Strand Theatre

77 Wales Street,
Rutland, VT 05701

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: M & P Theaters, Paramount Pictures Inc.

Functions: Retail

Previous Names: Shrine Theatre

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Strand Theatre

The Shrine Theatre was opened by January 1913. It was renamed Strand Theatre on April 21, 1919 and closed in 1931. It reopened on June 21, 1946 and finally closed in 1951. A food co-op and market now occupies the former Strand Theatre. You can see the marks on the interior of the exterior walls where the balcony once was.

Contributed by Richard Grows

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on February 28, 2008 at 11:44 am

In the 1942-43 edition of the Motion Picture Almanac, the Strand in Rutland is listed under M&P Theatres of Boston (Mullin & Pinanski, a Paramount affiliate). M&P also ran the Paramount and Grand theaters in Rutland.

shoeshoe14
shoeshoe14 on July 23, 2008 at 3:40 pm

But you can see much more than that. I was there on a cycling trip. The business that occupies this former theatre is the Rutland Food Co-op and Market since 1995 with a 2 floor lobby. The carved stone etching on the front says, “Day Beane, Inc.”

Around the back on the left (accessed by going around the block) was a garage for a glove-making company using a portion of the audtorium. The auditorium’s back abuts a nice cobblestone and sitting area pedestrian plaza and the Paramount’s auditorium abuts the same plaza. The back of the Strand’s auditorium has a cool outdoorsy mural on it for a small segment.

I entered and shopped and asked if I could see the auditorium. An annoyed worker said yes but I took the high road. It was huge in there and I could see all the remnants and small ceiling lights, pilasters and turquoise blue octagonal shape in the center ceiling.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on November 20, 2013 at 5:08 pm

The Spring, 2009 newsletter of the Rutland Food Co-op (PDF here) has a brief history of their building. It was built by the local Shriners, with construction beginning in 1909, and the house opened as the Shrine Theatre on January 9, 1913. The article says that the Strand opened in the former lobby of the Shrine Theatre in 1920, but I don’t think the part of the Wales Street building that the lobby occupied was anywhere big enough for the theater, so it must have been in the Shrine Theatre auditorium.

The auditorium, however, was quite large, with far more than the 600 seats we have listed for the Strand. The 1913-1914 Cahn-Leighton guide lists the Shrine Theatre with 1,400 seats, 900 on the main floor and 500 in the balcony. In the 1937 city directory, the Strand’s listing caries the notation “road shows”, an indication that it must have been a large house with stage facilities.

The carved “Ray Beane” over the food co-op entrance was added quite some time after the building was built, when Mr. Beane operated a tire store in the space. The theater entrance was where there is now a blank wall with some bulletin boards on it. The auditorium is now the winter home of the Rutland farmers market.

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on June 1, 2015 at 10:50 am

The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Strand; it’s Card # 589. Address is 73 Wales Street. There is an exterior photo made May 1941. The posting on the marquee makes it obvious that it was closed at the time. Condition is Good. The house was over 15 years old and was showing MGM product. There is a notation “Closed”. There were 865 seats.

rivest266
rivest266 on November 24, 2019 at 11:09 am

Opened as Shrine on January 1913 (or before) and reopened as the Strand theatre on April 21st, 1919. Grand opening ad posted. Strand theatre openingStrand theatre opening Sat, Apr 19, 1919 – 5 · Rutland Daily Herald (Rutland, Vermont) · Newspapers.com

rivest266
rivest266 on November 24, 2019 at 11:32 am

The strand theatre closed in 1931 and reopened on June 21st, 1946 and closed again in 1951. Another grand opening ad posted.

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