Nearly 100 Years Of Moving Pictures

By Gordon HopkinsAn ad featured in the September 23 issues of The Fairbury Journal in 1926 announced a new movie, a silent romantic comedy called “It Must Be Love,” starring the now all-but-forgotten Colleen Moore. In those days, she was one of the best known (and best paid) actresses around and also a fashion icon, having popularized the “bobbed” haircut. Like many silent era stars, her career didn’t survive the change over to “talkies.” Around half of her movies also have not survived into the modern age and are considered lost, including this one.“It Must Be Love” is a mere footnote in cinema history but it holds a much greater significance in the history of Fairbury. It was the first movie ever shown at the newly opened Bonham Theatre.It was 95 years ago this month that Fairbury’s lone remaining movie house held its grand opening. It was not the first theater and it was not the only theater. There was the Majestic Theatre, which opened on October 24, 1910. It was closed on January 11, 1932, and reopened as the Woods Theatre on December 25, 1951. The Woods closed its doors for the final time on December 15, 1955.Construction began on the Bonham in April of 1926, financed by Universal Pictures and a group of local investors. Luther Bonham, then a cashier at the First National Bank, coordinated efforts to connect those investors with Universal and get the project off the ground. He was rewarded with his name on a sign over the marquee and, as a result, granted himself a unique spot in this city’s history.Originally intended to open September 1, contractors completed construction on time but there were difficulties installing the massive pipe organ. On August 19 of that year, The Fairbury News and Gazette reported, “Mrs. Bonnie Horn recently returned from Kansas City where she has been studying the pipe organ and expects to preside at the organ in the new theatre.”There was much hype surrounding the new theater and it paid off. Over 2,000 people reportedly showed up for opening night, though rain likely kept even more away. Ten ushers directed theater-goers to their seats.Nearly a century ago, a night at the movies was a very different experience from today. There was not just a movie and some popcorn on the schedule. The performances that first night began with an eight piece orchestra on the stage that played several numbers, followed by a violin solo by Miss Evelyn Holmes. Local dancer Gretta Ewers entertained the audience with both a “scarf dance” and a “bubble dance.”T.J. Kempkes, manager of the Majestic, was also the first manager of the Bonham. Opening night for the theatre was judged a grand success and the manager was singled out for praised by The Fairbury Daily News, “This new theatre is complete in every detail. Manager Kempkes is to be congratulated upon giving Fairbury a play house second-to-none in the state.”Since that time, the theater has seen many managers. It has seen many changes in the movie industry and gone through many changes itself. The Bonham has even been forced to close a few times, such as in 1929 when theaters had to adapt to the advent of sound. The Theater closed again in 2012, when the theater’s owners at the time could not afford the upgrade to digital movies. The Bonham Theatre stayed closed for fives years, reopening in mid-October of 2017, after major renovations. The theater closed down once again in 2020 for more than three months, this time due to the ongoing pandemic.Despite these trials and tribulations, the theater continues to provide entertainment to local citizens. The Bonham Theatre Project, which currently keeps the 95-year-old movie house functioning, perseveres, but it is not easy. Now operating with a volunteer staff, the current manager, Brian Aden, is always on the lookout for more help.“We have some great volunteers right now but I’m afraid they’re going to burn out,” Aden recently told FJN. “We’re always looking for volunteers.”Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the Bonham Theatre at 402-587-5324, email at bonhamvolunteer@gmail.com or you can sight up for shifts at www.bonhamtheatre.org/volunteer/.

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