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100-676: Fields is a nationally known independent filmmaker who has championed issues of concern to the Midwest and of film lovers in general. He is the owner of the independent film production company Apartment 101 Films. He has also written short stories which have appeared in The Nebraska Review and The Flat Water Rises, an anthology of emerging Nebraska writers. James Wallace Fields was born in Omaha , Nebraska , in September 1958. Fields

200-734: A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects . Crowther designed each element of the theater to enhance the Cinerama experience, and the design included a cylindrical shape and a flat roof. The original blueprints for the theater are in the Denver Public Library Special Collections Department. Following construction, the theater was leased to the Cooper Foundation of Lincoln, Nebraska for exhibition of films in

300-585: A press conference scheduled for later that day in front of the theater. At the press conference, covered by local television and radio, the Nebraska Methodist CEO announced: "We both jointly concluded that probably it just didn't make a lot of sense to plow a bunch of money into [the theater]" and that the theater would be razed by the end of the summer. Reitan stated at the time in a posting on In70mm.com : Incredibly, Larry Karstens and Matt Lutthans, who that same day had expected to negotiate

400-644: A 10 story, $ 98 million headquarters in the Aksarben Village which it completed in Spring 2011. Another major mixed-use development to come to Omaha was Midtown Crossing at Turner Park . Developed by Mutual of Omaha , the development includes several condominium towers and retail businesses built around Omaha's Turner Park. There have also been several developments along the Missouri River waterfront near downtown. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

500-689: A 3-D effect that caused moviegoers to feel themselves immersed in the film—especially wide screen movies such as Lawrence of Arabia , Dr. Zhivago and Star Wars . After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Fields wrote the play Little Red about the 'Bugeaters', a 1915 University of Nebraska football team that went on to become the Cornhuskers. Fields himself produced and directed Little Red in Omaha. The success of his first play led Fields to write, produce and direct Scarlett Fever ,

600-555: A Los Angeles filmmaker and producer of a documentary film called "Cinerama Adventure," the Indian Hills Theater was unique. It was unique because of the circular design and extraordinarily large screen. The Indian Hills Theater embodied the culmination of Cinerama design and technology. Recommendations for the National Register of Historic Places are made by the state historical society of the state in which

700-408: A disappointment. That was the finest theatre I had ever seen in my life, and the last of its kind, and everybody involved put in so much work, and now the space is a beautifully paved, empty parking lot. Just sickening." Nebraska Methodist subsequently gave Karstens some of the contents of the theater. Everything else from the demolition was donated to various theater/arts groups in the area, including

800-514: A dramatic play about a 76-year-old woman who wakes up one day and believes she is Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind . The success of Scarlett Fever led Fields to acquire his first digital video equipment which he used to produce and direct his first feature film: Plain Living . In 2001 Fields found himself swept up in a brewing controversy in Omaha. The aforementioned Indian Hills Theater

900-462: A large Tier 1 network provider, was founded in Omaha in 1985 as Kiewit Diversified Group, a division of Kiewit Corporation , a Fortune 500 construction and mining company still headquartered in Omaha; Level 3 moved to Denver in 1998. World Com was founded by a merger with Omaha's MFS Communications, started as Metropolitan Fiber Systems in 1993. MFS, backed by Kiewit Corporation CEO Walter Scott Jr. and Warren Buffett , purchased UUNET , one of

1000-536: A lease from Methodist to resume film exhibition, appeared with NMHS at that press conference and made statements in support of the Methodist action. This may have terminally damaged any other hopes to save the Indian Hills. After they could not get their lease of the Indian Hills, they expressed no other need or approach for preservation and expressed their agreement with the Methodist action. Methodist nicely had

1100-513: A national cinerama interest group, who jointly concluded that shared use of the building was not economically viable." Karstens, Rich, and Lutthans have all stated since that their appearance at the press conference was not meant as any sort of endorsement of the views put forth by Methodist Health System. Following the "Newstime" announcements, the Indian Hills Theater Preservation Society was founded with

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1200-623: A nearly $ 500 million system of public transit. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 130.58 sq mi (338.20 km ), of which 127.09 sq mi (329.16 km ) is land and 3.49 sq mi (9.04 km ) is water. Situated in the Midwestern United States on the bank of the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska, much of Omaha is built in

1300-591: A property is located. In the summer of 2001, the Nebraska State Historical Society issued a letter indicating that the Indian Hills Theater was of such architectural and historical importance to the history of cinema on a national basis that it would qualify for listing in the National Register. The letter indicated that the theater met National Register Criteria "A" in that the "Property is associated with events that have made

