1 00:00:02,133 --> 00:00:04,533 (calm music) 2 00:00:11,700 --> 00:00:14,966 (calm music continues) 3 00:00:22,233 --> 00:00:24,066 - [Announcer] For over a century 4 00:00:24,066 --> 00:00:26,466 movies have brought us together. 5 00:00:27,666 --> 00:00:30,966 They entertain us, they enlighten us. 6 00:00:30,966 --> 00:00:33,400 They take us places we've never been. 7 00:00:34,833 --> 00:00:38,600 Through the movies we are able to see the world 8 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,133 through others' eyes. 9 00:00:41,266 --> 00:00:44,766 Imagine with others' imaginations, 10 00:00:44,766 --> 00:00:47,300 feel with others' hearts. 11 00:00:48,666 --> 00:00:53,566 Movies can inspire us, challenge us. 12 00:00:53,566 --> 00:00:58,433 And despite our differences, they can unite us. 13 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:06,500 In small towns and large cities around the world, 14 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:09,566 movie theaters have served as gathering places 15 00:01:09,566 --> 00:01:12,300 for communities to come together 16 00:01:12,300 --> 00:01:15,266 and share a common link to humanity 17 00:01:15,266 --> 00:01:18,666 through the experience of cinema. 18 00:01:18,666 --> 00:01:21,766 (upbeat piano music) 19 00:01:24,766 --> 00:01:27,400 At the beginning of the 20th century, 20 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,066 the United States was entering a period 21 00:01:30,066 --> 00:01:32,033 of sweeping transformation. 22 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,100 By 1916, 25 million Americans 23 00:01:37,100 --> 00:01:39,800 attended a movie every single day. 24 00:01:41,166 --> 00:01:44,766 The movies and the theaters that exhibited them 25 00:01:44,766 --> 00:01:47,466 were fast becoming the most important source 26 00:01:47,466 --> 00:01:51,266 of entertainment for a prosperous nation. 27 00:01:51,266 --> 00:01:54,333 (upbeat piano music) 28 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:03,566 The small coastal city of Rockland, Maine was no exception. 29 00:02:04,300 --> 00:02:07,066 (upbeat piano music) 30 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,900 (upbeat piano music continues) 31 00:02:36,566 --> 00:02:40,466 In the early 1900s, Rockland was still a city 32 00:02:40,466 --> 00:02:43,200 powdered in the success of the lime industry. 33 00:02:44,266 --> 00:02:46,366 Its future prosperity, however, 34 00:02:46,366 --> 00:02:48,333 was anything but certain. 35 00:02:49,566 --> 00:02:52,166 Transportation and building practices 36 00:02:52,166 --> 00:02:54,600 were changing across the country. 37 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,033 Signaling the beginning of the end 38 00:02:57,033 --> 00:02:59,433 for Rocklands lime manufacturing 39 00:02:59,433 --> 00:03:01,566 and ship building industries. 40 00:03:03,866 --> 00:03:06,000 Fishing, which would become vital 41 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,133 to Rocklands prosperity in the coming decades, 42 00:03:09,133 --> 00:03:12,733 was just beginning to emerge as an economic force. 43 00:03:16,366 --> 00:03:18,933 (upbeat music) 44 00:03:25,866 --> 00:03:29,700 By 1910, there were already two movie theaters 45 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:31,800 operating in Rockland. 46 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:36,200 The new Dreamland Theater, later renamed the Empire, 47 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:37,533 sat on Oak Street 48 00:03:38,933 --> 00:03:41,766 and the Rockland Theater, renamed The Park 49 00:03:41,766 --> 00:03:45,733 in the mid twenties, was located on Park Street. 50 00:03:49,033 --> 00:03:52,233 As the new century's second decade began, 51 00:03:52,233 --> 00:03:56,666 downtown Rockland was a vibrant commercial and social hub 52 00:03:56,666 --> 00:03:59,366 and Main Street bustled with activity. 53 00:04:00,533 --> 00:04:03,366 The horse and carriage shared Main Street 54 00:04:03,366 --> 00:04:05,133 with the automobile. 55 00:04:05,133 --> 00:04:09,133 Evidence that Rockland, like so much of the nation, 56 00:04:09,133 --> 00:04:10,466 was in transition. 57 00:04:12,033 --> 00:04:15,733 But Rockland Cityscape was about to undergo 58 00:04:15,733 --> 00:04:20,300 a more dramatic and unplanned transformation. 59 00:04:21,866 --> 00:04:24,200 (sad music) 60 00:04:37,766 --> 00:04:42,466 Just after 2:00 AM on June 16th, 1920, 61 00:04:42,466 --> 00:04:46,966 Daniel Churchill, the night man at the Perry Lunch Room, 62 00:04:46,966 --> 00:04:51,633 discovered a fire in the rear corner of the central garage, 63 00:04:51,633 --> 00:04:54,366 part of the Berry Brothers livery stable on Main Street. 64 00:04:54,366 --> 00:04:55,933 (fire crackling) 65 00:04:55,933 --> 00:04:59,433 Mere seconds after pulling the fire alarm, 66 00:04:59,433 --> 00:05:02,366 flames had already shot through the main garage 67 00:05:02,366 --> 00:05:04,566 and burst through the front of the building. 68 00:05:07,100 --> 00:05:09,633 The fire quickly gathered momentum, 69 00:05:09,633 --> 00:05:11,966 making easy prey of wooden structures 70 00:05:11,966 --> 00:05:14,100 as it moved northward. 71 00:05:14,100 --> 00:05:16,166 Fire crews from Rockland, 72 00:05:16,166 --> 00:05:20,300 assisted by those from Thomaston, Rockport, and Camden 73 00:05:20,300 --> 00:05:22,133 rushed to the scene. 74 00:05:22,133 --> 00:05:26,366 But despite their efforts, the fire continued 75 00:05:26,366 --> 00:05:29,100 and soon brick structures along the stretch 76 00:05:29,100 --> 00:05:31,733 began to crumble, their front walls 77 00:05:31,733 --> 00:05:33,633 crashing onto Main Street. 78 00:05:38,933 --> 00:05:42,100 Before it was finally brought under control, 79 00:05:42,100 --> 00:05:45,633 the fire had destroyed over a dozen businesses 80 00:05:45,633 --> 00:05:50,633 and numerous apartments, ravaging Main Street. 81 00:05:51,233 --> 00:05:53,233 (sad music) 82 00:06:00,233 --> 00:06:02,466 For more than two years, 83 00:06:02,466 --> 00:06:07,466 a key part of Rocklands prosperous downtown lay in ruins. 84 00:06:09,533 --> 00:06:11,866 (sad music) 85 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,933 Joseph Dondis had come to the United States from Russia 86 00:06:56,933 --> 00:06:58,833 at the age of two. 87 00:06:58,833 --> 00:07:01,500 His wife Ida, born in New Jersey, 88 00:07:01,500 --> 00:07:04,066 had moved with her family to Ellsworth 89 00:07:04,066 --> 00:07:05,600 where she had become a teacher. 90 00:07:06,533 --> 00:07:10,900 In 1914, Joseph and Ida married 91 00:07:10,900 --> 00:07:12,533 and settled in Rockland. 92 00:07:14,066 --> 00:07:17,133 Joseph struggled to find his business footing, 93 00:07:17,133 --> 00:07:19,600 trying a variety of businesses 94 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,933 that included pedaling small wares, 95 00:07:22,933 --> 00:07:26,100 running a grocery and crockery store, 96 00:07:26,100 --> 00:07:28,433 as well as a fish business. 97 00:07:30,133 --> 00:07:34,566 In the Fall of 1922, with property along the site 98 00:07:34,566 --> 00:07:37,500 of the fire still vacant, Ida, 99 00:07:37,500 --> 00:07:42,166 who had a keen business sense, saw opportunity. 100 00:07:43,266 --> 00:07:44,966 Using money she had put aside 101 00:07:44,966 --> 00:07:47,133 from her own business endeavors, 102 00:07:47,133 --> 00:07:48,766 she purchased land 103 00:07:48,766 --> 00:07:52,666 along the devastated section of Main Street for $7,500. 