Strand Theatre
900 Boardwalk,
Ocean City,
NJ
08226
900 Boardwalk,
Ocean City,
NJ
08226
8 people
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Showing 76 - 92 of 92 comments
Nice evening photo:
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By allowing itself to be part of a chain, the Strand Theatre has become a far lesser theater than what it could be otherwise. To better understand where I’m coming from, please see the July 1, 2006 comment I posted at the Cinema Treasures' link:
http://cinematreasures.org/polls/106_0_6_0_C/
Ocean City, NJ has allowed itself to become too much of a “McResort” geared to “McVacationers” and “McYear-rounders” while sacrificing its far greater side in the process. Which is why anybody with a soul still intact these days avoids that town like the plague. But once it comes to light what is wrong with that town (which, by the way, just did), so, too, surfaces the new direction of how it must change.
As for the Strand Theatre itself, I believe it CAN be run as an independent, and better than it ever was before. But its becoming an independent theater, rather than remaining part of a chain, is the only way this is possible. And to reach its highest level, of course it would have to be made a single-screen theater once more. For in the realm of art we don’t try to cram several paintings into one frame; why should it be any different with real theaters?
By allowing itself to be part of a chain, the Strand Theatre has become a far lesser theater than what it could be otherwise. To better understand where I’m coming from, please see the July 1, 2006 comment I posted at the Cinema Treasures' link:
http://cinematreasures.org/polls/106_0_6_0_C/
Ocean City, NJ has allowed itself to become too much of a “McResort” geared to “McVacationers” and “McYear-rounders” while sacrificing its far greater side in the process. Which is why anybody with a soul still intact these days avoids that town like the plague. But once it comes to light what is wrong with that town (which, by the way, just did), so, too, surfaces the new direction of how it must change.
As for the Strand Theatre itself, I believe it CAN be run as an independent, and better than it ever was before. But its becoming an independent theater, rather than remaining part of a chain, is the only way this is possible. And to reach its highest level, of course it would have to be made a single-screen theater once more. For in the realm of art we don’t try to cram several paintings into one frame; why should it be any different with real theaters?
The Strand is a seasonal theater. The Moorlyn may sometimes stay open for the winter, but I don’t know if the Strand ever has.
Since you the people of Ocean City, NJ have seen firsthand the negative impact that newly introduced gambling can have on an area’s movie theaters, particularly those of you who over the years have been directly involved with the Strand, I strongly urge that you please let your views on this topic be known at a special Cinema Treasures webpage I’ve created where I pose the question regarding the likely impact Pennsylvania’s recently legalized gambling will have on Pennsylvania’s theaters. Here’s the link for that page, while I thank you for your participation: http://cinematreasures.org/news/14515_0_1_0_M/
Hmmm… My having not been back to Ocean City, NJ other than a mere three days back in the summer of 1995 — and oh, did it ever look totally hopeless at that time! — is it so awful now that there’s just no way the Strand Theatre could ever be brought back to be better than ever before? It’s very easy to list the many ways it could be a very beautiful theater by today’s 21st century standards. But in today’s Ocean City are there the Roy Gillians and John Barattas and Mark Soiffers and Tony Frank Jrs and Harris Bermans and U.S. Rep. Hughes and F.C. Kerbecks and Tim Richards and James Penlands others such as that who would all fiercely team up — motivated by their innate jealousies, their total shortfalls as human beings — to make damned sure it could never happen?
Given how the Strand Theatre was mistakenly converted into a multiplex, it’s amazing it stayed open as a theater for as long as it had. A far more intelligent decision would have been to keep it as a single screen theater but to upgrade it from how it had been designed originally. For like Ocean City’s Music Pier and its Flanders Hotel building, this is yet another of Ocean City’s last few original structures still left that should be immune to development pressures of any sort, that should be above being treated as “just a business like any other.”
And if the Strand Theatre could be recognized in that way, and then restored to be a single screen theater in the best possible way accordingly, I believe it could go a long way in bringing Ocean City back up again, though obviously a lot more will be needed then just that theater’s restoration alone to bring that onetime wonderful resort fully back to life once more. A lot of people responsible for Ocean City’s demise have still yet to be convicted, which, of course, continues to put a dampener on that NJ seaside town’s being able to get back on its feet once more. But maybe one or two good things can be done there until this finally happens.
This theatre is now closed.
Listed in the 1944 FDY. Listed in the 1961 FDY as part of Triangle-Liggett Theatre Service & in the 1970 FDY as part of Triangle Theatre Service Inc.
A photo:
http://www.agilitynut.com/p/ocstrand.jpg
Nice photo album:
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What about the Strand Theater on the Atlantic City boardwalk? It was near the Virginia Theater by the Steel Pier.
A Moller organ, opus 2658, was installed in the “old” Strand theater in 1919.
Current homepage:
http://www.franktheatres.com/movies_strand5.php
A lot of distinctive features were lost on the conversion in 1989. In particular, I used to love the 5 rings of incandescent lights under the circular marquee. They created a lot of light, so much that you could feel the heat from them when standing underneath. I didn’t like having to remove them all for the winter each year.
Inside, the auditorium had a very cool art deco look, with wide striped bands running down the walls, curving in to the columns on each side of the stage. I was always amazed at how even after 50 years it still looked fresh, and was well maintained. I’ve sen it a few times since the conversion and was very disappointed.
Actually that outside view is not completely different from how it looks now. The round marquee and box office are still there, although the box office is no longer used (neither are those entrance doors) and the “STRAND” letters atop the marquee have been replaced by less distinctive ones. I think that that glass block along the right side of the picture (ramp to 9th Street) has been replaced by retail space and the new entrance to the theater.
Look at how incredible this place was in the 40's
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