1400-486: A recommendation for the theater as a city landmark by the City of Omaha's Landmarks Preservation Commission, Methodist Health Systems began demolition of the theater shortly after the theater had been declared a landmark. The movie 416 is named after Initiative 416, Nebraska's referendum banning same-sex marriage . Fields takes a balanced approach to the issue as he plays the initiative's backers against Nebraskans who oppose

1500-467: A result of the national bankruptcy of Carmike Cinemas . The final film presented was Turn It Up . In April 2001 it was announced that the theater and an adjacent office building had been sold to a local health care provider, Nebraska Methodist Health Systems, Inc. Nebraska Methodist is one of the largest health care providers in Nebraska and operates Methodist Hospital in Omaha , numerous clinics and

1600-653: A school teacher formerly involved in the preservation of the Seattle Martin Cinerama Theater; and Rich Vincent of Denver , the former manager of the Denver Cooper Cinerama. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to meet with the new owner, the Investment Group was informed that a meeting would be held on June 20, 2001. After the meeting on the morning of June 20, 2001, Karstens and Lutthans were asked to be present for

1700-408: A significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history" and Criteria "C" in that the "Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction." On September 28, 2000, the theater closed as

1800-555: Is 23.5 °F (−4.7 °C), with lows reaching 0 °F (−18 °C) on 11 days annually. The lowest temperature recorded in the city was −32 °F (−35.6 °C) on January 5, 1884, and the highest 114 °F (45.6 °C) on July 25, 1936 . Average yearly precipitation is 30.6 in (777 mm), falling mostly in the warmer months. Snow is the most common precipitation in winter, with average seasonal snowfall being 28.7 in (72.9 cm). Based on 30-year averages obtained from NOAA 's National Climatic Data Center for

1900-464: Is considered as being in the "Heartland" of the United States. Important environmental impacts on the natural habitat in the area include the spread of invasive plant species, restoring prairies and bur oak savanna habitats, and managing the whitetail deer population. Omaha is home to several hospitals, mostly along Dodge Street (US6). Being the county seat, it is also the location of

2000-796: Is now the home of the College World Series , an event tourists flock to each year. The Union Pacific Center and the Holland Performing Arts Center opened in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Important retail and office developments occurred in West Omaha, such as the Village Pointe shopping center and several business parks. The site of the former Ak-Sar-Ben arena was redeveloped into a mixed-use development Aksarben Village . In January 2009, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska announced plans to build

2100-489: Is the location of Carter Lake, an oxbow lake . The lake was once the site of East Omaha Island and Florence Lake, which dried up in the 1920s. The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area consists of eight counties; five in Nebraska and three in Iowa. The metropolitan area now includes Harrison , Pottawattamie , and Mills Counties in Iowa and Washington , Douglas, Sarpy , Cass , and Saunders Counties in Nebraska. This area

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2200-779: The Enola Gay and Bockscar used in the atomic bombing of Japan in World War II. The construction of Interstates 80 , 480 and 680 , along with the North Omaha Freeway , spurred development. There was also controversy, particularly in North Omaha, where new routes bisected several neighborhoods. Creighton University hosted the DePorres Club , an early civil rights group whose use of sit-in strategies for integration of public facilities predated

2300-414: The 58th-largest metro area in the United States, with a population of 967,604. Furthermore, the greater Omaha–Council Bluffs–Fremont combined statistical area had 1,004,771 residents in 2020. Omaha's pioneer period began in 1854, when the city was founded by speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa . The city was founded along the Missouri River, and a crossing called Lone Tree Ferry earned

2400-490: The Burlington Railroad , bringing along Gatling guns and a cannon for defense. When the event ended, one man was dead and several were wounded. In 1891, a mob hanged Joe Coe , an African-American porter after he was accused of raping a white girl. There were also several other riots and civil unrest events in Omaha during this period. In 1898, Omaha's leaders, under the guidance of Gurdon Wattles , held

2500-642: The Douglas County Courthouse to get the prisoner, causing more than $ 1 million damage. They hanged and shot Will Brown, then burned his body. Troops were called in from Fort Omaha to quell the riot, prevent more crowds gathering in South Omaha, and to protect the black community in North Omaha. The culture of North Omaha thrived throughout the 1920s through 1950s, with several creative figures, including Tillie Olsen , Wallace Thurman , Lloyd Hunter , and Anna Mae Winburn emerging from

2600-635: The Missouri River Valley . Other significant bodies of water in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area include Lake Manawa, Papillion Creek , Carter Lake , Platte River and the Glenn Cunningham Lake . The city's land has been altered considerably with substantial land grading throughout Downtown Omaha and scattered across the city. East Omaha sits on a flood plain west of the Missouri River. The area

