Strand Theater
93 Main Street,
Brockport,
NY
14420
93 Main Street,
Brockport,
NY
14420
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Curiously, this item appeared in the January 11, 1917, edition of the Holley Standard:
“The Lyric theater in Brockport is to pass out of existence. The E Harrison Company have leased the building and expect to remove their clothing business to that location.”
Perhaps SchineHistorian (apologies for identifying the wrong gender for her in a previous comment) would know if there was an different Lyric that had operated in town once the changeover was made to the Strand name – or perhaps this was a planned relocation for E Harrison that never happened. Amazing how side-tracked one can become when burying themselves in old newspaper editions! I’m researching a couple of theaters in Holley, NY, and just keep stumbling upon tangential tidbits like this.
Another note found in the June 18, 1914, edition of the same paper stated that Fred B. Whiting, the former manager of the Lyric Theatre, was to “erect an open air moving picture theater” in the village that would have an expected seating capacity of about seven or eight hundred. Seems similar enterprises were routinely popping up in vacant lots all across the country during these early years of motion picture exhibition, before air-cooling systems were perfected.
And SchineHistorian would know as she is the expert on Schine theatres!
Always nice to see a recent post on this Michael DeAngelo designed theatre…very unique exterior with the round windows and that shiny vitrolite.
In his post of September 25, 2008, SchineHistorian suggests that this theater originally opened as the Lyric Theatre. An item in the December 3, 1914, edition of the Holley Standard (a weekly paper from a neighboring village), noted that the Lyric was purchased by Charles Lawton, who was also the owner of another Brockport cinema, the Globe Theater. It doesn’t appear that the Globe is presently listed on CT. Meanwhile, perhaps Lyric Theatre should be added to this entry as an AKA.
Did it orignally have a balcony and who is this businessman who owns the Strand? Is he responsible for “carving up” the interior?
When was this theatre triplexed?? It may be the only existing Michael DeAngelis designed theatre that has been divided with three screens!
Here is a more recent photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yc87r7d
ken mc: Thanks so very much for posting the Boxoffice interior photos of 1947 which are so similar to my hometown DeAngelis designed theatre. Should be interesting to see how this theatre was triplexed being that “tri” means three when I visit the theatre this Spring.
Boxoffice had some interior photos in November 1947:
http://tinyurl.com/ydb3b8s
FLMurphy: Nice to read that your father managed this theatre for many years. I hope to see this theatre this summer and it’s not because it was divided up, but rather because the architect was Michael DeAngelis.
My father managed this theatre for many years. Sorry to see that it has been divided into a three screen house. As I remember, it was always a single screen. Was owned by Kallet (sp). Then was sold to Cinemanational or United Artist, as I recall. Kallet (sp?) up to 1976
This theatre is listed as having 3 screens so was it divided up and was originally a single screen theatre? I would say…yes!
Those photo links are now located at the Institute for Non-Working Links. :)
Lost Memory: This theatre has similar round circles as found in other DeAngelis designed theatres. On Feb. 25, 2008 you posted photos of the Warsaw Cinema designed by DeAngelis, but they can not be viewed and I’d love to see the art deco similiarities to my hometown theatre built by DeAngelis.
Here are two 1985 photos:
Photo1
Photo2
This site has a nice photo of the Strand. You can click on the photo to expand it.
When was this theatre “triplexed”?
September 23, 2008
News release
For immediate release
For further information contact:
Bill Andrews, 727-1748 or
Brockport is celebrating the centennial of the second oldest motion picture venue in America. The Strand Theater and its predecessor, the Lyric, in downtown Brockportâ€\s Winslow Block have been projecting movies continuously since August 15, 1908.
To celebrate this event, the Greater Brockport Development Corp. has organized a two-day vintage movie festival, Friday and Saturday, October 17-18. Films from 1910-1916 and 1946 will be projected with leading experts as hosts and commentators. A Champagne Gala will conclude the festivities Saturday evening. All activities will take place in the Strand, 89 Main Street.
Patrick Loughney, head motion picture curator at the George Eastman House, will host the Friday session, 7-9 pm, showing selected films and discussing the early movie industry. The 10-12 am session Saturday will be devoted to the history of movie theaters in upstate New York. Norman O. Keim, co-author of “Our Movie Houses: A History of Film and Cinematic Innovation in Central New Yorkâ€, will host the first hour and Karen Colizzi Noonan, President of the Theater Historical Society of America, the second half.
Dr. George J. Grella, Professor of Film History at the University of Rochester and film critic for City Magazine, will host the 2-4 session Saturday afternoon, presenting and commenting on selected early films.
The Champagne Gala is scheduled for 5-10 pm, Saturday, and will feature two films closely associated with the history of the Strand. Mary Pickfordâ€\s “Cinderella†was the first movie shown when the Strand replaced the Lyric in 1916 and Maureen Oâ€\Haraâ€\s “Do You Love Me?†inaugurated the greatly-enlarged Strand in 1946. Hosts for the Gala will be Dr. Kenneth Oâ€\Brien, specialist on film history in Brockportâ€\s History Department, and Dr. Sidney Rosenzweig, lecturer on film criticism in its English Department. The other commentators will join them in discussing the films and their contexts.
Admission to the Friday evening and Saturday daytime sessions will be $5, payable at the door. Participation in the Gala will cost $25.
Tickets are available at the Strand, Express Mart in Brockport, the Lift Bridge Book Shop, the Red Bird Tea Shoppe, State Farm Insurance at 59 Main Street, Ryanâ€\s Big M, and at the door. A substantial portion of the proceeds will be used to subsidize repair and restoration of the marquee and façade of the Strand.
Sponsors for the Gala are the Brockport Downtown Merchants Assn., Express Mart, Lift Bridge Book Shop, Mahan Discount Liquor, Northside Service Center, Red Bird Tea Shoppe, Ryanâ€\s Big M, State Farm Insurance, and Brockport Wegmanâ€\s
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 1465 style 109 was installed in the Strand Theater on 10/1/1926.
The building was errected in 1907 and since 1916 has housed the Strand Theatre. In 1946 it was modernised and re-furbished to the design of architect Michael J. DeAngelis. The Streamline Moderne style facade with black Carrara glass comes from this period of time.
Nice to read that it has a nice art deco (see photo on website), but sorry to read that it “was carved up into 3 small screening auditoriums” and that it “doesn’t have a balcony”.
I saw this theatre for the first time in February of 2004. It has a nice art deco exterior and was carved up into 3 small screening auditoriums. The theatre doesn’t have a balcony. It’s owned by the same businessman who ownes the multiplex in Geneseo, N.Y.
The Strand Theater has a website at http://www.strandtheater.com/ . It has 3 screens and is located at 93 Main St.