104 00:07:55,300 --> 00:07:57,366 A little over a month later, 105 00:07:57,366 --> 00:08:01,900 she and Joseph formed the Dondis Amusement Company, 106 00:08:01,900 --> 00:08:05,433 a company for the management of theater and amusement, 107 00:08:05,433 --> 00:08:07,800 which she then sold the property to. 108 00:08:12,300 --> 00:08:15,133 - It was really my grandmother who was the force 109 00:08:15,133 --> 00:08:17,100 behind the idea for this theater. 110 00:08:17,100 --> 00:08:20,366 And she had a small dress shop in Rockland 111 00:08:20,366 --> 00:08:21,966 and she saved some money 112 00:08:21,966 --> 00:08:26,233 and she saw an opportunity to buy a piece of property, 113 00:08:26,233 --> 00:08:28,633 and her husband agreed with her, 114 00:08:28,633 --> 00:08:30,366 but he didn't necessarily agree 115 00:08:30,366 --> 00:08:32,800 with what she wanted to do with that property. 116 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:34,733 I learned from my great-aunt, 117 00:08:34,733 --> 00:08:36,566 who was my grandmother's sister, 118 00:08:36,566 --> 00:08:39,066 that she and her husband had this relationship 119 00:08:39,066 --> 00:08:44,066 where they had sort of spirited disagreements, shall we say, 120 00:08:44,933 --> 00:08:46,133 and they argued about this. 121 00:08:46,133 --> 00:08:49,100 So she was really the force behind this. 122 00:08:49,100 --> 00:08:52,066 (upbeat music) 123 00:08:52,066 --> 00:08:56,000 - [Announcer] In 1914, Paramount Pictures Corporation 124 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,300 formed the first national distributorship of feature films. 125 00:09:01,466 --> 00:09:04,166 Three years later, in an effort to promote 126 00:09:04,166 --> 00:09:07,666 the recreational activity to middle class Americans 127 00:09:07,666 --> 00:09:11,366 and increase the number of potential theater outlets, 128 00:09:11,366 --> 00:09:15,066 the company began a campaign in national magazines, 129 00:09:15,066 --> 00:09:17,700 such as "The Saturday Evening Post" 130 00:09:17,700 --> 00:09:21,266 and "Ladies Home Journal" with a slogan insisting 131 00:09:21,266 --> 00:09:25,733 that you can have "The Strand" in your own town. 132 00:09:30,500 --> 00:09:31,966 This campaign referred to 133 00:09:31,966 --> 00:09:34,400 the Strand Theater of New York City, 134 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,200 an early and elaborate movie palace 135 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,233 designed by Thomas Lamb in 1914. 136 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,166 Whether Ida saw the evocative ads can't be documented, 137 00:09:48,166 --> 00:09:53,066 but nevertheless, she did see possibilities in the movies 138 00:09:53,066 --> 00:09:55,133 and a business that she believed 139 00:09:55,133 --> 00:09:58,200 Joseph could run and excel in. 140 00:09:59,633 --> 00:10:02,766 - It was a time that movie theaters were thriving, 141 00:10:02,766 --> 00:10:05,266 so perhaps that is true 142 00:10:05,266 --> 00:10:06,466 that this was a business 143 00:10:06,466 --> 00:10:08,066 that my grandfather could thrive in, 144 00:10:08,066 --> 00:10:10,366 and my grandmother recognized that. 145 00:10:11,533 --> 00:10:13,966 However, I think the timing was right too. 146 00:10:13,966 --> 00:10:16,800 It was really a good business at the time. 147 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,133 If she saw what was happening in Hollywood, 148 00:10:19,133 --> 00:10:23,866 she came from a close knit immigrant Jewish family. 149 00:10:23,866 --> 00:10:26,466 And I think the fact that there were Jews 150 00:10:26,466 --> 00:10:31,100 that were pioneers in the film business really made her, 151 00:10:31,100 --> 00:10:33,166 gave her a certain comfort level 152 00:10:33,166 --> 00:10:36,400 with moving forward with this venture. 153 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,766 (calm music) 154 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:42,966 - [Announcer] In the winter of 1922, 155 00:10:42,966 --> 00:10:45,800 Ida and Joseph hired general contractors, 156 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:50,266 WH Glover and Company, to construct The Strand. 157 00:10:50,266 --> 00:10:54,033 And their new enterprise soon began rising from the ashes. 158 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,933 It would be the first building 159 00:10:56,933 --> 00:10:59,866 to emerge from the fire devastated area. 160 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,066 And just six weeks later, 161 00:11:03,066 --> 00:11:05,933 a unique steel framed building 162 00:11:05,933 --> 00:11:08,366 with a brick facade was completed. 163 00:11:14,300 --> 00:11:16,166 Framing the entrance to The Strand 164 00:11:16,166 --> 00:11:20,400 where two small storefronts, a cigar store, 165 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:24,033 run by Joseph's brother James, sat on one side, 166 00:11:24,033 --> 00:11:25,800 and a flower shop on the other. 167 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:29,800 (calm music) 168 00:11:38,366 --> 00:11:41,600 (calm music continues) 169 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:55,266 On Washington's birthday, 1923, 170 00:11:55,266 --> 00:11:58,300 the theater opened its doors. 171 00:11:58,300 --> 00:12:01,266 That evening, the people of Rockland filled the seats 172 00:12:01,266 --> 00:12:06,166 of the New Strand theater for showing of the silent film, 173 00:12:06,166 --> 00:12:08,866 "My Wild Irish Rose". 174 00:12:10,333 --> 00:12:13,000 Entering the theater, they passed under 175 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,466 a traditional vaudeville style canopy. 176 00:12:16,466 --> 00:12:21,000 Above it, a stunning illuminated blade sign. 177 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,100 The word Strand glowed in the evening sky. 178 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,166 Attendees of that first screening must have marveled 179 00:12:34,166 --> 00:12:36,533 at their newest movie theater 180 00:12:36,533 --> 00:12:38,766 with its ornamental brick facade 181 00:12:38,766 --> 00:12:41,466 and terracotta tile walls 182 00:12:41,466 --> 00:12:44,600 it was unlike anything else in town. 183 00:12:46,033 --> 00:12:49,900 The Strand also boosted a gilded proscenium arch, 184 00:12:49,900 --> 00:12:54,866 a stamped tin ceiling, jade green plaster walls, 185 00:12:56,100 --> 00:12:58,366 an organist loft, and an auditorium 186 00:12:58,366 --> 00:13:01,466 seating over 600 patrons. 187 00:13:01,466 --> 00:13:04,033 (upbeat music) 188 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:28,466 In the beginning, admission to the strand was 22 cents, 189 00:13:28,466 --> 00:13:29,966 but in the spring of that year, 190 00:13:29,966 --> 00:13:33,366 ticket prices rose to 25 cents 191 00:13:33,366 --> 00:13:38,366 after Joseph had installed a $10,000 Robert Morton Organ. 192 00:13:39,566 --> 00:13:42,333 Patrons were encouraged to leave musical scores 193 00:13:42,333 --> 00:13:45,800 for their favorite tunes at the box office as they entered, 194 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,466 and then organist James O'Hara 195 00:13:48,466 --> 00:13:52,400 would serenade them with a 10 to 15 minute recital 196 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:54,300 preceding each show. 197 00:13:56,933 --> 00:14:00,833 - And I always wondered where my grandfather 198 00:14:00,833 --> 00:14:03,666 got that much money, because that was a lot of money. 