Strand Theater
27 Chenango Street,
Binghamton,
NY
13901
27 Chenango Street,
Binghamton,
NY
13901
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The Riviera Theatre is just to the right (north) of the Strand. Both closed now, and not in good shape. Hopefully they both might be restored at some point.
1951 photo added courtesy Edward G Brewer.
Grand opening ad in the photo section. This theatre was featured in the “Inside Deep Throat” DVD. Police raided this theatre.
Opening ad and article
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Neither theater is being renovated at this time, nor does there seem to be any current intentions.
More information and photos at this link. http://architecturaladvocate.blogspot.com/
Here is a link to a Binghamton landmark page with information and photos. http://nyslandmarks.com/treasures/10nov.htm
The winning bid for the theater was $22,000 by a real estate firm. There is no indication of what the new owner intends: View link
More info on the Strand: http://nysLandmarks.com/treasures/10nov.htm .
The Strand will go up for public auction November 23, 2010. Here’s a link to some interior photos I took Nov 6: http://nysLandmarks.com/strand .
Roger
Jim, that sure is great news!
See my post on the Riviera/Stone Opera House. The photo of the inside is incredible. It’s from the book I mentioned.
In Binghamton’s Mon 7/26 morning Press & Sun-Bulletin, there is a front page article with photo announcing that Matt Thorn & Anna Kovach of the Art Mission Theatre are working on plans & applying for grants to save this wonderful old movie theatre. They are planning on subdividing it into 3 theatre auditoriums on the first floor with the upstairs balcony converted into 2 smaller 75 seat theatres plus additional space to be converted into art galleries & space for local theatre groups. An ambitious plan to be sure but there seems to be a glimmer of hope that this building will be saved. Like the Riviera Theatre (Old Stone Opera House) next door, it saddens me some that there is absolutely no possible way to restore those 2 theatres to the glorious auditoriums they used to be from the utter desolation that has befallen them in the past 40 years … plus the filling of large auditoriums as they used to be is a modern implausability … but the buildings may be saved nonetheless. Good news !!!! Jim Macumber
If you enter Binghamton on the ACI search engine you will see a couple more photos of the theater.
Here’s a picture of the marquee referred to in the introduction – an unusual case of single marquee serving two separate theaters of very different architectural styles (now removed). The side closest to the Riviera reversed the elements on the Strand side, i.e., “Riviera” was in the white lights on the red background with “Strand” in smaller cut-out letters below, and “Riviera” is on the side of the yellow dividing element pointing away from the viewer:
View link
On New Years Day 2007 My brother and I were able to gain acces to this theater. The owner of the Ritz restaurant guided us to an old boarded up door in the kitchen. The door lead to the main auditorium of the theater. Once inside we were hit by this thick cold stale air. This air filled the place and gave you an uneasy feeling. The theatre was lit by some dim work lights wich had been placed about sporadicly. With awe and great sadness we found the theatre to be in a state of decay and total disrepair. Although many of the original seats were still present they were covered by layers upon layers of pigeon shit. The once grand and lavish box seats had been ripped from their moorings by some thoughtless developer. All that was left was bare mortar and brick walls. Gone too was the majestic stage and silver screen. Only the rotted garbage strewn footprint survived.
Being guided by our cheap eveready flashlights we ventured down some crumbling stairs that lead us to the dressing rooms. The rooms were half flooded with water and crumling plaster . The ancient porcelin sinks were still present. You could almost still here the actors and the showgirls getting ready for the stage.
Next my brother and I decide to explore the massive balcony that loomed over us. We worked our way up one of the original cast iron stair cases to the balcony. Upon entering the balcony we were greeted with the sound of an army of pigeons cooing. We worked are way up to the projection booth at the top of the balcony. climbing steep narrow stairs. Within twelve feet of the booth our advances were suddenly stop cold by hundreds of dive bombing pigeons. The pigeons had made the projection booth there new home and did not want us tresspassing. They were flying in and out of the theatre through a massive hole in the roof above the booth. With one last advance I was able to get a quick peak inside the booth and found that both carbon arc projectors were still in place. This advance greatly angered the pigeons so my brother and I decided to make a quick retreat out of the theater.
LostMemory is correct. The organ that used to be in the Strand was a Kimball. A local organist told me (if I remember correctly) that it was removed at some point and eventually wound up somewhere on the West Coast. Maybe someone can verify its present location?
“sealed off and abandoned” sounds so depressing, to me!
On the Forum Theatre site I read…“both (Strand and Riviera) have been converted to other uses, but their auditoriums remain sealed off and abandoned”. CT member, Roger Katz writes that the lobby of the Strand is now a cafe, but I wonder what the former Strand auditorium looks like now?
I went to the Strand theatre in the early 1970s. It was right next to the Riviera Theatre. In fact both theatre’s marquees joined at the center to make one long marquee stretching across the front of both theatres. I saw Patton there and remember looking at the lobby cards for Ice Station Zebra when they played that.
Was it originally designed for movies, or for live performances and converted to movies?
The Strand Theatre opened on Monday, March 8,1920. The architect was Leon H. Lempert,Jr. and the Interior Design was attributed to Gustav Brandt of Chicago. In 1985 it was renovated into a Flower Shop and a Restaurant.
I was told this theater once had a Link theater organ.
There is currently a cafe where the lobby used to be in this single screen theatre. See photos at http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=23045