Strand Theatre

dallasmovietheaters on June 21, 2026 at 12:30 pm

The new Opera House in Dunsmuir opened with a live play on October 17, 1903 called “Shooting the Chutes.” Saloon operator J.C. Wagoner also operated a tavern in the multi-use, two story building. The Opera House scuffled as the G&L Theatre and the Auditorium were counter programming effectively with movies. One of the last events under the Opera House moniker was a game called “Basket Ball” featuring two teams showing great speed and skill in 1916.

A new operator took over the venue on March 1, 1916 and it became the Lyric Theatre. Better operators Creque and Webster came along later in the year renaming it the Strand Theatre on September 30, 1916 with more favorable films and better projection.

In 1922, the entirety of the building was given over to the Strand with a second floor balcony and a main floor. In October of 1926, a three manual Robert Morton pipe organ improved film presentations as the theatre tried to fend off the new-build California Theatre.

With sound an issue, the Strand changed owners three times between 1928 and 1929 - a bad sign. And the Strand appears to have closed following the October 5, 1929 showing of “Captain Cowboy” and an episode of the serial, “Police Reporter” and a George LeMaire comedy short. The Strand basement flooded following heavy rains and W.A. Waschau’s license to operate the theatre expired in early 1930… and that was that.

The space was converted to the Strand Cafe in 1931 and housed J.C. Wagoner’s second-hand furniture store beginning in 1934.