199 00:14:05,833 --> 00:14:07,333 - [Announcer] In order to compete 200 00:14:07,333 --> 00:14:10,966 with the already established Park and Empire Theaters, 201 00:14:10,966 --> 00:14:14,133 Joseph soon added a stage, 202 00:14:14,133 --> 00:14:16,766 a fly tower, and a balcony. 203 00:14:18,366 --> 00:14:21,100 This enabled The Strand to accommodate 204 00:14:21,100 --> 00:14:25,333 local dance recitals and theatrical productions, 205 00:14:25,333 --> 00:14:29,066 in addition to popular vaudeville acts, 206 00:14:29,066 --> 00:14:33,600 and even a film of the 1927 boxing match 207 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,366 between Jack Dempsey and Gene Toney. 208 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:41,666 In addition to entertainment, 209 00:14:41,666 --> 00:14:44,266 the Strand would host many fundraising events 210 00:14:44,266 --> 00:14:46,766 for local clubs and organizations. 211 00:14:47,866 --> 00:14:51,866 Rocklands newest theater was fast becoming 212 00:14:51,866 --> 00:14:55,333 the community gathering place. 213 00:14:55,333 --> 00:14:57,933 (upbeat music) 214 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,133 By the time of The Strands opening 215 00:15:09,133 --> 00:15:13,766 movies with sound were already on the horizon. 216 00:15:13,766 --> 00:15:18,766 - It certainly by 1927, they were showing talkies 217 00:15:19,633 --> 00:15:21,100 in theaters around the country, 218 00:15:21,100 --> 00:15:24,833 so they had to invest in a sound system, which they did. 219 00:15:24,833 --> 00:15:27,700 I don't know how much that first sound system cost either, 220 00:15:27,700 --> 00:15:30,066 but I know that two years later 221 00:15:30,066 --> 00:15:32,233 they upgraded to another sound system. 222 00:15:32,233 --> 00:15:35,533 And that sound system, I believe, was $10,000. 223 00:15:35,533 --> 00:15:38,600 So within the space of four or five years, 224 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:43,600 they sank at least $22,000 or $20,000 into this theater. 225 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:46,266 I don't know where they got all the money for that. 226 00:15:46,266 --> 00:15:48,266 I know my grandmother had saved some money, 227 00:15:48,266 --> 00:15:49,900 but I don't know. 228 00:15:49,900 --> 00:15:51,433 That's a lot of money in today's dollars. 229 00:15:51,433 --> 00:15:55,233 - The Deforrest Phonofilm system used to record 230 00:15:55,233 --> 00:15:58,800 vaudeville acts, musical numbers, political speeches, 231 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,966 and opera singers was first featured at The Strand 232 00:16:02,966 --> 00:16:05,033 in May, 1927. 233 00:16:06,433 --> 00:16:10,733 An early Strand advertisement explained the phenomenon, 234 00:16:10,733 --> 00:16:14,133 "Sound and sight are perfectly interwoven 235 00:16:14,133 --> 00:16:17,033 "in the Deforrest Phonofilm records 236 00:16:17,033 --> 00:16:21,133 "so that you have vaudeville as well as pictures." 237 00:16:22,466 --> 00:16:26,233 Two years later at considerable expense, 238 00:16:26,233 --> 00:16:28,333 the Strand was fully outfitted 239 00:16:28,333 --> 00:16:30,666 with the more popular Vitaphone and Movietone 240 00:16:31,766 --> 00:16:34,333 sound and picture systems. 241 00:16:34,333 --> 00:16:39,333 And in 1929, the theater premiered its first talkie, 242 00:16:40,700 --> 00:16:44,333 Metro Golden Mayor's "Alias, Jimmy Valentine". 243 00:16:47,066 --> 00:16:48,733 - See, there were two competing systems. 244 00:16:48,733 --> 00:16:51,733 There was Movietone and Vitaphone. 245 00:16:51,733 --> 00:16:53,233 Movietone was a descendant 246 00:16:53,233 --> 00:16:55,433 of the Deforrest Sound on Film process. 247 00:16:55,433 --> 00:16:58,700 And Vitaphone, which produced better audio, 248 00:16:58,700 --> 00:17:01,533 used sound on big 16 inch discs 249 00:17:01,533 --> 00:17:03,800 that were mechanically linked to the projector 250 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:05,933 so that it would stay in synchronization. 251 00:17:05,933 --> 00:17:07,733 And Warner Brothers used Vitaphone 252 00:17:07,733 --> 00:17:09,233 for all of their early talkies. 253 00:17:09,233 --> 00:17:11,666 So it kind of had the cachet 254 00:17:11,666 --> 00:17:13,966 of being where you would go to find Al Jolson, 255 00:17:13,966 --> 00:17:15,700 where you'd go to find the biggest star. 256 00:17:15,700 --> 00:17:19,600 But when the Dondis's decided to go full blown with talkies, 257 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,266 which everyone was doing in early 1929, 258 00:17:22,266 --> 00:17:23,966 they went out and they got a system 259 00:17:23,966 --> 00:17:28,966 that featured both Vitaphone and Movietone, 260 00:17:30,133 --> 00:17:32,466 which made it possible to show anybody's films. 261 00:17:32,466 --> 00:17:34,666 And that was a very forward-thinking measure, 262 00:17:34,666 --> 00:17:38,000 because Vitaphone eventually fell out of favor 263 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,466 because it was simply too clumsy to deal with. 264 00:17:41,466 --> 00:17:44,900 And everything went to sound on film by 1930, '31. 265 00:17:54,700 --> 00:17:57,933 (upbeat music) 266 00:17:57,933 --> 00:17:59,966 - [Announcer] As an independent theater owner 267 00:17:59,966 --> 00:18:03,466 in the mid 1920s, Joseph had difficulty 268 00:18:03,466 --> 00:18:07,466 obtaining the first run films he wanted and needed. 269 00:18:08,633 --> 00:18:10,066 He received a letter 270 00:18:10,066 --> 00:18:13,800 from Adolph Zuckor's Publix Theaters Corporation, 271 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:15,766 which had acquired Paramount 272 00:18:15,766 --> 00:18:18,700 as well as other producers and exhibitors. 273 00:18:20,133 --> 00:18:23,166 Publix was already running the Strands competition 274 00:18:23,166 --> 00:18:26,133 in Rockland, and the letter threatened 275 00:18:26,133 --> 00:18:28,666 to run The Strand out of business 276 00:18:28,666 --> 00:18:32,533 by blocking the bookings of popular Paramount films. 277 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:36,100 Without these bookings, Joseph knew 278 00:18:36,100 --> 00:18:38,433 that The Strand would struggle. 279 00:18:41,066 --> 00:18:43,833 Perhaps Joseph saw the letter as an opportunity 280 00:18:43,833 --> 00:18:46,033 to shake things loose, 281 00:18:46,033 --> 00:18:49,300 and so he sent it to the trade publication 282 00:18:49,300 --> 00:18:51,700 Motion Picture Herald. 283 00:18:51,700 --> 00:18:54,366 The Herald then sent it on 284 00:18:54,366 --> 00:18:57,333 to the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, 285 00:18:57,333 --> 00:19:00,700 where a committee investigating possible violations 286 00:19:00,700 --> 00:19:05,300 of the Sherman Antitrust Act by Zukor and Publix 287 00:19:05,300 --> 00:19:07,700 was beginning to hold hearings. 288 00:19:09,933 --> 00:19:13,700 Soon Joseph was on his way to Washington 289 00:19:13,700 --> 00:19:16,100 to testify in front of the committee. 290 00:19:21,633 --> 00:19:25,766 The effect of Joseph's trip to Washington was soon apparent. 291 00:19:25,766 --> 00:19:29,700 For not long afterward, Publix Theaters Corporation 292 00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:34,300 and their policy toward any new exhibitors softened. 