2700-472: The Omaha Claim Club was formed to provide vigilante justice for claim jumpers and others who infringed on the land of many of the city's founding fathers . Some of this land, which now wraps around Downtown Omaha, was later used to entice Nebraska Territorial legislators to an area called Scriptown . The Territorial capitol was in Omaha, but when Nebraska became a state in 1867, the capital

2800-691: The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition , touted as a celebration of agricultural and industrial growth throughout the Midwest . The Indian Congress , which drew more than 500 American Indians from across the country, was held simultaneously. More than 2 million visitors attended these events at Kountze Park and the Omaha Driving Park in the Kountze Place neighborhood. With dramatically increasing population in

2900-667: The Woodmen Tower as the tallest building in Omaha and the state at 634 ft (193 m). The creation of the city's new North Downtown included the construction of the CenturyLink Center and the Slowdown / Film Streams development at North 14th and Webster Streets. Construction of the new TD Ameritrade Park , also in the North Downtown area, began in 2009 and was completed in 2011. TD Ameritrade Park

3000-535: The county seat of Douglas County . It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River , about 10 mi (15 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River . The nation's 40th-most populous city , Omaha had a population of 486,051 as of the 2020 census . It is the anchor of the eight-county Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area , which extends into Iowa and is

3100-454: The 1860s and its graves were moved to Prospect Hill, where pioneers were later joined by soldiers from Fort Omaha , African Americans and early European immigrants . There are several other historical cemeteries in Omaha , historical Jewish synagogues and historical Christian churches dating from the pioneer era, as well. Two sculpture parks, Pioneer Courage and Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness and The Transcontinental Railroad , celebrate

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3200-465: The 1950s, development of highways and new housing led to the movement of the middle class to suburbs in West Omaha. Some of the movement was designated as white flight from racial unrest in the 1960s. Newer and poorer migrants lived in older housing close to downtown; those residents who were more established moved west into newer housing. Some suburbs are gated communities or have become edge cities . Recently, Omahans have made strides to revitalize

3300-486: The 1960s, three major race riots along North 24th Street destroyed the Near North Side's economic base, with recovery slow for decades. In 1969, Woodmen Tower was completed and became Omaha's tallest building and first major skyscraper at 478 ft (146 m), a sign of renewal. Since the 1970s, Omaha has continued expanding and growing, mostly to available land to the west. West Omaha has become home to

3400-828: The 19th century, first rampant in the city's Burnt District and later in the Sporting District . Controlled by Omaha's political boss Tom Dennison by 1890, criminal elements enjoyed support from Omaha's "perpetual" mayor, "Cowboy Jim" Dahlman, nicknamed for his eight terms as mayor. Calamities such as the Great Flood of 1881 did not slow down the city's violence. In 1882, the Camp Dump Strike pitted state militia against unionized strikers, drawing national attention to Omaha's labor troubles. The Governor of Nebraska had to call in U.S. Army troops from nearby Fort Omaha to protect strikebreakers for

3500-445: The 20th century, competition and fierce labor struggles led to major civil unrest. In 1900, Omaha was the center of a national uproar over the kidnapping of Edward Cudahy, Jr. , the son of a local meatpacking magnate. The city's labor and management clashed in bitter strikes, racial tension escalated as blacks were hired as strikebreakers, and ethnic strife broke out. A major riot by earlier immigrants in South Omaha destroyed

3600-637: The 42nd-largest city in the United States, and is the core city of its 60th-largest metropolitan area. There are no consolidated city-counties in the area; the City of Omaha studied the possibility extensively through 2003 and concluded, "The City of Omaha and Douglas County should merge into a municipal county, work to commence immediately, and that functional consolidations begin immediately in as many departments as possible, including but not limited to parks, fleet management, facilities management, local planning , purchasing and personnel." Geographically, Omaha

3700-406: The Cinerama format. The interior auditorium was circular in shape and seated 810 patrons, with 662 on the main floor and 148 on the balcony . The auditorium was wheelchair-accessible and spaces were specifically designed for wheelchair-using patrons. The curved screen was 35 feet 3 inches (10.74 m) high and 110 feet (34 m) wide, with a 146-degree curve. The screen extended from

3800-502: The Indian Hills Theater should be designated an Omaha Landmark . Such a designation, upon confirmation by the Omaha City Council , would protect the theater from demolition. Presentations were made by the Indian Hills Theater Preservation Society and attorneys for Nebraska Methodist. Filmmaker and Cinerama historian David Strohmaier stated, in video testimony, that the Indian Hills was "the finest venue for wide-screen films in

3900-618: The Nebraska Methodist College nursing college, the latter of which was located adjacent to the theater property. The nursing college has since moved to the Nebraska Methodist College Josie Harper Campus. Shortly after the announcement of the theater's sale, Nebraska Methodist was contacted by Ed Reitan, a Los Angeles developer of air traffic control systems and winner of a 1989 technical Emmy Award for his restoration of

