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Strand Theatre

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The Strand Theater is a former cinema in Allentown, Pennsylvania . It closed in 1953. Today, part of the building is used for retail and office space.

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42-916: (Redirected from Strand Theater ) Strand Theatre or Strand Theater may refer to: Australia [ edit ] Strand Theatre, Toowoomba , Queensland, Australia England [ edit ] Royal Strand Theatre , London, demolished 1905 Strand Theatre, London , called the Novello Theatre since 2005 United States [ edit ] Strand Theatre, former movie house in Ocean Beach, San Diego , California , built in 1925 Strand Theatre (San Francisco) , reopening in 2015 now owned by American Conservatory Theater, originally opened in 1917 and shuttered in 2003, in San Francisco, California Strand Theatre (Jennings, Louisiana) , listed on

84-769: A community theatre Strand Theater (Washington, D.C.) , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Strand Theatre (Moundsville, West Virginia) , home of the Wheeling Jamboree radio program Strand Theater (Allentown, Pennsylvania) , a former cinema in Allentown, Pennsylvania Strand Theatre (Marietta, Georgia) , a performing arts and film center in Marietta, Georgia, United States of America Topics referred to by

126-405: A large foyer for the new cinema complex. The Strand Theatre, fronting Margaret Street to the south, is a three-storeyed rendered brick building with a hipped corrugated iron roof concealed behind a shaped gable parapet. Framed by pilasters , the decorative symmetrical street facade consists of a large semi-circular arch at the first floor level with a quatrefoil window to either side, and

168-558: A play or Vaudeville show, many seats were empty. Gernert believed that a cinema-only theater would be extremely profitable, and if it owned by someone who worked for the Lyric, there would be no conflict of interest as the Lyric could continue to present stage shows. Named "The Strand", construction was financed by some local businessmen, including a local dentist, Dr. Benjamin Stuckert, who became Gernert's business partner. The cinema

210-739: A respectable middle-class entertainment in Australia. In 1915 Newman commissioned established Brisbane architect George Henry Male Addison to design a picture theatre on a site in Margaret Street adjoining the Crown Hotel. This site had operated as the Crystal Palace Picture Gardens since early 1914. Addison called tenders in July 1915, and the contract was awarded to Luke Halley. The American-derived design

252-616: A restored vaudeville house located in Uphams Corner in Boston, Massachusetts Strand Theater (Lexington, Mississippi) , a Mississippi Landmark Strand Theater (Louisville, Mississippi) , a Mississippi Landmark Strand Theater (Vicksburg, Mississippi) ; listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the name "Adolph Rose Building" Strand Theater (Manchester, New Hampshire) , theater portion destroyed by fire in 1985 Strand Theatre (Lakewood, New Jersey) , listed on

294-457: A special association with the work of noted Brisbane architect, GHM Addison, and with important cinema architect, Guy Crick. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from

336-413: Is a deep cornice, with rendered relief work to the shaped gable above which is surmounted by three large finials. The street level has display arches either side of the entrance, with a recent cantilevered metal awning above. Internally, little remains of the 1916 decor apart from the pressed metal ceiling and cornices of the auditorium, tessellated tiling in the ground floor foyer, and the finishes to

378-576: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Strand Theatre, Toowoomba Strand Theatre is a heritage-listed cinema at 159–167 Margaret Street, Toowoomba City , Toowoomba , Toowoomba Region , Queensland , Australia. It was designed by George Henry Male Addison and built from 1915 to 1933 by Luke Halley. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This three-storeyed brick picture theatre

420-406: Is important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history, in particular the emergence of cinema as a 20th-century social phenomenon. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. It demonstrates rare and uncommon aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage, in particular as a rare, purpose built picture theatre of the early 20th century, and

462-411: Is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of early 20th century picture theatres. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. It demonstrates rare and uncommon aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage, in particular as a rare, purpose built picture theatre of the early 20th century, and is important in demonstrating

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504-421: Is now used only as a link between the projection rooms of the new cinema. Many of the 1933 decorative elements, such as the attached pilasters constructed of rendered canvas over a timber frame, are simply fixed over existing surfaces. Lyrebird motif grilles of gilded timber were adopted to cover the former window openings, and a mechanical ventilation system was installed. Art Deco banding which once surrounded

546-450: Is surmounted by a deep cornice , giving the impression of a heightened entrance. This is bisected by a large turret , with three circular leadlight windows, which projects over the entrance and is supported by four large rendered brackets surrounding a statue of a female figure holding a lamp. Lunette windows to either side have leadlight panels. The second floor has five arched windows with Art Nouveau style leadlight panels, above which

