Gilson Cafe & Cinema

As a single screen theatre the Strand seated 888 people.

My above summary is wrong. I have seen a few movies at the Gilson recently as well as taken extensive photographs of the interior. The upstairs theatre was NOT a former balcony. Rather it is former office space above the lobby converted into a tiny 50 seat theatre. One door to it still has a sign for the Attorney at Law who used to work in that office on the window!

The address for the Gilson Cafe Cinema is 354 Main Street, Winsted, Ct.

Here is another photo of the Gilson Cafe & Cinema.

I was passing through here last week on a cycling trip and loved the art deco touches of the marquee.

This is a 1981 photo of the Strand.

I was in Torrington on a bike trip yesterday and I stopped to sightsee at a cool inn downtown, across from the Warner. I was snapping pics inside by the restored carriage and on the wall was a framed poster of movies being shown at the Strand in Winsted. A nice find.

The poster said Roger Williams, Strand Winsted, Thurs-Sat, June 15-17, Tyrone Power, Alice Fay, Al Jolson in "Rose of Washington Square (1939)" / "Boyfriend (1939)" w/Jane Withers, (free prizes to lucky children), Cary Grant and Jean Arthur in "Only Angels Have Wings (1939)", "The Jones Family in Hollywood (1939)", Bobby Breen, Henry Armetta, Leo Carrillo in "Fisherman's Wharf (1939)" and Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper in "Treasure Island (1934)." Also showing at the bottom is "It's a Wonderful World (1939)" and "Ex-Champ" (1939).