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In the Beginning...
The Strand Theatre was conceived & built by Joseph Dondis, a Rockland businessman, during a six-week period in the winter of 1922–1923. The Strand was also the first building to rise from the ashes of the fire of June 16, 1922, which destroyed four entire business blocks in downtown Rockland.
The Strand Theatre first opened its doors to the public on February 21, 1923 (Washington's Birthday) for a sold-out showing of the silent film My Wild Irish Rose.
The steel-framed theatre, with its terracotta tile walls, and ornamental brick facade was considered unusual and innovative in its appearance. The theatre also boasted a gilded proscenium arch and stamped tin ceiling, jade green plaster walls, an organist loft and an auditorium seating 626. Outside was a traditional Vaudeville style canopy and a stunning "blade" sign with the word S-T-R-A-N-D outlined with electric light bulbs. Two storefronts, a cigar store and a flower shop, were incorporated into the theatre framing the entrance.
The Strand was Rockland's third downtown theatre (the others being the Park & the Empire). However, to compete with the already-established Park and Empire theatres, Mr. Dondis later added a stage, fly tower, and balcony to The Strand to accommodate local dance recitals, theatrical productions, and popular vaudeville shows. The Strand also hosted many fundraising events for local clubs and organizations.
Today, the Strand is the only survivor of the three movie theatres that served the Rockland area in the 1920s.
They Talk!
Rockland was introduced to talking pictures in the form of the DeForrest Phonofilm when it was first featured at the Strand in May 1927. An early Strand advertisement explained the phenomenon, "Sound and sight are perfectly interwoven in the DeForrest Phonofilm records, so that you have VAUDVILLE as well as PICTURES."
Two years later, the Strand was fully outfitted with Vitaphone and Movietone sound and picture systems for the debut "talkie" of Alias Jimmy Valentine.
In addition, a variety of programs from Vaudeville acts to the film of the famous 1927 boxing match between Jack Dempsey & Gene Tunney, enticed customers to the Strand in the 1920s.
The Strand in the 1930s
Despite the national and local drop in movie attendance during the Great Depression, the Strand continued to thrive. In a talk to the local Lion's Club in the early 1930s, Joseph Dondis stated that Rockland was the only "motion picture location in the country which had shown a profit in 1931 and 1932, although materially reduced."
Most theatres added novelties to increase attendance, and around 1933 popcorn, candy, and soft drinks were offered for the first time in theatres. Sometime between 1931 and 1934, James Dondis' tobacco shop began to offer candy, and doubled as the theatre's concession stand.
A new marquee was installed sometime in the late '30s to take advantage of Main Street's traffic and to make room to display the titles of current features. It was also during this time that the flower shop moved across the street, creating room in the lobby for an expanded ladies room.
In the spring of 1940, owner Joseph Dondis suffered a heart attack, and in October of that same year he died at the young age of 40. His wife Ida, an experienced businesswoman in her own right, continued to run the family business.
The Strand Enlists—The 1940s
Instead of slowing down with the threat of war, the Strand and the entertainment industry in general were booming throughout World War Two. Movies boosted morale, kept the public informed, sold war bonds, and showed propaganda films.
In February of 1942, Walter Winchell announced during a radio broadcast that the government had certified the motion picture industry as a "necessary war industry". Movie theatres were used for recruiting purposes, and newsreels shown before movie features kept Rockland residents informed about the progress of the war overseas.
Show times at the Strand also included a midnight show to accommodate the laborers working the 'round-the-clock production shifts necessitated by the war. In addition, the theatre also participated in bond campaigns, charging the price of a bond for admission to the week's new feature.
In 1944 the Women's Army Corps held a recruiting event at the Strand involving a uniform fashion show, and rubber drives were a regular event at the theatre.
The Strand in the '50s and '60s
While attendance at movie theatres dropped in the 1950s with the advent of television, the Strand survived. The neighboring Empire and Park theatres were both gone by the early 1960s, and for the next 30 years the Strand was Rockland's only movie theatre. Ida Dondis continued to successfully run and manage the theatre during these decades, with help from her family.
Take Two
In 1979, still under the management of the Dondis family, the Strand was "twinned" or split into two cinemas - the main screen downstairs and a second screen in the converted balcony, and a new "Strand Cinemas 1 & 2" marquee was built over the existing 1930s marquee. In changing times, this gave the theatre more flexibility and revenue, but audiences missed the balcony.
In 1980 Ida Dondis retired from the movie business, and her son Meredith Dondis took over the management of the theatre. The Strand continued to show first-run films in the newly remodeled theatre thru the 1980's and 1990's.
The Strand Changes Hands
The Strand outlasted the Park and Empire theatres and enjoyed the success of being Rockland's only movie theatre for many decades until 1997, when a new multiplex was built just outside of town. With this new multiplex came hard times for the Strand, as the theatre struggled to remain competitive with the multiplex.
The Strand remained in the Dondis family until July 2000 when Meredith Dondis decided to retire and sell the theatre. The new owner kept the theatre open as a second-run facility for a year before it was once again sold, this time to the multiplex.
The subsequent sale of the Strand to the multiplex in December 2001 marked the beginning of a dark period for the Strand. The theatre was never re-opened, and the building sat empty for three years. The ensuing controversy over the multiplex's refusal to reopen the theatre's doors led to an anti-trust lawsuit filed by the State Attorney General's office in January 2004. However, the multiplex backed down, the suit never went to trial, and Matthew and Ellen Simmons were able to purchase the Strand in January 2004.
Now Showing!
Renovations to the historic building soon followed with an effort to return the theatre's look and feel to its 1920s roots. The balcony and gilded proscenium arch were restored in the process. The Strand reopened with a block party and screening of Buster Keaton's silent film The General on July 3, 2005.
Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in recognition of its historic, cultural and architectural significance, the Strand Theatre is once again at the heart of Rockland's thriving downtown disctrict. The theatre now offers a diverse program of film, live music and other special events. Please check out the CALENDAR to see what's playing tonight!
More complete historical Strand Theatre timeline
Photos of the Strand Rehabilitation Project
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