The Strand Theatre was an early movie palace located at 1579 Broadway,[1] at the northwest corner of 47th Street and Broadway in Times Square, New York City. Opened in 1914, the theater was later known as the Mark Strand Theatre,[2] the Warner Theatre, and the Cinerama Theatre. It closed as the RKO Warner Twin Theatre, and was demolished in 1987.
The Strand Theatre was built in 1914 as part of the chain of movie theaters owned by the Mark Brothers, Mitchel and Moe. It cost US$1 million (equivalent to $29,215,947 in 2022) to build and is believed to have been the first lavish movie palace built only to show motion pictures. It was designed by Thomas W. Lamb and served as a model for many other similar theaters built at the time. The New York Times favorably reviewed the opening of the Strand, helping to establish its importance. To manage the theater, Mitchel Mark personally hired Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel. Rothafel developed his luxurious style of presenting films at the Strand which he later perfected at the Capitol and Roxy Theatres, becoming the best known motion picture showman in New York City.[3] The theatre influenced The Strand in Hobart, Tasmania, which was initially intended to be a replica of its New York namesake.[4]
The theatre was under contract and mostly showed films distributed by Paramount Pictures.[5]
In 1928, the Mark Strand became the Warner Strand when Warner Bros acquired the theatre to showcase its films on Times Square. It was eventually renamed the Warner Theatre in 1951. After closing for renovation in 1952, the theater reopened as the Warner Cinerama Theatre in 1953 with the widescreen film This Is Cinerama (1952). The Warner was the primary New York home of Cinerama films during the remaining years of the 1950s and in 1963 installed an even larger screen to present such 70mm films as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).[citation needed]
In 1968, the theater was converted into three separate cinemas by RKO Stanley Warner Theatres. The 1,000 seat Warner Cinerama now occupied the original theater's main floor. The 1,200 seat Penthouse Theatre occupied the former balcony and the Cine Orleans was created in the stage house of the old Strand, entered from 47th St. The Cinerama and Penthouse were renamed again in the 1980s as the RKO Warner Twin. The entire building closed on February 8, 1987. It was demolished to make way for the Morgan Stanley Building, part of the redevelopment of Times Square.[1]
^"The Stage Door" New York Tribune 1919-10-17:11 col. 7: "All the Strand theaters in the country, which are controlled by the Mitchell [sic] H. Mark Realty Company, will from now on be known as Mark Strand Theatres. There is one in New York at Forty-seventh Street and Broadway."
Bush, W. Stephen "Opening of the Strand" The Moving Picture World Vol. 20 No. 4 (1914-04-25):502
"Strand's Big Start" Variety Vol. 34 No. 7 (1914-04-17):20
"Strand Theater Opens" The New York Dramatic Mirror Vol. 71 No. 1843 (1914-04-15):31 [non-permanent link]
^McIntyre, Paul (9 November 2015). "The history of Hobart's Odeon Theatre, the 'finest building in Tasmania'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
^Terry Ramsaye (January 1925). "The Romantic History of the Motion Picture". Photoplay. p. 120. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
^Brown, Gene (1995). Movie Time: A Chronology of Hollywood and the Movie Industry from Its Beginnings to the Present. New York: Macmillan. p. 125. ISBN0-02-860429-6.
Further readingedit
Bloom, Ken (2004) "Strand Theater" Broadway: an Encyclopedia (New York: Routledge):504
Bush, W. Stephen "Opening of the Strand" (different from piece above in References) The Moving Picture World Vol. 20 No. 3 (1914-04-18):371
Forsher, James (2003) Chapter 6: "Roxy" The Community of Cinema (Westport, CT: Praeger):39f.
Melnick, Ross; and Fuchs, Andreas (2004) Chapter 2: Birth of the Palaces, 1913-1919 Cinema Treasures (St.Paul, MN: MBI):25f.
Melnick, Ross (2012) "Strand Theatre, New York, NY" American Showman (New York: Columbia University Press):94f
Ramsaye, Terry (1926) Chapter 67: "Roxy" Comes to Broadway A Million and One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture (Simon & Schuster; book has no page numbers)
Reynolds, Walter "Don't Give the People What They Want" The Green Book Magazine Vol. 12 (1914-08):225
"The Strand Theatre in New York" The Theatre Vol. 23 No. 184 (June 1916):369. Article on how Rothapfel runs the theater
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Strand Theatre (Manhattan).