293 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:37,200 And in the spring of 1928, 294 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,100 they entered into a partnership with Joseph 295 00:19:40,100 --> 00:19:43,666 to manage all three theaters in Rockland, 296 00:19:43,666 --> 00:19:47,100 The Strand, The Empire, and The Park. 297 00:19:51,433 --> 00:19:54,966 By then, the Dondis family also partially owned 298 00:19:54,966 --> 00:19:58,900 and managed theaters in Skowhegan and Callous, Maine, 299 00:19:58,900 --> 00:20:01,266 and eventually managed the Waldo Theater 300 00:20:01,266 --> 00:20:03,666 in Walterboro as well. 301 00:20:03,666 --> 00:20:06,233 (upbeat music) 302 00:20:11,666 --> 00:20:14,833 Ida had been right about the movies. 303 00:20:14,833 --> 00:20:18,366 Joseph had found his business niche. 304 00:20:18,366 --> 00:20:20,966 (upbeat music) 305 00:20:34,633 --> 00:20:36,600 Like the rest of the nation, 306 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:38,400 Rockland was not shielded 307 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:42,066 from the ravages of the Great Depression of the 1930s. 308 00:20:43,233 --> 00:20:45,366 People felt the damaging effects 309 00:20:45,366 --> 00:20:48,566 of the economic storm throughout that decade. 310 00:20:49,633 --> 00:20:53,400 Businesses retrenched or closed, 311 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,833 unemployment skyrocketed and wages declined 312 00:20:57,833 --> 00:21:00,500 for those who were lucky enough to have jobs. 313 00:21:01,733 --> 00:21:04,200 Government programs and local aid 314 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,000 provided some transient relief, 315 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,866 but economic contraction persisted. 316 00:21:11,033 --> 00:21:13,366 People had little money to spend, 317 00:21:13,366 --> 00:21:17,100 and what they did have went for necessities. 318 00:21:18,666 --> 00:21:21,266 Despite the drop in movie attendance 319 00:21:21,266 --> 00:21:23,366 during the Great Depression, 320 00:21:23,366 --> 00:21:25,933 The Strand continued to thrive. 321 00:21:27,333 --> 00:21:31,333 In a talk to the local Lions Club in the early 1930s, 322 00:21:31,333 --> 00:21:33,733 Joseph Dondis stated that The Strand 323 00:21:33,733 --> 00:21:37,500 was the only motion picture theater in the country, 324 00:21:37,500 --> 00:21:42,200 which had shown a prophet in 1931 and 1932, 325 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,100 although materially reduced. 326 00:21:47,566 --> 00:21:50,100 - And of course, when the depression happened, 327 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:52,033 my grandmother always told me 328 00:21:52,033 --> 00:21:54,833 that people lined up around the block 329 00:21:54,833 --> 00:21:56,133 to come to the theater. 330 00:21:56,133 --> 00:21:58,400 Even when they could barely afford food, 331 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:00,833 they would spend a nickel or whatever it was. 332 00:22:00,833 --> 00:22:02,800 I don't know what the ticket prices were then 333 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:06,766 to come to the theater just to stop thinking 334 00:22:06,766 --> 00:22:10,166 about their lot in life at that particular moment. 335 00:22:10,166 --> 00:22:12,866 So it was really important time. 336 00:22:12,866 --> 00:22:15,166 And it was a time when the movie business 337 00:22:15,166 --> 00:22:18,966 was increasing its effect. 338 00:22:18,966 --> 00:22:21,533 Its reach exponentially. 339 00:22:21,533 --> 00:22:23,166 People want it to be entertained. 340 00:22:25,466 --> 00:22:27,133 - [Announcer] Paramount itself had to go 341 00:22:27,133 --> 00:22:29,466 into receivership and reorganization 342 00:22:29,466 --> 00:22:31,133 during the early thirties. 343 00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:36,700 Most theaters added novelties to increase attendance. 344 00:22:36,700 --> 00:22:41,366 Around 1933, popcorn, candy and soft drinks 345 00:22:41,366 --> 00:22:44,466 were offered for the first time in theaters. 346 00:22:44,466 --> 00:22:48,800 And soon, James Dondis's tobacco shop next door, 347 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:52,800 now known as the Strand Theater Store, 348 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,700 began selling candy to theatergoers. 349 00:22:58,733 --> 00:23:01,000 Sometime in the late thirties, 350 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,900 to take advantage of Main Street traffic, 351 00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:07,000 Joseph added a new Marques to The Strand 352 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,533 in order to display the titles of current features. 353 00:23:11,633 --> 00:23:13,700 It was also during this time 354 00:23:13,700 --> 00:23:17,233 that the flower shop was moved across the street, 355 00:23:17,233 --> 00:23:21,300 creating room in the lobby for an expanded lady's room. 356 00:23:24,666 --> 00:23:29,133 During those difficult financial times of the 1930s, 357 00:23:29,133 --> 00:23:31,600 there would be bank nights 358 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,566 in which the theater held drawings 359 00:23:33,566 --> 00:23:36,166 to give away money to struggling families. 360 00:23:37,366 --> 00:23:39,033 Community members came to The Strand 361 00:23:39,033 --> 00:23:42,466 for a chance to escape the struggles of everyday life 362 00:23:42,466 --> 00:23:45,433 and share in a welcome diversion. 363 00:23:46,766 --> 00:23:48,600 By the late thirties, 364 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,566 things were beginning to bounce back, 365 00:23:51,566 --> 00:23:53,666 but it had been a difficult decade 366 00:23:53,666 --> 00:23:56,566 for the nation and Rockland. 367 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,000 (calm music) 368 00:24:04,900 --> 00:24:08,166 Then in the spring of 1940, 369 00:24:08,166 --> 00:24:10,500 Joseph suffered a heart attack. 370 00:24:11,666 --> 00:24:14,366 Throughout the summer and into early fall 371 00:24:14,366 --> 00:24:18,566 it seemed as though he would recover and continue his work. 372 00:24:18,566 --> 00:24:22,133 But in late October, he died suddenly. 373 00:24:23,566 --> 00:24:28,233 Ida, grieving the loss of her husband and partner, 374 00:24:28,233 --> 00:24:31,300 had little choice but to add the running of the theater 375 00:24:31,300 --> 00:24:33,566 to her business responsibilities. 376 00:24:34,933 --> 00:24:37,133 And so she and The Strand carried on. 377 00:24:55,433 --> 00:25:00,333 By the fall of 1939, with the German invasion of Poland, 378 00:25:00,333 --> 00:25:01,933 war had begun. 379 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:11,366 In Rockland life continued as normal, 380 00:25:11,366 --> 00:25:14,700 but citizens kept a wary eye on the development 381 00:25:14,700 --> 00:25:17,433 of the conflict in Europe. 382 00:25:17,433 --> 00:25:22,433 Then on Sunday afternoon, December 7th, 1941, 383 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,366 patrons enjoying the matinee at The Strand 384 00:25:26,366 --> 00:25:30,266 were surprised when suddenly the house lights illuminated. 385 00:25:31,633 --> 00:25:35,733 Strand Manager Danny Danielo mounted the stage 386 00:25:35,733 --> 00:25:39,000 and solemnly announced that the Japanese 387 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,600 had attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. 388 00:25:43,466 --> 00:25:45,333 All servicemen in the audience 389 00:25:45,333 --> 00:25:48,966 were to report to their bases immediately. 