kept it from opening until 1931, when it opened as the Ritz Theatre. Popular Omaha theater owner and operator Harry L. Taylor, who had owned the Franklin and the Alhambra Theaters before the Ritz, opened it and owned it throughout its entire existence.

Circa 1931 Black Elks parade, North 24th Street, North Omaha, Nebraska — With their hall located nearby the Elks held their 40th annual parade on North 24th Street. The Ritz Theater at North 24th and Patrick street is visible. This pic is circa 1941.

Movie listings for the Ritz were never printed in the Omaha World-Herald. Instead, since it was an African American theater, they were listed in the Omaha Star and other Black-owned newspapers throughout its existence.

During the Great Depression, the theater served as a relief to a lot of neighborhood residents. The Omaha Urban League held several events there, as well as the Near North Side YMCA and the Works Progress Administration had regular events there, too.

This banner from the Omaha Star supported a midnight show at the Ritz in support of a fair employment act in the Nebraska Legislature.

Seating almost 600 moviegoers, the theater resumed normal service after World War II. With the surrounding neighborhood nearly completely African American, the Ritz was a Black theater, meaning that it operated as a place where white people and Black people were treated equally. This was different than the vast majority of theaters throughout Omaha, which segregated Black people from white people.

Ritz Theatre, 2435 North 24th Street, North Omaha, Nebraska — The Ritz Theater at North 24th and Patrick Street in circa 1931. The theater was open from 1931 through 1970. Pic courtesy Durham Museum.

Located in a historically packed business district, the theater was next to a grocery store and several apartment buildings. It was across the street from a social hall and other businesses, with regular streetcar service delivering moviegoers there into the 1950s.

In the 1940s, Taylor also ran the Music Box located at 19th and Dodge Streets. Throughout the 1950s, the popular Beau Brummel Club held an annual Christmas party at the theater. Inviting neighborhood kids between the ages of 4 and 10, they came with no admission, recieved free gifts and watched a movie.

Taylor regularly donated the Ritz for charity use that supported local community groups and political movements. In 1951, a midnight event at the theater supported a fair employment act in the Nebraska Unicameral. The bill didn’t pass, but the event was successful at rallying a great deal of support from the community.

24th Street parade in front of the Ritz Theater in North Omaha — This 1946 image shows another parade on North 24th Street, with the Ritz Theater in the background.

In 1957, the doorman at the theater was charged with murder after the death of a 17-year-old. Russell Jordan, the doorman, worked at the Ritz for a long time. In his position, he shot Arthur F. Thomas, killing him. He later claimed the The young man’s father took the theater’s owner, Harry A. Taylor to court to sue for wrongful death, charging that Jordan shot Thomas “negligently, carelessly and recklessly.” Jordan was indicted for manslaughter and sentenced to five years. He served until 1960.

Another longtime worker at the theater was Paul Barnett (1909-1991), who acted as a manager, doorman and usher.

The Champion Bar was a longtime neighbor of the theater, and in later years the Leo Bar was next door. A short-time neighborhood was the ¢.09 Store, a Black-owned five and dime variety store in the 1930s.

The theater was closed in 1967 and demolished in the 1970s. Today the lot still sits empty.

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Original 1929 architectural drawing of the Ritz Theater, courtesy of the City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission

BONUS PICS!

This is a drawing of North Omaha's Ritz Theater by Adam Fletcher Sasse. — This is a drawing of North Omaha’s Ritz Theater by Adam Fletcher Sasse © 2017 NorthOmahaHistory.com.

In 1939, the Ritz Theatre got a new canopy that was featured in the Omaha Guide.

Ritz Theatre at N. 24th and Patrick Streets, North Omaha, Nebraska. — This 1930s program is from the Ritz Theatre at N. 24th and Patrick Streets.

1939 Ritz Theatre coupons, North Omaha, Nebraska — Ritz Theatre coupons from 1939.

The 9 Center, 2035-2037 N. 24th St., North Omaha, Nebraska — In 1938, the first variety store in the Near North Side neighborhood opened at 2035-37 North 24th Street. It was called the 9 Center Variety Store, and it was noted for hiring Black store workers when other 24th Street stores would not.

This is a drawing of North Omaha's Ritz Theater by Adam Fletcher Sasse © 2017 NorthOmahaHistory.com. — This is a drawing of North Omaha’s Ritz Theater marquee by Adam Fletcher Sasse © 2017 NorthOmahaHistory.com.

9 Center, 2035 N. 24th St., North Omaha, Nebraska — Located next to the Ritz Theater at 2035-37 North 24th Street, the Nine Center was a five-and-dime store owned by R.H. Spiegal.

3 Comments

Mark Schulze says:

June 11 at 8:40 pm

Why did it close?

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1. Adam Fletcher Sasse says:
  
  June 11 at 9:13 pm
  
  Mark, that’s a great question. I can’t find word of the theater’s owner after 1971, anywhere. No death date, nadda. That year he got in trouble with the city for selling alcohol at the Music Box, and then he vanishes from record, as did the Ritz. Nadda. Do you know more?
  
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2. Jh says:
  
  June 25 at 9:07 pm
  
  White People Wanted North 24th Businesses To Fail. None Of Them Wanted To Invest. “None Of Them”!..
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person