588-471: The "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014). [REDACTED] Media related to Strand Theatre, Toowoomba at Wikimedia Commons Strand Theater (Allentown, Pennsylvania) During World War I , Allentown, Pennsylvania was the home of a large Army training camp, Camp Crane, where thousands of recruits were indoctrinated into

630-479: The Lyric, it would not present vaudeville stage shows or plays. It was reported that "... The interior decorations of the theater are everything that has been claimed for them... the lighting system is unique for a playhouse in this city, the screen is exceptionally large and the picture areas as clear as life." To accompany the silent films, the theater had a large organ with a full-time organist. The beliefs of Oliver Gernet turned out to be correct, as The Strand

672-580: The National Register of Historic Places in Clinton County, New York Strand Theater (Syracuse, New York) , theatre in Syracuse, New York from 1915 to 1958 Strand Theatre (Grafton, North Dakota) , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Walsh County, North Dakota Strand Theatre (Delaware, Ohio) , movie theatre opened in 1916 Strand Theater (Zelienople, Pennsylvania) ,

714-635: The National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana Strand Theatre (Shreveport, Louisiana) , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Caddo Parish, Louisiana Strand Theatre (Rockland, Maine) , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Maine Strand Theatre , Brockton, Massachusetts, site of a fire that killed 13 firefighters in 1941 Strand Theatre (Boston) ,

756-546: The National Register of Historic Places in Ocean County, New Jersey Strand Theatre (Brooklyn) , a former vaudeville house now home to BRIC Arts and UrbanGlass Strand Theatre (Ithaca, New York) , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Tompkins County, New York Strand Theatre (Manhattan) , demolished Broadway movie theatre opened in 1914 Strand Theater (Plattsburgh, New York) , listed on

798-559: The Strand. It was notable as the Earle was the first cinema in Allentown equipped with the first synchronized sound system for films. In 2005, the remaining building, now reduced in size, was purchased by Steve Stelzman, a mortgage broker. It was purchased for $ 165,000 and plans were made to renovate the property and to turn it into office space. The interior of the building was completely gutted and rebuilt. "The Cinema" marquee, dating to

840-468: The auditorium portion of the Strand Theater building to expand the parking lot. However, the front lobby section of the Strand building would be retained as retail space (it was, at the time, a book store), and the two upper stories would be rented to become professional offices. Miller also stated that he would eventually sell the building and retain the parking area. When the auditorium section

882-457: The auditorium was converted into a large warehouse, shipping and receiving facility for the shoes manufactured by the company. Later, the shoe repair shop was converted into various retail stores in the lobby section which operated separately from the Farr warehouse operations in the former auditorium. In the late 1980s, the Farr family was getting out of the shoe business, and the Strand property

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924-419: The current owners acquired the theatre and introduced a wide screen format, and renovated the main foyer in the 1960s and again in the 1970s. A major redevelopment of the theatre and the adjoining buildings was completed in 1992. The adjoining Crown Hotel and the amusement centre were demolished and four small cinemas were erected around the original cinema which was stripped of seating and refurbished to become

966-439: The former hotel rooms on the second floor. The latter are partitioned in four inch vertical tongue and groove boarding and have pressed metal ceilings . Rooms open off a central corridor previously accessed from the former neighbouring hotel, now demolished. This area is now sealed off. The floor is supported by spanning steel beams which divide the auditorium below into seven bays. The original balcony remains intact although this

1008-410: The late 1940s, formerly having red letters with white interior lights along its top edges was used afterwards for advertising the various retail stores that were located in the former theater lobby was still attached to the front of the building. Unfortunately by 2005, it had deteriorated to the point that it had to be removed. Today, the remains of the 1917 building is fully renovated inside and with

1050-413: The military as ambulance drivers before being sent overseas to France. The Lyric Theater , located at 23 North 6th St was primarily a stage theater, however it was adapted to show silent films to entertain the troops that came into the city for recreation. Oliver "Ollie" Gernert, the treasurer of the Lyric, took note that when the Lyric showed a movie, it was packed with soldiers, but when it presented

1092-469: The opening night consisted of British war correspondent Ellis Ashmead-Barlett 's footage from the Gallipoli campaign. The theatre was so packed on the opening night that people had to be turned away, and later an apology was issued by the theatre in local newspaper. In 1918 the lease was taken over by Union Theatres, an early Australian distribution-exhibition conglomerate, who repainted and redecorated

1134-457: The principal characteristics of early 20th century picture theatres. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. It is important in exhibiting a range of aesthetic characteristics valued by the Toowoomba community, in particular its prominent siting and contribution through scale, form and materials to the streetscape of Margaret Street and to the Toowoomba townscape; and

1176-481: The proscenium remain only as a frieze , following widening of the stage in the late 1950s to accommodate a cinemascope screen. The mezzanine floor foyer features an intact 1933 ceiling and wall grilles. Strand Theatre was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. The Strand Theatre at Toowoomba, erected 1915-16,