4000-853: The Omaha language means "Upstream People" or "Against the Current". In 1804 the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed the riverbanks where the city of Omaha would be built. Between July 30 and August 3, 1804, members of the expedition, including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark , met with Oto and Missouria tribal leaders at the Council Bluff at a point about 20 mi (32 km) north of present-day Omaha. Immediately south of that area, Americans built several fur trading outposts in succeeding years, including Fort Lisa in 1812; Fort Atkinson in 1819; Cabanné's Trading Post , built in 1822, and Fontenelle's Post in 1823, in what became Bellevue . There

4100-615: The Qwest/Century Link Center. These events were highlights in the city's sports community , as well as a showcase for redevelopment in the downtown area. In the 2020s, a number of large projects have been either completed or planned in an attempt to revitalize downtown Omaha. These include the redevelopment of the Gene Leahy Mall , a large park near Omaha's Riverfront, and the Omaha Streetcar ,

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4200-406: The United States, a record that still stands as of 2013. The Jobbers Canyon Historic District , along the Missouri River, was felled for a new headquarters campus for ConAgra Foods, a company which threatened to relocate if Omaha did not allow them to raze the city's historic district. The Jobber's Canyon warehouses had before then been allowed to deteriorate and were the scene of several fires set by

4300-485: The United States. Despite the protests of local citizens, Hollywood legends, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation , the theater was demolished in 2001 by Nebraska Methodist Health System for a parking lot. The theater was built for Swanson Enterprises of Omaha at a cost of US$ 1 million by A. Borchman Sons Company. The theater was designed by architect Richard L. Crowther of Denver, Colorado ,

4400-486: The area that became Omaha. Brown is generally credited as having the first vision for a city where Omaha now sits. The passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act in 1854 was presaged by the staking out of claims around the area to become Omaha by residents from neighboring Council Bluffs. On July 4, 1854, the city was informally established at a picnic on Capital Hill, current site of Omaha Central High School . Soon after,

4500-527: The auditorium, the lobby, or the patio. The final Cinerama film to be shown at the Indian Hills was How the West Was Won which played for forty two weeks until it closed in March 1964. Thereafter the theater played regular first-run films through a single projector in the 70 mm or 35 mm format. In 1968 2001: A Space Odyssey was presented in the 70 mm format and billed as Cinerama. Cinerama

4600-613: The city its nickname, the "Gateway to the West". Omaha introduced this new West to the world in 1898, when it played host to the World's Fair, dubbed the Trans-Mississippi Exposition . During the 19th century, Omaha's central location in the United States spurred the city to become an important national transportation hub . Throughout the rest of the 19th century, the transportation and jobbing sectors were important in

4700-699: The city's Greek Town in 1909, completely driving out the Greek population. The civil rights movement in Omaha has roots that extend back to 1912, when the first chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People west of the Mississippi River was founded in the city. The Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado of 1913 destroyed much of the city's African-American community, in addition to much of Midtown Omaha. It

4800-460: The city's development, were founded in South Omaha in 1883. Within 20 years, Omaha had four of the five major meatpacking companies in the United States. By the 1950s, half the city's workforce was employed in meatpacking and processing. Meatpacking, jobbing and railroads were responsible for most of the growth in the city from the late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century. Immigrants soon created ethnic enclaves throughout

4900-621: The city's pioneering history. The economy of Omaha boomed and busted through its early years. In 1858, the Omaha Daily Republican was founded by the Omaha Printing Company (rebranded Aradius Group, 2016) , it was Nebraska's first regional newspaper–founded before Nebraska claimed statehood. Omaha was a stopping point for settlers and prospectors heading west, either overland or by the Missouri River. The steamboat Bertrand sank north of Omaha on its way to

5000-568: The city's sprawling park system on boulevards designed by renowned landscape architect Horace Cleveland . The Omaha Horse Railway first carried passengers throughout the city, as did the later Omaha Cable Tramway Company and several similar companies. In 1888, the Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company built the Douglas Street Bridge , the first pedestrian and wagon bridge between Omaha and Council Bluffs. Gambling, drinking and prostitution were widespread in

5100-606: The city, along with its railroads and breweries . In the 20th century, the Omaha Stockyards , once the world's largest, and its meatpacking plants gained international prominence. Omaha is the home to the headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies: Berkshire Hathaway , Kiewit Corporation , Mutual of Omaha , and Union Pacific Corporation . Other companies headquartered in the city include First National Bank of Omaha , Gallup, Inc. , Green Plains , Intrado , Valmont Industries , Werner Enterprises , and three of

