A Neighborhood Cinema’s Century

December 11th, 2025

On December 19, Omaha’s historic Dundee Theater will celebrate a milestone few cinemas ever reach — its 100th birthday. For a century, this neighborhood theater has been a gathering place for film lovers, a community home for movie magic, and a cultural beacon in the heart of the city. Now, Film Streams is marking the occasion with a film that feels as timeless as the Dundee itself, Greta Gerwig’s acclaimed adaptation of Little Women.

Maggie Wood, executive director at Film Streams, says the celebration is the culmination of a yearlong tribute to Omaha’s oldest surviving movie house. The Dundee Hundee centennial series has brought beloved classics back to the big screen, including Metropolis, The Sound of Music, The Empire Strikes Back, and more. At each screening, audiences didn’t just watch the films — they became part of the experience.

“People showed up in costume, tried themed snacks, and shared their personal connections to the movies,” Wood says. “The Dundee Hundee reminded us that going to the movies is about more than the film itself. It’s about gathering in a community-made space to feel inspired, challenged, and connected.”

Several screenings sold out, reaffirming something important: in an era of streaming, audiences still crave the shared joy of watching a film together. And for Wood, closing out the series with Little Women feels especially meaningful.

Growing up with three sisters, the story of the March family has always been close to her heart. Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation, led by Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Timothée Chalamet, brings contemporary emotional insight to Louisa May Alcott’s 19th-century classic. Themes of independence, creativity, sisterhood, and self-discovery feel just as relevant today as when they were first written.

“It’s a stunningly beautiful film,” Wood says. “A snow globe of a movie, perfect for the holiday season.”

Little Women screens at the Dundee Theater on December 19 at 6:30 p.m., kicking off the theater’s official 100th birthday celebration.

For those still looking for festive screenings after the holidays, Film Streams is reviving another seasonal gem, the 1957 romantic comedy Desk Set, starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Set in the research department of a broadcasting network, the story follows a brilliant librarian and an efficiency expert whose new computer threatens her team’s roles. The film’s themes of automation, workplace identity, and adaptation feel surprisingly current.

“Desk Set takes its time introducing you to these characters,” Wood says. “It shows how a romance might blossom even between people who start out on opposite sides.”

With a memorable Christmas office party scene and Hepburn and Tracy at the height of their on-screen chemistry, Desk Set is a holiday treat best experienced on the big screen. Audiences can catch it at Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater on December 27 and 28, and again on January 3 and 4.

As the Dundee Theater turns 100, Film Streams invites everyone to celebrate not just a building, but a century of stories — and the community that continues to bring them to life.

More information and advance tickets are available at FilmStreams.org.