390 00:25:48,966 --> 00:25:51,333 The US was at war. 391 00:25:51,333 --> 00:25:54,066 (dramatic music) 392 00:26:07,466 --> 00:26:12,266 In February of 1942, Walter Winchell announced 393 00:26:12,266 --> 00:26:14,466 during a radio broadcast 394 00:26:14,466 --> 00:26:16,166 that the government had certified 395 00:26:16,166 --> 00:26:21,166 the motion picture business as a necessary war industry. 396 00:26:22,366 --> 00:26:25,300 Not only did movies boost morale, 397 00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:28,766 but theaters were used for recruiting purposes. 398 00:26:28,766 --> 00:26:32,066 And newsreels shown before movie features 399 00:26:32,066 --> 00:26:35,600 kept citizens informed about what was happening overseas. 400 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,000 (upbeat patriotic music) 401 00:26:49,500 --> 00:26:51,333 The Strand played its part 402 00:26:51,333 --> 00:26:54,966 and the theater's role as a community center strengthened. 403 00:26:59,300 --> 00:27:02,466 In 1944, the Women's Army Corps 404 00:27:02,466 --> 00:27:04,933 held a recruiting event at The Strand, 405 00:27:04,933 --> 00:27:08,566 involving a military uniform fashion show. 406 00:27:08,566 --> 00:27:11,133 (upbeat music) 407 00:27:16,500 --> 00:27:19,800 Rubber drives became regular events at the theater. 408 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:25,766 The Strand also participated in a war bond campaign. 409 00:27:25,766 --> 00:27:28,300 Patrons paid the price of a bond 410 00:27:28,300 --> 00:27:31,000 instead of a ticket in order to be admitted 411 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,366 to the week's feature premier. 412 00:27:33,366 --> 00:27:37,133 And the program raised over $100,000 413 00:27:37,133 --> 00:27:39,866 for the war effort in a single night. 414 00:27:42,333 --> 00:27:46,133 Rockland itself was drawn heavily into the war effort, 415 00:27:46,133 --> 00:27:48,900 because of its well protected deep harbor, 416 00:27:48,900 --> 00:27:51,900 suitable for major naval trials, 417 00:27:51,900 --> 00:27:56,400 the operating shipyard, a Coast Guard base, 418 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,933 and the airport at Owl's Head. 419 00:28:00,133 --> 00:28:02,333 This drew additional people to the city. 420 00:28:03,633 --> 00:28:05,533 The potential audience swelled 421 00:28:05,533 --> 00:28:08,133 with the servicemen and women in the area, 422 00:28:08,133 --> 00:28:10,933 but also with the growing labor force. 423 00:28:12,333 --> 00:28:15,466 There was daily bus service from Rockland to Bath Ironworks 424 00:28:15,466 --> 00:28:17,700 for each of the three shifts. 425 00:28:18,833 --> 00:28:21,133 Special midnight showtimes were added 426 00:28:21,133 --> 00:28:24,166 to accommodate the laborers working the round the clock 427 00:28:24,166 --> 00:28:27,500 production shifts necessitated by the war. 428 00:28:29,133 --> 00:28:33,533 Finally, with the German surrender in 1945, 429 00:28:33,533 --> 00:28:36,766 the world and Rockland celebrated the end 430 00:28:36,766 --> 00:28:39,666 of six years of conflict. 431 00:28:39,666 --> 00:28:42,233 (upbeat music) 432 00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:58,600 Rockland and The Strand experienced a boom throughout 433 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,766 and just after those years at war. 434 00:29:01,766 --> 00:29:05,666 The Strand saw a nearly 30% rise in attendance 435 00:29:05,666 --> 00:29:09,100 during the period matching the national trends. 436 00:29:09,966 --> 00:29:11,833 But in the coming decades, 437 00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:15,233 a new rival would appear on the horizon 438 00:29:15,233 --> 00:29:19,700 and tempt the public away from their local theaters. 439 00:29:27,133 --> 00:29:30,100 Theater attendance in the 1950s and sixties 440 00:29:30,100 --> 00:29:32,533 began a steady decline 441 00:29:32,533 --> 00:29:34,800 as television was rapidly becoming 442 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,700 the dominant entertainment medium in the United States. 443 00:29:43,100 --> 00:29:44,833 Ida hadn't been content 444 00:29:44,833 --> 00:29:47,666 to simply let business drain away, 445 00:29:47,666 --> 00:29:51,933 and so she kept improving The Strand experience. 446 00:29:51,933 --> 00:29:54,500 (upbeat music) 447 00:30:01,566 --> 00:30:03,033 And in the early fifties 448 00:30:03,033 --> 00:30:05,733 she closed the theater for a short time 449 00:30:05,733 --> 00:30:09,200 in order to upgrade the screen and projection systems. 450 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:12,733 The Strand reopened fitted with the new 451 00:30:12,733 --> 00:30:16,300 wide screen cinema scope projection system 452 00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:17,633 and a screening 453 00:30:17,633 --> 00:30:21,566 of the first ever Cinemascope movie, "The Robe". 454 00:30:26,966 --> 00:30:28,600 Other films that made use 455 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:30,900 of the new wide screen would follow. 456 00:30:32,300 --> 00:30:34,900 (upbeat music) 457 00:30:45,266 --> 00:30:49,133 But television was proving to be a serious rival. 458 00:30:55,700 --> 00:30:57,966 The US Census Bureau estimated 459 00:30:57,966 --> 00:31:01,266 that weekly movie attendance across the country 460 00:31:01,266 --> 00:31:04,100 dropped from a high of around 90 million 461 00:31:04,100 --> 00:31:08,833 in the mid forties to 60 million in the mid fifties. 462 00:31:08,833 --> 00:31:11,766 And finally, by the mid sixties, 463 00:31:11,766 --> 00:31:14,233 the figure was closer to 40 million. 464 00:31:19,533 --> 00:31:22,533 But while attendance at movie theaters dropped, 465 00:31:22,533 --> 00:31:24,466 The Strand survived. 466 00:31:24,466 --> 00:31:27,266 And by the early 1960s, 467 00:31:27,266 --> 00:31:31,333 The Strand was the sole remaining movie theater in Rockland 468 00:31:31,333 --> 00:31:34,533 following the closure of its two companions. 469 00:31:39,300 --> 00:31:41,766 Also in the sixties, the advent 470 00:31:41,766 --> 00:31:43,900 of multi screen movie theaters 471 00:31:43,900 --> 00:31:46,900 was becoming commonplace across the country 472 00:31:46,900 --> 00:31:50,733 as theater owners realized they could increase profits 473 00:31:50,733 --> 00:31:53,033 by adding additional screens 474 00:31:53,033 --> 00:31:56,500 and still operate with the same size staff. 475 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:00,833 The Strand continued as a single screen theater 476 00:32:00,833 --> 00:32:03,933 through the sixties and most of the seventies. 477 00:32:03,933 --> 00:32:08,933 Until finally in 1979, Ida followed suit 478 00:32:10,300 --> 00:32:14,266 and twinned The Strand, splitting it into two cinemas, 479 00:32:15,133 --> 00:32:17,100 the main screen downstairs, 480 00:32:17,100 --> 00:32:20,300 and a second screen in the converted balcony. 481 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:28,766 On Main Street, A new Strand, cinemas one and two marquee 482 00:32:28,766 --> 00:32:32,900 was built over the existing 1930s marquee. 483 00:32:38,700 --> 00:32:41,433 The following year in 1980, 484 00:32:41,433 --> 00:32:44,366 Ida retired from the movie business 485 00:32:44,366 --> 00:32:46,333 and her son Meredith, 486 00:32:46,333 --> 00:32:48,400 took over the management of the theater. 