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5200-698: The city, including Irish in Sheelytown in South Omaha; Germans in the Near North Side , joined by the European Jews and black migrants from the South ; and Little Italy and Little Bohemia in South Omaha. Beginning in the late 19th century, Omaha's upper class lived in posh enclaves throughout the city, including the south and north Gold Coast neighborhoods, Bemis Park , Kountze Place , Field Club and throughout Midtown Omaha . They traveled

5300-523: The core of Preserve Me A Seat . The later film enlarges the focus of Saving The Indian Hills to include other theaters throughout the United States. It presents the story of the Indian Hills Theater Preservation Society , the Omaha group that formed to save the theater, in context with the companion stories of similar groups that formed in other cities with the intention of saving their own theater palaces from

5400-675: The county courthouse. Omaha is generally divided into six geographic areas: Downtown, Midtown, North Omaha, South Omaha, West Omaha, and East Omaha. West Omaha includes the Miracle Hills, Boys Town , Regency, and Gateway areas. The city has a wide range of historical and new neighborhoods and suburbs that reflect its socioeconomic diversity. Early neighborhood development happened in ethnic enclaves, including Little Italy , Little Bohemia , Little Mexico and Greek Town . According to U.S. Census data, five European ethnic enclaves existed in Omaha in 1880, expanding to nine in 1900. Around

5500-741: The downtown and Midtown areas with the redevelopment of the Old Market, Turner Park, Gifford Park, and the designation of the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District . Omaha, due to its latitude of 41.26˚ N and location far from moderating bodies of water or mountain ranges, displays a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfa ). July averages 76.7 °F (24.8 °C), with average relative humidity around 70% which then leads to relatively frequent thunderstorms. Temperatures reach 90 °F (32 °C) on 29 days and 100 °F (38 °C) on 1.7 days annually. The January daily average

5600-477: The earliest television color videotapes. Reitan had been raised in Omaha and maintained a second home there. Reitan reported in a posting on In70mm.com : "Pleas from myself in direct meetings with NMHS to at least save and use the central Cinerama theater for their own auditorium were ignored." Communications from the American Society of Cinematographers were similarly ignored by Nebraska Methodist. In

5700-590: The first ski lift in the U.S.; the Top 40 radio format as first used in the U.S. at Omaha's KOWH Radio ; and the TV dinner . Various Native American tribes had lived in the land that became Omaha since the 17th century, including the Omaha and Ponca , Dhegihan-Siouan language people who had originated in the lower Ohio River valley and migrated west by the early 17th century; Pawnee , Otoe , Missouri , and Ioway . The word Omaha (actually Umoⁿhoⁿ or Umaⁿhaⁿ ) in

5800-493: The floor to the ceiling and was the largest indoor movie screen in the United States at the time of construction. The screen consisted of 2,500 strips of one-inch, perforated tape called louvers . Twenty speakers in five mountings were evenly spaced behind the screen—four speakers on each side of the theater and eight speakers in the rear. The speakers were "Voice of the Theater" models manufactured by Altec Lansing Co. The three projection booths required for Cinerama were located on

5900-425: The goal of preserving the theater. Leaders of the Society were Steve Dawes, Ron A. Hunter, Tom Hunter , Frank Merwald and Susie Rose. The Society was assisted by letters of support to the local newspaper from film industry members such as Kirk Douglas , Charlton Heston , Janet Leigh , Patricia Neal , Robert Wise , Richard D. Zanuck , and Ray Bradbury . Bruce A. Crawford was largely responsible for facilitating

6000-564: The goldfields in 1865. Its massive collection of artifacts is on display at the nearby Desoto National Wildlife Refuge . The jobbing and wholesaling district brought new jobs, followed by the railroads and the stockyards. Groundbreaking for the First transcontinental railroad in 1863, provided an essential developmental boom for the city. In 1862, the U.S. Congress allowed the Union Pacific Railroad to begin building westward railways; in January 1866 it commenced construction out of Omaha. The Union Stockyards , another important part of

6100-408: The homeless population that had come to live in the abandoned buildings. At the time, there were no plans in place for revitalizing the buildings. In the 1980s and 1990s, Omaha also saw major company headquarters leave the city, including Enron , founded in the city in 1930 and taken to Houston in 1987 by the now-notorious Kenneth Lay . First Data Corporation, a large credit-card processor, also

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6200-433: The involvement of the Hollywood industry. Additionally, film historian Leonard Maltin appeared in a public-service commercial that aired on local television and radio in support of the Society. However, the CEO of Nebraska Methodist, Stephen Long, refused to discuss any alternative to immediate demolition. On August 8, 2001, a hearing was held before the Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission to determine whether