Strand Theatre at CinemaTreasures.org
"Strand Theatre, New York City, New York - January 28, 1915" (theater program). The Silent Film Still Archive. Mitchel H. Mark Realty Corporation. January 28, 1915. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
"Strand Theatre, New York City, New York - November 14, 1915" (theater program). The Silent Film Still Archive. Mitchel H. Mark Realty Corporation. November 15, 1915. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
strand, theatre, manhattan, strand, theatre, early, movie, palace, located, 1579, broadway, northwest, corner, 47th, street, broadway, times, square, york, city, opened, 1914, theater, later, known, mark, strand, theatre, warner, theatre, cinerama, theatre, cl. The Strand Theatre was an early movie palace located at 1579 Broadway 1 at the northwest corner of 47th Street and Broadway in Times Square New York City Opened in 1914 the theater was later known as the Mark Strand Theatre 2 the Warner Theatre and the Cinerama Theatre It closed as the RKO Warner Twin Theatre and was demolished in 1987 Strand Theatre June 1914 Contents 1 History 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External linksHistory editThe Strand Theatre was built in 1914 as part of the chain of movie theaters owned by the Mark Brothers Mitchel and Moe It cost US 1 million equivalent to 29 215 947 in 2022 to build and is believed to have been the first lavish movie palace built only to show motion pictures It was designed by Thomas W Lamb and served as a model for many other similar theaters built at the time The New York Times favorably reviewed the opening of the Strand helping to establish its importance To manage the theater Mitchel Mark personally hired Samuel Roxy Rothafel Rothafel developed his luxurious style of presenting films at the Strand which he later perfected at the Capitol and Roxy Theatres becoming the best known motion picture showman in New York City 3 The theatre influenced The Strand in Hobart Tasmania which was initially intended to be a replica of its New York namesake 4 The theatre was under contract and mostly showed films distributed by Paramount Pictures 5 In 1928 the Mark Strand became the Warner Strand when Warner Bros acquired the theatre to showcase its films on Times Square It was eventually renamed the Warner Theatre in 1951 After closing for renovation in 1952 the theater reopened as the Warner Cinerama Theatre in 1953 with the widescreen film This Is Cinerama 1952 The Warner was the primary New York home of Cinerama films during the remaining years of the 1950s and in 1963 installed an even larger screen to present such 70mm films as It s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World 1963 citation needed In 1968 the theater was converted into three separate cinemas by RKO Stanley Warner Theatres The 1 000 seat Warner Cinerama now occupied the original theater s main floor The 1 200 seat Penthouse Theatre occupied the former balcony and the Cine Orleans was created in the stage house of the old Strand entered from 47th St The Cinerama and Penthouse were renamed again in the 1980s as the RKO Warner Twin The entire building closed on February 8 1987 It was demolished to make way for the Morgan Stanley Building part of the redevelopment of Times Square 1 Memorable films that had their New York premieres at the Strand include Captain Blood 1935 starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland 6 References edit a b Strand Theatre Cinema Treasures Retrieved 2010 06 26 The Stage Door New York Tribune 1919 10 17 11 col 7 All the Strand theaters in the country which are controlled by the Mitchell sic H Mark Realty Company will from now on be known as Mark Strand Theatres There is one in New York at Forty seventh Street and Broadway Reviews of the opening New Strand Opens Biggest of Movies The New York Times 1914 04 12 Strand Theatre is Model Home for Photo Plays The Evening World 1915 07 14 16 col 7 Events of the Films Broadway Likes Motion Pictures New York Tribune 1914 04 19 Part III 9 col 1 Million Dollar Theatre Opens The Motion Picture News Vol 9 No 15 1914 04 18 23 Bush W Stephen Opening of the Strand The Moving Picture World Vol 20 No 4 1914 04 25 502 Strand s Big Start Variety Vol 34 No 7 1914 04 17 20 Strand Theater Opens The New York Dramatic Mirror Vol 71 No 1843 1914 04 15 31 non permanent link McIntyre Paul 9 November 2015 The history of Hobart s Odeon Theatre the finest building in Tasmania Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 10 May 2022 Terry Ramsaye January 1925 The Romantic History of the Motion Picture Photoplay p 120 Retrieved 2018 04 28 Brown Gene 1995 Movie Time A Chronology of Hollywood and the Movie Industry from Its Beginnings to the Present New York Macmillan p 125 ISBN 0 02 860429 6 Further reading editBloom Ken 2004 Strand Theater Broadway an Encyclopedia New York Routledge 504 Bush W Stephen Opening of the Strand different from piece above in References The Moving Picture World Vol 20 No 3 1914 04 18 371 Forsher James 2003 Chapter 6 Roxy The Community of Cinema Westport CT Praeger 39f Melnick Ross and Fuchs Andreas 2004 Chapter 2 Birth of the Palaces 1913 1919 Cinema Treasures St Paul MN MBI 25f Melnick Ross 2012 Strand Theatre New York NY American Showman New York Columbia University Press 94f Ramsaye Terry 1926 Chapter 67 Roxy Comes to Broadway A Million and One Nights A History of the Motion Picture Simon amp Schuster book has no page numbers Reynolds Walter Don t Give the People What They Want The Green Book Magazine Vol 12 1914 08 225 The Strand Theatre in New York The Theatre Vol 23 No 184 June 1916 369 Article on how Rothapfel runs the theaterExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Strand Theatre Manhattan Strand Theatre at CinemaTreasures org Strand Theatre New York City New York January 28 1915 theater program The Silent Film Still Archive Mitchel H Mark Realty Corporation January 28 1915 Retrieved February 9 2014 Strand Theatre New York City New York November 14 1915 theater program The Silent Film Still Archive Mitchel H Mark Realty Corporation November 15 1915 Retrieved February 9 2014 Museum of the City of New York photographs Lobby Stage Stage Boxes Exterior sign Balcony View from stageNew York Public Library photograph Night view NYPL Digital Gallery 40 45 34 81 N 73 59 6 96 W 40 7596694 N 73 9852667 W 40 7596694 73 9852667 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Strand Theatre Manhattan amp oldid 1144917574, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