487 00:32:49,566 --> 00:32:52,166 The Strand continued to show first run films 488 00:32:52,166 --> 00:32:56,366 in the newly remodeled theater through the 1980s and 1990s. 489 00:33:00,166 --> 00:33:03,300 Since it first opened in the early twenties, 490 00:33:03,300 --> 00:33:07,700 the Strand had served Rockland and the Midcoast region 491 00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:12,166 as a recreational center, a community touchstone, 492 00:33:12,166 --> 00:33:17,166 and of course a teller of timeless tales through the movies. 493 00:33:21,933 --> 00:33:25,500 It had outlasted the Park and Empire Theaters 494 00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:27,933 and enjoyed the success of being Rocklands 495 00:33:27,933 --> 00:33:30,966 only movie theater for many decades. 496 00:33:33,166 --> 00:33:38,166 In 1997, following the trends of modern movie going, 497 00:33:39,366 --> 00:33:42,533 the Flagship, a huge multi-screen theater 498 00:33:42,533 --> 00:33:45,666 was constructed just outside of town. 499 00:33:47,100 --> 00:33:51,833 With this new multiplex came hard times for The Strand 500 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,966 and Rocklands downtown movie theater struggled 501 00:33:55,966 --> 00:33:58,100 to remain competitive. 502 00:34:08,566 --> 00:34:13,566 In June, 1999, a fire ignited in the theater lobby 503 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,566 when a popcorn warmer used to melt butter malfunctioned 504 00:34:18,566 --> 00:34:20,966 causing damage to the candy counter. 505 00:34:22,266 --> 00:34:26,066 Meredith Dondis announced a few days later 506 00:34:26,066 --> 00:34:28,533 that he was closing The Strand. 507 00:34:29,933 --> 00:34:32,933 He said the fire was not the reason for the closure, 508 00:34:32,933 --> 00:34:36,200 but that after more than 50 years of work, 509 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:38,200 he was ready to retire. 510 00:34:40,466 --> 00:34:44,266 In July, 2000, the Dondis family 511 00:34:44,266 --> 00:34:48,033 sold the strand to Peter and Denise Vivian 512 00:34:48,033 --> 00:34:50,366 of Roslyn, New Jersey, 513 00:34:50,366 --> 00:34:54,933 who continued to operate it as a second run movie theater. 514 00:34:54,933 --> 00:34:59,266 But finally, in December, 2001, 515 00:34:59,266 --> 00:35:01,700 the financial difficulties of operating 516 00:35:01,700 --> 00:35:06,266 in the shadow of the multiplex became unsustainable, 517 00:35:06,266 --> 00:35:10,400 and the Strand was sold to the owners of the Flagship. 518 00:35:12,566 --> 00:35:14,666 Rather than becoming an extension 519 00:35:14,666 --> 00:35:18,766 of the multiplexes offerings, it quickly became apparent 520 00:35:18,766 --> 00:35:21,100 what the new owners had in mind. 521 00:35:22,266 --> 00:35:24,900 Not long after the sale was finalized, 522 00:35:24,900 --> 00:35:29,900 they shuttered Rocklands only remaining downtown theater, 523 00:35:31,100 --> 00:35:33,433 thus beginning a dark period for The Strand. 524 00:35:37,766 --> 00:35:40,166 For three long years, 525 00:35:40,166 --> 00:35:43,266 the once vibrant community gathering place 526 00:35:44,166 --> 00:35:46,766 sat empty and decaying. 527 00:35:47,966 --> 00:35:51,033 Rockland's last surviving movie theater 528 00:35:51,033 --> 00:35:54,733 was now just an eye sore on Main Street. 529 00:36:06,766 --> 00:36:10,766 The ensuing controversy over the multiplexes refusal 530 00:36:10,766 --> 00:36:13,333 to reopen The Strands doors 531 00:36:13,333 --> 00:36:16,733 led to public outrage by the citizens of Rockland. 532 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:22,700 In January, 2004, the Main Attorney General's office 533 00:36:22,700 --> 00:36:27,433 stepped in and began an antitrust investigation. 534 00:36:27,433 --> 00:36:30,233 Finally filing a lawsuit against the owners 535 00:36:30,233 --> 00:36:32,266 of the Flagship multiplex. 536 00:36:37,166 --> 00:36:39,866 Maine's Attorney General directed that the theater 537 00:36:39,866 --> 00:36:44,566 must be sold to an independent unaffiliated buyer. 538 00:36:55,933 --> 00:36:59,400 Matt and Ellen Simmons had started visiting Midcoast Maine 539 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,566 in the 1980s, and soon it had become 540 00:37:03,733 --> 00:37:05,266 an important part of their lives. 541 00:37:05,266 --> 00:37:08,900 Over the years, The Strand had become a part as well. 542 00:37:10,033 --> 00:37:12,366 They had seen movies at The Strand for years 543 00:37:12,366 --> 00:37:14,900 depending on it for entertainment for themselves 544 00:37:14,900 --> 00:37:16,533 and their five daughters 545 00:37:16,533 --> 00:37:19,333 during those inevitable rainy days 546 00:37:19,333 --> 00:37:21,766 of Maine summer vacations. 547 00:37:21,766 --> 00:37:25,166 - For five of us kids, and we didn't have TV at home 548 00:37:25,166 --> 00:37:28,766 and we, on rainy days, you couldn't go outside 549 00:37:28,766 --> 00:37:31,266 and sharpen sticks or play on the beach. 550 00:37:31,266 --> 00:37:33,766 So perhaps they thought, "Oh, we can take all five 551 00:37:33,766 --> 00:37:36,666 "to the theater and entertain them with some popcorn." 552 00:37:36,666 --> 00:37:39,033 And again, this was a two room theater at the time, 553 00:37:39,033 --> 00:37:40,433 so looked a bit different, 554 00:37:40,433 --> 00:37:43,466 but it was a nice adventure to get to Rockland. 555 00:37:43,466 --> 00:37:46,833 (upbeat music) 556 00:37:46,833 --> 00:37:48,833 - [Announcer] The boarding up of Rockland Strand 557 00:37:48,833 --> 00:37:51,266 was something Matt and Ellen took to heart. 558 00:37:52,433 --> 00:37:55,066 - Just we wanted to restore this. 559 00:37:55,066 --> 00:37:56,966 And we had been very active 560 00:37:56,966 --> 00:38:00,733 with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 561 00:38:00,733 --> 00:38:03,100 and we thought it would be a wonderful idea 562 00:38:03,100 --> 00:38:06,533 for both Rockland and Rockport 563 00:38:06,533 --> 00:38:09,866 and the towns in the area. 564 00:38:09,866 --> 00:38:11,633 - [Announcer] To the Simmons family, 565 00:38:11,633 --> 00:38:14,866 such restoration was American history 566 00:38:14,866 --> 00:38:18,566 reclaimed for generations to follow. 567 00:38:18,566 --> 00:38:21,566 They realized that it would be expensive, 568 00:38:21,566 --> 00:38:25,166 but doing it right would be important. 569 00:38:25,166 --> 00:38:29,033 It was not a dazzling movie house like some they had seen, 570 00:38:29,033 --> 00:38:31,266 but it was an important theater, 571 00:38:31,266 --> 00:38:35,666 central to the town, and certainly a local landmark. 572 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,166 - There was a lot more work than we realized. 573 00:38:42,500 --> 00:38:44,966 We were a little concerned about the cost 574 00:38:44,966 --> 00:38:46,400 that it was going to be, 575 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:50,666 but we had such good helpers too, good people, 576 00:38:50,666 --> 00:38:53,133 good people to work with and for. 577 00:38:53,133 --> 00:38:54,900 And you know, we thought, 578 00:38:54,900 --> 00:38:57,633 "Well, this is a very important part 579 00:38:57,633 --> 00:39:01,066 "of what we wanna be and what we wanna do to help." 580 00:39:01,066 --> 00:39:03,666 (upbeat music) 581 00:39:13,266 --> 00:39:17,033 Ahead we went and we are so glad. 582 00:39:17,033 --> 00:39:19,633 (upbeat music) 583 00:39:27,866 --> 00:39:31,300 (upbeat music continues) 584 00:39:38,966 --> 00:39:42,366 (upbeat music continues) 585 00:39:51,900 --> 00:39:55,333 (upbeat music continues) 586 00:40:02,500 --> 00:40:05,900 (upbeat music continues) 587 00:40:17,300 --> 00:40:20,733 (upbeat music continues) 588 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:25,866 - [Announcer] In bringing back the theater, 589 00:40:25,866 --> 00:40:30,333 many aspects of The Strand were preserved or reproduced. 