6300-451: The lands that now make up the state. The treaty and cession involving the Omaha area occurred in 1854 when the Omaha Tribe ceded most of east-central Nebraska. Logan Fontenelle , an interpreter for the Omaha and signatory to the 1854 treaty, played an essential role in those proceedings. Before it was legal to claim land in Indian Country , William D. Brown operated the Lone Tree Ferry that brought settlers from Council Bluffs, Iowa to

6400-422: The largest Internet backbones in the world, for $ 2 billion in 1996. The now-infamous Bernie Ebbers purchased the much larger MFS for $ 14.3 billion in 1997 under his World Com . He moved headquarters of the merged company from Omaha to Mississippi. Around the start of the 21st century, several downtown skyscrapers and cultural institutions were built. One First National Center was completed in 2002, surpassing

6500-468: The late 1960s, the city rivaled, but never surpassed, the United States insurance centers of Hartford, Connecticut , New York City and Boston . After surpassing Chicago in meat processing by the late 1950s, Omaha suffered the loss of 10,000 jobs as both the railroad and meatpacking industries restructured. The city struggled for decades to shift its economy as workers suffered. Poverty became more entrenched among families who remained in North Omaha. In

6600-410: The late 1970s. In the 1980s, Omaha's fruit warehouses were converted into a shopping area called the Old Market . The demolition of Jobber's Canyon in 1989 led to the creation of the ConAgra Foods campus. Several nearby buildings, including the Nash Block , have been converted into condominiums. The stockyards were taken down; the only surviving building is the Livestock Exchange Building , which

6700-402: The main auditorium, new seats, a new curved screen and new curtains. In July 2001, the Cameo and the two smaller theaters were demolished, and the main auditorium was demolished the following month. In 1962, a night at the Indian Hills Theater was like a night at the opera. A patron would call in advance to purchase reserved seats, referred to in the trade as a "hard ticket sell." Upon arrival at

6800-402: The main floor of the auditorium, with one in the center and the other two evenly spaced between the center and side walls. In 1978, a smaller rectangular-shaped theater called "Cameo" was built to the east of the main theater. In 1987, two additional smaller rectangular theaters were built to the west of the main theater. In 2000, Carmike Cinemas installed a Sony Dynamic Digital Sound system in

6900-417: The majority of the city's population. North and South Omaha's populations continue to be centers of new immigrants, with economic and racial diversity. In 1975 a major tornado , along with a major blizzard , caused more than $ 100 million in damages in 1975 dollars. Downtown Omaha has since been rejuvenated in numerous ways, starting with the development of Gene Leahy Mall and W. Dale Clark Library in

7000-422: The measure, which passed with support from 71% of Nebraska voters. 416 purported to give an objective view of the issue but most reviewers suggested the film was highly critical of the religious right. Although activists did not succeed in saving Omaha’s Indian Hills Theater , Fields captured their tumultuous efforts on film and this resulted in two films: Saving The Indian Hills and footage that later became

7100-407: The months of December, January and February, Weather Channel ranked Omaha the 5th coldest major U.S. city as of 2014. Indian Hills Theater The Indian Hills Theater in Omaha , Nebraska , United States, was a movie theater built in 1962 showcasing films in the Cinerama wide-screen format. Its location was at 8601 West Dodge Rd. The theater's screen was the largest of its type in

7200-575: The nation's ten largest architecture and engineering firms ( DLR Group , HDR, Inc. , and Leo A Daly ). Notable cultural institutions include the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium , Old Market , Durham Museum , Lauritzen Gardens , and annual College World Series . Modern Omaha inventions include the Reuben sandwich ; cake mix, developed by Duncan Hines ; center-pivot irrigation ; Raisin Bran ;

7300-668: The national movement. Following the development of the Glenn L. Martin Company bomber manufacturing plant in Bellevue at the beginning of World War II, the relocation of the Strategic Air Command to the Omaha suburb in 1948 provided a major economic boost to the area. From the 1950s through the 1960s, more than 40 insurance companies were headquartered in Omaha, including Woodmen of the World and Mutual of Omaha . By

7400-400: The preservation efforts is a common thread throughout Preserve Me A Seat . This film has seen wide distribution at film festivals across the country. Fields' latest work is a documentary film about the 1890 University of Nebraska football team, entitled Bugeaters . As is common with independent producer/directors, Fields has produced all of his works. Much of Fields' oeuvre presents

7500-410: The seats. Patrons entering the theater would hear the film musical score from the speakers behind the screen. As the lights dimmed the curtains would reveal the massive curved screen. The projected image would nearly fill the viewer's field of vision. The multi-channel sound, combined with the screen image, created a three-dimensional experience. At intermission, patrons would gather at the side lounges of

