Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas has come to the aid of a small group of cinema buffs in Omaha, Nebraska, who have launched an 11th-hour campaign to save a beloved local movie house. Protesters want to save the Indian Hills Theatre, home to one of just three remaining 70-foot Cinerama screens in the US, from being demolished by new owners Methodist Health System, who plan to put a parking lot on the site.
“The world does not need another parking lot,” the Spartacus star said. “Instead, please allow this theatre to remain and continue to bring the magic of movies to our lives.” While the theatre hasn’t been operational in several years, the newly-formed Preservation Society aims to rebuild it and open for business.
To aid them in their cause, preservationists have enlisted the help of Tinseltown veterans Robert Wise, the Academy Award-winning director of West Side Story, and Psycho queen Janet Leigh.
“Parking lots are plentiful, but jewels among theatres are all too rare today,” Wise wrote in a letter to the Methodist team.
The health care company has received the appeals but has no plans to halt the destruction of the 37-year-old theatre. A spokesman for the firm, which runs a nearby nursing school, says they need the space for parking.
Workers have already begun dismantling the building, tearing down three adjacent sections on Tuesday, were forced to pause while awaiting the removal of hazardous asbestos.
Meanwhile, Kirk and company remain hopeful that they can save the cinema and its curved, floor-to-ceiling screen. The city’s Landmarks Heritage Preservation Committee will hold an emergency meeting next week to consider declaring the theatre a landmark.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