590 00:40:30,333 --> 00:40:33,566 The seats that were added in the 1950s 591 00:40:33,566 --> 00:40:37,066 were repainted and reupholstered. 592 00:40:37,066 --> 00:40:41,800 The rusting stamped tin ceiling was copied exactly. 593 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:46,766 And the original green shade of paint was used throughout. 594 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:49,633 (upbeat music) 595 00:40:57,033 --> 00:41:00,433 (upbeat music continues) 596 00:41:12,500 --> 00:41:15,933 (upbeat music continues) 597 00:41:24,033 --> 00:41:27,433 (upbeat music continues) 598 00:41:36,133 --> 00:41:39,533 (upbeat music continues) 599 00:41:47,533 --> 00:41:50,933 (upbeat music continues) 600 00:41:55,733 --> 00:41:59,133 (upbeat music continues) 601 00:42:03,833 --> 00:42:07,466 In the end, the restoration costs three times 602 00:42:07,466 --> 00:42:10,066 what Matt and Ellen had imagined, 603 00:42:10,066 --> 00:42:13,033 but they were not deterred by the expense. 604 00:42:13,033 --> 00:42:17,566 They saw the potential to rebuild a downtown movie theater 605 00:42:17,566 --> 00:42:20,566 that would play a vital role in a Rockland 606 00:42:20,566 --> 00:42:25,333 that was building a new identity and vibrancy. 607 00:42:25,333 --> 00:42:27,733 (calm music) 608 00:42:31,766 --> 00:42:36,266 To celebrate the reopening on July 3rd, 2005, 609 00:42:36,266 --> 00:42:39,033 The Strand threw a block party 610 00:42:39,033 --> 00:42:40,033 in collaboration with Rocklands 611 00:42:40,033 --> 00:42:42,700 appreciative civic leadership. 612 00:42:42,700 --> 00:42:45,000 The community turned out in large 613 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:49,333 and enthusiastic numbers to share in the festivities. 614 00:42:51,066 --> 00:42:53,000 - I just remember this huge crowd of people 615 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:55,066 and just everybody looking so happy. 616 00:42:55,066 --> 00:42:57,900 And people who have been here for so long, 617 00:42:57,900 --> 00:42:59,400 born, raised, lived here, 618 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:03,766 who saw this iconic theater coming back to life. 619 00:43:03,766 --> 00:43:06,866 And just the excitement on people's faces 620 00:43:06,866 --> 00:43:09,233 that is pretty priceless. 621 00:43:13,833 --> 00:43:17,300 - It is just a very strong bond. 622 00:43:19,166 --> 00:43:23,500 When a theater sits idle for three years, 623 00:43:23,500 --> 00:43:27,133 people were angry, they were frustrated, 624 00:43:27,133 --> 00:43:28,966 'cause somebody owned the building 625 00:43:28,966 --> 00:43:31,100 and they would allow movies in it. 626 00:43:31,100 --> 00:43:33,533 And so Matt Simmons changed all that, 627 00:43:34,666 --> 00:43:36,666 and also he brought it back. 628 00:43:36,666 --> 00:43:39,200 It's not like he changed the place. 629 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,866 I look around now, the balcony, all of this 630 00:43:42,866 --> 00:43:44,766 is what we remember growing up. 631 00:43:46,700 --> 00:43:48,400 - [Announcer] The Strand quickly assumed 632 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:52,933 a major role in the continued revitalization of Rockland. 633 00:43:52,933 --> 00:43:55,100 Alongside the Farnsworth Art Museum 634 00:43:55,100 --> 00:43:58,400 and numerous other art related enterprises, 635 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,733 The Strand helped bring in more business 636 00:44:00,733 --> 00:44:03,233 for Rocklands thriving downtown. 637 00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:07,733 - Well, my parents had such a passion for the arts 638 00:44:07,733 --> 00:44:09,766 and historic preservation, 639 00:44:09,766 --> 00:44:11,366 and this was such a special place for us. 640 00:44:11,366 --> 00:44:13,566 We've been coming to the Rockport-Rockland area 641 00:44:13,566 --> 00:44:16,733 for 36 years, and they had this vision 642 00:44:16,733 --> 00:44:19,233 and foresight of what it could be for the community 643 00:44:19,233 --> 00:44:21,566 and, you know, the arts, it could bring people 644 00:44:21,566 --> 00:44:23,066 from around the world to Rockland. 645 00:44:23,066 --> 00:44:25,300 And it was just such a special thing 646 00:44:25,300 --> 00:44:27,433 to be able to be a part of. 647 00:44:27,433 --> 00:44:28,900 - It's just been a blessing. 648 00:44:28,900 --> 00:44:31,266 I mean, for our family, we've enjoyed it 649 00:44:31,266 --> 00:44:36,266 and we're so glad that people go to The Strand. 650 00:44:37,133 --> 00:44:40,400 And then, so we have no regrets. 651 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:43,966 And I wish my husband were still here to enjoy it too. 652 00:44:43,966 --> 00:44:47,100 But I know he, he's so proud of it 653 00:44:47,100 --> 00:44:49,166 and so glad we did it. 654 00:44:51,266 --> 00:44:53,266 And we love the, we all love The Strand. 655 00:45:02,500 --> 00:45:05,066 (mellow music) 656 00:45:36,700 --> 00:45:38,200 - [Announcer] Independent movie theaters 657 00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:41,366 are closing down all across the country, 658 00:45:41,366 --> 00:45:44,966 and in doing so, many communities are missing the chance 659 00:45:44,966 --> 00:45:47,900 to experience important films 660 00:45:47,900 --> 00:45:50,833 rather than simply viewing them on a smartphone. 661 00:45:52,300 --> 00:45:56,366 Film is at its most powerful when witnessed with others, 662 00:45:56,366 --> 00:45:59,033 and The Strand is committed to offering 663 00:45:59,033 --> 00:46:02,600 that continued opportunity to Rockland. 664 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:04,266 - It's only in a movie theater 665 00:46:04,266 --> 00:46:06,833 where you can totally lose yourself 666 00:46:06,833 --> 00:46:09,400 in what's on that screen. 667 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:13,266 And the other thing is, I'm a big fan of comedy. 668 00:46:14,500 --> 00:46:18,033 You don't laugh as much at home by yourself. 669 00:46:18,033 --> 00:46:19,366 You have to come to a theater 670 00:46:19,366 --> 00:46:21,133 and laugh with everybody else. 671 00:46:22,300 --> 00:46:24,066 And if they're not laughing, of course, 672 00:46:24,066 --> 00:46:26,366 maybe the movie's not so good. 673 00:46:29,666 --> 00:46:33,200 - The more we interact with each other as people, 674 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:35,566 the more we interact with each other as part of a community 675 00:46:35,566 --> 00:46:38,400 face to face out in the real world, 676 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:41,100 the more we understand each other, 677 00:46:41,100 --> 00:46:43,066 the more we relate to each other, 678 00:46:43,066 --> 00:46:47,366 the more we see the human being behind the ideologies 679 00:46:47,366 --> 00:46:49,900 that we're throwing at each other these days, 680 00:46:49,900 --> 00:46:52,166 which is something we need to stop doing. 681 00:46:52,166 --> 00:46:53,400 You need to go to the movies. 682 00:46:53,400 --> 00:46:54,966 You need to, they say on the internet, 683 00:46:54,966 --> 00:46:57,133 you need to touch grass. 