7600-662: The single-projector wide-screen format and stereophonic sound as the norm. At the peak of Cinerama's popularity, there were over 200 theaters in the world capable of projecting Cinerama films. Most of these were existing theaters adapted to use the Cinerama process. Ten theaters, however, were built specifically for Cinerama films. The Martin Corporation built such theaters in New Orleans , Seattle , and St. Louis . Others were located in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Cuba, and Japan. Of

7700-403: The spring of 2001 a group of three Cinerama enthusiasts, referred to informally as the "Indian Hills Investment Group," approached Nebraska Methodist regarding the possibility of leasing the theater, with the intent of reopening for screenings of regular commercial films and periodic Cinerama showings. The Investment Group consisted of Larry Karstens of Omaha; Matt Lutthans of Everett, Washington ,

7800-472: The start of the 20th century. the City of Omaha annexed several surrounding communities, including Florence , Dundee and Benson . At the same time, the city annexed all of South Omaha, including the Dahlman and Burlington Road neighborhoods . From its first annexation in 1857 (of East Omaha) to its controversial annexation of Elkhorn in 2007, Omaha has continually had an eye towards growth. Starting in

7900-508: The struggle of the common man against entrenched power. His movies portray ordinary people engaged in extraordinary battles in which their lack of power does not equate with a lack of passion. Fields' film 416 was chosen as Best Feature in the Central Nebraska Film Festival. Omaha Omaha ( / ˈ oʊ m ə h ɑː / OH -mə-hah ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and

8000-601: The ten theaters designed for Cinerama, three near-identical "Super-Cineramas" were built in Denver (Cooper Theater) (1961), Minneapolis (Cooper Theater) (1961), and Omaha (Indian Hills Theater) (1962). Only three (3) theaters remain that are configured to show Cinerama. These theaters are located in Seattle (Martin Cinerama Theater), Los Angeles ( Cinerama Dome ), and Bradford, England (National Media Museum). Only

8100-507: The theater furnishings left behind, including the screen, projectors, curtains and most of the seats, to a group (the Investment Group) who wished to operate the Indian Hills building as a movie theater. The group is also welcome to any architecturally significant items." The June 29, 2001 issue of "Newstime" stated that the news conference had been "well-represented by the local media" and followed "a meeting between MHS officials and

8200-523: The theater in England has regular showings of Cinerama films. A series of popular Cinerama films were produced in the 1950s and early 1960s. Due to the prohibitive cost of the Cinerama production process, the epic How the West Was Won was the last film shot using the Cinerama process, although later motion pictures ( 2001, A Space Odyssey , for example) that could take advantage of the wide screen, were marketed as "Cinerama" films. The Indian Hills Theater

8300-415: The theater the patrons would drive up to the entrance where a doorman would open the door to the lobby. Reserved seat tickets would be picked up at the box office and a tuxedo-attired usher would walk the patron into the auditorium and point out the seats with a flashlight. The concession stands offered only an orange drink in a specially shaped container and imported candies. Refreshments were not permitted in

8400-422: The vibrant Near North Side. Musicians created their own world in Omaha, and also joined national bands and groups that toured and appeared in the city. After the tumultuous Great Depression of the 1930s, Omaha rebounded with the development of Offutt Air Force Base just south of the city. The Glenn L. Martin Company operated a factory there in the 1940s that produced 521 B-29 Superfortresses , including

8500-590: The whole package wrapped up in one short day, with the assistance and blessing of Karstens and Lutthans! Unknown to Reitan at the time, Karstens and Lutthans were discussing the approach to be used at the press conference with legal advisors both in Omaha and Los Angeles (including talks with Robert Nudelman of Hollywood Heritage), immediately following the morning meeting. On June 22, 2001, the Methodist Health System's employee newsletter "Newstime" stated: "Methodist Health System has offered to donate

8600-548: The world." The Commission voted unanimously to recommend to the Omaha City Council that the theater be designated a "Landmark of the City of Omaha." On August 20, 2001, before the Omaha City Council had a chance to vote on the Preservation Commission's landmark recommendation, Nebraska Methodist demolished the theater. Lutthans commented: "When the wrecking ball hit, I literally cried, it was such

8700-535: The wrecking ball. Because of the controversy surrounding certain elements of the Indian Hills Theater situation, the film's premiere faced long delays while litigation was being resolved. The world premiere occurred in Grand Island, NE . A lively panel discussion followed the feature, which included the film-makers and theater developer, Paul Warshauer. The difficulty and often lack of success of

