Strand Theatre
543 Columbia Road,
Dorchester,
MA
02125
543 Columbia Road,
Dorchester,
MA
02125
3 people
favorited this theater
This grand old Boston neighborhood movie palace was closed and abandoned over three decades ago.
As Dorchester declined, so went the theater.
Fortunately, though, this theater has been gloriously restored for use by the community.
Contributed by
Ron Newman
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Recent comments (view all 36 comments)
For its Christmas week attraction in December 1921, Gordon’s Strand Theatre in Uphams Corner featured the movie “Enchantment” with Marion Davies, plus “Love Never Dies”. Arthur Martel was the featured organist. There is a notation in their Boston Globe ad that vaudeville is presented on Saturdays and Sundays, and that there are Sunday concerts at 3PM and 8PM, all seats reserved.
I remember seeing the movie “Popeye” with a friend of mine, back in 1980. It was a cool theatre.
In yesterday’s Boston Globe City Weekly: Strand repairs worth all the bother, an article explaining why the theatre has been closed more than it’s been open over the last three years. It will reopen next month, but more repairs are planned for 2009. I don’t know if that work will require closing it again.
Today’s Boston Sunday Herald states that a Halloween “Boo Bash” will be held this afternoon at the Strand Theatre. The event is free. So many events at the Strand have free admission, which means no revenue coming in.
The Broadway musical “Ain’t Misbehavin'” comes to the Strand for a three-day run starting tomorrow, starring 2003 American Idol Winner Ruben Studdard. Today’s Boston Globe has a long article on the show and the theatre’s recent restoration.
This week’s Dorchester Reporter has two long articles about the Strand’s failure to attract programming and serve the young people of the surrounding community as it did in the 1990s:
Despite millions in funding by city, little is happening at Strand Theatre
Once a haven for youth, Strand Theatre now seen more as history
I don’t know why the Strand Theatre’s web address keeps changing, but now it’s http://strandboston.com/ .
The Strand is listed at 543 Columbia Road in the 1921 edition of the Boston Register and Bus. Directory, Issue 85.
A 1979 booklet called “Living in Dorchester” (available at this link from Archive.org) cites architectural historian Douglass Shand Tucci as saying that Funk & Wilcox’s design for the Strand Theatre featured an Adamesque interior and a Classical Revival facade.
great lil theatre been there a few times long ago