1218-553: The quality of its 1930s interior decoration. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. It has a special association with cinema audiences of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. It has

1260-518: The renovations, although most of the daily matinees were cancelled. The newly refurbished theatre was opened officially in early December 1933, with the local newspaper claiming that the Strand was the first picture theatre in Australia to be refitted completely in the art moderne style. The Strand flourished during the 1930s, proudly advertising "Always first with the latest and the greatest", and screened premier features from Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers and United Artists to large audiences. In 1957

1302-425: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Strand Theatre . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Strand_Theatre&oldid=1257175773 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

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1344-546: The technology and it was sold to cinemas around the country. In 1930, the property was leased to an A.R. Boyd Enterprises, and it was renamed "The Cinema", who operated the theater for the next 23 years. After World War II , the advent of television affected the movie theater industry, and by 1953, the "Cinema" was showing films to a largely-empty auditorium. The Royal African Rifles opened in September 1953 with Louis Hayward , Veronica Hurst and Michael Pate . It

1386-489: The theatre early in 1919, when the building was closed temporarily during the Spanish influenza epidemic. From the mid-1920s the Strand was leased by independent exhibitors. In mid-1930 sound projection equipment was installed and the theatre was host to some of Toowoomba's earliest "talkies". In 1933 the owners of the Strand arranged with Birch Carroll & Coyle for Sydney architect and theatre designer Guy Crick, who

1428-430: Was a popular theater after World War I when the city returned to a peacetime economy. It adapted itself to sound movies about 1929/30, showing the popular films of the day. It also developed an automatic curtain control system which raised the curtain in front of the screen using electric motors, controlled from the projection booth. Prior to that it was done manually by stagehands. The Allentown Devices Company patented

1470-603: Was accessed via a staircase from the hotel. Newman leased the theatre to moving picture exhibitor Senora Spencer, who named the venue the Strand, like her theatres in Brisbane and Newcastle. The first screening, which was accompanied by the Strand Symphony Orchestra and an opening ceremony performed by the Mayor of Toowoomba Alfred McWaters, took place on the evening of Saturday 15 April 1916. The program on

1512-447: Was being torn down in 1987, photos taken at the time show that the seats were removed in 1954 to accommodate the warehouse space, however the interior walls with ornate plaster, remained until the demolition. Also the entrance from the lobby was only walled off with some plywood, and a single steel door remained between the lobby and auditorium. *** The Earle Theater opened on 15 December 1927 at 20 North 8th Street, two doors north of

1554-502: Was erected during the summer of 1917, and it opened to a full auditorium on 8 October of that year. The first film shown in the theater was Betsy Ross , with Alice Brady, John Bowers and Lillian Cook. A headline in the local newspaper The Morning Call stated that "Strand, Beautiful Play-House, Open. It was noted that the Strand would be an exclusive modern full-time movie theater, like those in New York and Philadelphia". Unlike

1596-447: Was erected in 1915-16 for James Patrick Newman, a Toowoomba City alderman. It was constructed during the early and enthusiastic adoption of cinema by Australian audiences in the first two decades of the 20th century, when the new nation boasted a truly vibrant local film industry which competed healthily with imported British and American product. Its construction was illustrative of the early 20th century attempt to legitimise cinema as

1638-579: Was similar to picture theatres erected in other Australian cities during the 1910s. In particular, the large semi-circular glazed arch was reminiscent of the Majestic (1912) and Britannia (1913) in Melbourne and the Pavilion (1913) in Brisbane. It was, however, unorthodox in that the top level was designed as additional accommodation for the Crown Hotel, which was also owned by JP Newman. This third storey

1680-427: Was sold in 1986 for $ 140,000 to Donald P. Miller, owner of the "Park & Shop" company that operated a series of parking lots in the downtown Allentown central business district . Miller had previously purchased the adjacent property at 18 North 8th and the former Earle Theater*** at 20 North 8th which had been operated as a Park & Shop parking lot since 1961. Miller combined the three properties and tore down

1722-526: Was the last film shown in the theater, and it was closed. In early 1954, the property was sold by the Gernert and Stuckert estates to the Farr Brothers, Company. The Farr family had been in the shoe manufacturing and retail business in Allentown since June 1862, and owned a large retail and office building across the street. The Farr company converted the theater lobby into a shoe repair shop and

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1764-416: Was then designing Toowoomba's rebuilt Empire Theatre for Birch Carroll & Coyle , to revamp the interior of the Strand in art moderne (Art Deco) style. At the same time the first floor foyer and office space was extended to the upper level of a newly constructed two-storeyed building along the east wall. So popular were movies during the depression that the Strand continued evening screenings throughout

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