8800-498: Was a panoramic screen format invented by Fred Waller . It followed Waller's earlier eleven-camera, eleven-projector "Vitarama" process, first presented in 1939 at the New York World's Fair , which proved too unwieldy for widespread commercial deployment. Cinerama featured a three-camera, three-projector process that projected three film images side by side on a deep curved screen to recreate a lifelike image. The curved screen

8900-454: Was converted to multi-use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A historic preservation movement in Omaha has led to a number of historic structures and districts being designated Omaha Landmarks or listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Much of the push toward preservation came after Omaha gained the notorious designation of having, in 1989, demolished the largest-ever National Register historic district in

9000-414: Was designed to take advantage of the effect of peripheral images in the viewer's eye and create the feeling that the viewer was in the picture. A state-of-the-art, multi-track stereo sound system heightened the sense of realism. Prior to the first Cinerama production, movies were projected on a nearly-square flat screen and the sound was one-channel monophonic. As a result of Cinerama the film industry adopted

9100-460: Was during that same year that future United States President Gerald R. Ford was born in Omaha. Today, there is a museum dedicated to his birthplace. Six years later, in 1919, the city was caught up in the Red Summer riots when thousands of whites marched from South Omaha to the courthouse to lynch a black worker, Willy Brown, a suspect in an alleged rape of a white woman. The mob burned

9200-591: Was educated in the Omaha public schools. Starting in his childhood, Fields took an intense interest in film. An early photograph that appears in Saving The Indian Hills depicts Fields at age 16, standing in front of the Indian Hills Theater , which housed the largest indoor movie screen ever constructed. Designed by the architect Richard L. Crowther , the Cinerama theater was considered his greatest achievement. Its unique curved screen provided

9300-471: Was fierce competition among fur traders until John Jacob Astor created the monopoly of the American Fur Company . The Mormons built a town called Cutler's Park in the area in 1846. While it was temporary, the settlement provided the basis for further development. Through 26 separate treaties with the United States federal government, Native American tribes in Nebraska gradually ceded

9400-652: Was formerly referred to only as the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area and consisted of only five counties: Pottawattamie in Iowa, and Washington, Douglas, Cass, and Sarpy in Nebraska. The Omaha-Council Bluffs combined statistical area comprises the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan statistical area and the Fremont Micropolitan statistical area ; the CSA has a population of 858,720 (2005 Census Bureau estimate). Omaha ranks as

9500-593: Was founded in Omaha in 1969; as of 2009, its headquarters are in Atlanta. Inacom , founded in Omaha in 1991, was a technology company that customized computer systems for large businesses, and was on the Fortune 500 list from 1997 until 2000, when it filed for bankruptcy. Northwestern Bell , the Bell System affiliate for Northwestern states, had its headquarters in Omaha from its founding in 1896 until it moved to Denver in 1991 as US West . Level 3 Communications ,

9600-537: Was opened to foot and bicycle traffic on September 28, 2008. Started in 2003, RiverFront Place Condos first phase was completed in 2006 and the second phase was opened in 2011. The development along Omaha's riverfront is attributed with prompting the City of Council Bluffs to move their own riverfront development time line forward. In the summers of 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2021 the United States Olympic Team swimming trials were held in Omaha, at

9700-824: Was relocated to Lincoln , 53 mi (85 km) southwest of Omaha. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled against numerous landowners whose violent actions were condemned in Baker v. Morton . Many of Omaha's founding figures stayed at the Douglas House or the Cozzens House Hotel . Dodge Street was important early in the city's early commercial history; North 24th Street and South 24th Street also developed independently as business districts. Early pioneers were buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery and Cedar Hill Cemetery. Cedar Hill closed in

9800-493: Was sold to Methodist Health Systems, which announced its intention to demolish the theater for a parking lot. A group of Omaha activists formed to save the Indian Hills Theater and Fields was on hand, filming. The preservation fight became a cause célébre, resulting in letters from Hollywood legends pleading for the theater. Such legends included Kirk Douglas , Leonard Maltin , Charlton Heston , Janet Leigh , Ray Bradbury and Patricia Neal . Despite these pleas and

9900-399: Was the movie palace of its day. As the final "Super-Cinerama" theater, it contained refinements to the design which resulted in the finest Cinerama theater ever built. It was designed with a modern functional style. The design reflected the "form follows function" philosophy of architecture. The unique circular design served to enhance every aspect of the Cinerama experience. The curved screen

10000-563: Was the largest ever installed in a Cinerama theater. The only other two (2) "Super-Cinerama" theaters were demolished. One located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, was demolished to make way for a restaurant and office complex. The other, located in Denver, Colorado, was demolished and replaced with a chain bookstore. The Indian Hills theater showed its last Cinerama film in March 1964. The theater closed on September 28, 2000. According to David Strohmaier,

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