684 00:46:57,133 --> 00:46:59,833 I say what you need to do is touch popcorn. 685 00:47:01,166 --> 00:47:03,766 (mellow music) 686 00:47:13,600 --> 00:47:15,500 - [Announcer] The Simmons family had underwritten 687 00:47:15,500 --> 00:47:19,300 the Strands operation with generous financial support 688 00:47:19,300 --> 00:47:22,200 over its first five years of operation. 689 00:47:25,166 --> 00:47:29,400 Following Matt Simmons untimely death in 2010, 690 00:47:29,400 --> 00:47:31,900 the family formed a committee 691 00:47:31,900 --> 00:47:35,933 to explore future ownership options for The Strand 692 00:47:35,933 --> 00:47:39,866 and put the theater on a more sustainable financial path. 693 00:47:41,566 --> 00:47:44,133 That committee and the family agreed 694 00:47:44,133 --> 00:47:46,500 that the best option for both The Strand 695 00:47:46,500 --> 00:47:49,233 to continue as a viable business 696 00:47:49,233 --> 00:47:50,966 and for the community to reap 697 00:47:50,966 --> 00:47:53,133 the economic and cultural benefits 698 00:47:53,133 --> 00:47:55,966 this historic institution offered, 699 00:47:55,966 --> 00:47:57,966 was to follow a path being taken 700 00:47:57,966 --> 00:48:01,400 by other independent theaters across the country 701 00:48:01,400 --> 00:48:04,566 and to become a non-profit organization. 702 00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:10,666 - So we need to look at theaters around the country 703 00:48:10,666 --> 00:48:12,200 to see what else is going on. 704 00:48:12,200 --> 00:48:14,900 And we started to discover there were theaters 705 00:48:14,900 --> 00:48:16,133 that had become nonprofits 706 00:48:16,133 --> 00:48:18,266 and some of them were thriving. 707 00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:22,166 - The Simmons family gifted the theater 708 00:48:22,166 --> 00:48:24,533 to the community under the stewardship 709 00:48:24,533 --> 00:48:26,966 of the newly formed nonprofit, 710 00:48:26,966 --> 00:48:29,466 The Friends of the Strand Theater. 711 00:48:29,466 --> 00:48:33,566 - We couldn't personally just keep this theater going 712 00:48:33,566 --> 00:48:35,266 and we weren't looking to do that. 713 00:48:35,266 --> 00:48:37,900 It wasn't a business proposition for us. 714 00:48:37,900 --> 00:48:40,900 We were hoping it would be a gift to the community. 715 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:46,033 So wonderful people working here, 716 00:48:46,033 --> 00:48:49,466 just you can see that as people still, 717 00:48:49,466 --> 00:48:54,133 some of the same people here who started day one. 718 00:48:54,133 --> 00:48:59,133 So it's really been with our interest in preservation 719 00:49:03,200 --> 00:49:05,166 and giving back to your communities, 720 00:49:05,166 --> 00:49:06,900 a very important part of our life. 721 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:13,100 - [Announcer] The New Friends of the Strand was tasked 722 00:49:13,100 --> 00:49:17,600 with raising $300,000 to offset three years 723 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:20,600 of projected operating deficits. 724 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:24,433 - And raising that 300,000, we raised more than that, 725 00:49:24,433 --> 00:49:27,166 because people did not want this place to close. 726 00:49:28,433 --> 00:49:31,233 - The community enthusiastically responded, 727 00:49:31,233 --> 00:49:32,933 meeting those early goals 728 00:49:32,933 --> 00:49:36,266 by becoming members of their theater. 729 00:49:36,266 --> 00:49:40,866 - It gave people a chance to really invest in the theater 730 00:49:40,866 --> 00:49:43,400 by becoming members. 731 00:49:43,400 --> 00:49:47,166 We got to a thousand members within a year. 732 00:49:47,166 --> 00:49:52,166 - I remember the Lobster Festival parade during 2014. 733 00:49:54,766 --> 00:49:59,433 I marched in the parade handing out membership blanks. 734 00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:02,266 One of the kids was pushing a bike 735 00:50:02,266 --> 00:50:03,966 with a stack of them in the basket. 736 00:50:03,966 --> 00:50:06,866 And we emptied that basket three or four times, 737 00:50:06,866 --> 00:50:09,066 because people were so hyped about 738 00:50:09,066 --> 00:50:10,233 "The Strand is taking members? 739 00:50:10,233 --> 00:50:12,033 "I want to become a member." 740 00:50:12,033 --> 00:50:14,633 And I was handing these out all over the place. 741 00:50:14,633 --> 00:50:18,566 And that was the moment that I knew personally 742 00:50:18,566 --> 00:50:20,033 that it was going to work. 743 00:50:20,033 --> 00:50:21,866 - You know, it's such a special thing 744 00:50:23,566 --> 00:50:25,933 to see people come together and to bring that joy. 745 00:50:25,933 --> 00:50:28,666 And you could see Rockland really starting to boom. 746 00:50:29,766 --> 00:50:31,566 And that for the theater to be part of that 747 00:50:31,566 --> 00:50:34,933 starting 20 years ago was just such a treat. 748 00:50:34,933 --> 00:50:36,700 - One of the things that I do here 749 00:50:36,700 --> 00:50:39,633 when I'm at the door is if anyone asks me, 750 00:50:39,633 --> 00:50:41,800 and this is a question that I'm often asked, 751 00:50:42,966 --> 00:50:44,766 the most frequent question I'm asked is, 752 00:50:44,766 --> 00:50:46,066 "Where's the bathroom?" 753 00:50:46,066 --> 00:50:48,166 The second most frequent question I'm asked is, 754 00:50:48,166 --> 00:50:50,466 "How do I get involved? 755 00:50:50,466 --> 00:50:52,566 "How do I help The Strand? 756 00:50:52,566 --> 00:50:54,366 "How's The Strand doing?" 757 00:50:54,366 --> 00:50:55,933 People want to know. 758 00:50:55,933 --> 00:50:58,100 And when I tell them, "Well, The Strand needs your help." 759 00:50:58,100 --> 00:51:00,000 They say, "Where do I sign up?" 760 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:01,966 And out comes the membership application 761 00:51:01,966 --> 00:51:05,333 and we sign up another member. 762 00:51:05,333 --> 00:51:06,833 And that's how it goes. 763 00:51:06,833 --> 00:51:09,466 And it's been great, very gratifying to see that. 764 00:51:09,466 --> 00:51:11,866 - And it just shows how everybody 765 00:51:11,866 --> 00:51:15,466 is so grateful to have this place here. 766 00:51:15,466 --> 00:51:17,733 And so you feel that all the time. 767 00:51:17,733 --> 00:51:19,233 - Well, dad always loved being able 768 00:51:19,233 --> 00:51:21,266 to bring the arts to people. 769 00:51:21,266 --> 00:51:23,466 And he's done that in Houston 770 00:51:23,466 --> 00:51:26,133 and got to do that here in Rockland. 771 00:51:26,133 --> 00:51:27,900 And the programming here is 772 00:51:27,900 --> 00:51:29,233 just what he would want it to be. 773 00:51:29,233 --> 00:51:34,233 It's theater, it's arts, it's an entire way 774 00:51:35,400 --> 00:51:37,466 to bring people of the community together. 775 00:51:37,466 --> 00:51:38,700 - [Announcer] Now listed on 776 00:51:38,700 --> 00:51:41,500 the National Register of Historic Places, 777 00:51:41,500 --> 00:51:45,033 in recognition of its cultural, architectural, 778 00:51:45,033 --> 00:51:47,733 and historic significance, 779 00:51:47,733 --> 00:51:49,833 The Strand Theater is once again 780 00:51:49,833 --> 00:51:53,666 at the heart of Rocklands thriving downtown district. 781 00:51:55,100 --> 00:51:58,233 By offering a slate of rich and diverse programming, 782 00:51:58,233 --> 00:52:02,666 the Strand continues its mission to entertain, engage, 783 00:52:04,066 --> 00:52:05,466 and empower in the theater and throughout the community.