Strand Theatre

900 Boardwalk,
Ocean City, NJ 08226

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Historic Boardwalk Theatres

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Frank Theatres

Architects: Armand de Cortieux Carroll

Functions: Restaurant

Styles: Art Deco

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News About This Theater

Auditorium before multiplex

Although not much to look at today, the Strand Theatre on the Ocean City, NJ Boardwalk at 9th Street, was once a classic Art Deco style theatre with one screen, twin balconies, a silk curtain with King Neptune pictured on it, and backlit movie star portraits built into the lobby walls.

Opening on August 11, 1938, the Strand Theatre was built by William Shriver and was the flagship theatre of the Shriver Theatre chain in New Jersey. By 1941 it was operated by the Strand Theater Co. In 1989, it was converted into a five-plex without the original lobby (now a store).

The Strand Theatre was closed by Frank Theatres in 2013. In the summer of 2016 plans were proposed to convert the building into a pizza restaurant. It was gutted internally and the restaurant opened in spring of 2017.

Contributed by Jim Laymon

Recent comments (view all 92 comments)

ribturtle
ribturtle on April 11, 2016 at 5:09 pm

Ah, what memories this photo brings back. I was one of the movie projectionists at the Strand during the Summer of Jaws (1975). Then, the next summer, I was not only one of the projectionists, but the janitor. Did I really sweep under each of those 1450 seats every night? Yes, I did! Those days were as much hard-working as they were thrilling, so much so that they merited an entire chapter in my latest novel. I was very privileged to have worked in such a glorious temple of cinema.

RickB
RickB on July 1, 2016 at 4:50 am

The Strand will be serving pizza next year…but not movies. Longtime Boardwalk pizzeria Manco & Manco is moving in. Announced in a Facebook post here.

JodarMovieFan
JodarMovieFan on July 1, 2016 at 7:08 am

Nice. Why not show movies on that H-U-G-E screen and serve hot pizza and other food?

jlaymon
jlaymon on July 1, 2016 at 1:22 pm

Ribturtle, I must have just missed you. I was a projectionist at the Moorlyn in ‘77 and then at the Strand from '78 to '88. Our biggest summer must have been “ET” in 1982. We actually used the balcony a few times.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on January 29, 2017 at 1:13 pm

1941 photo added via Paul Walton.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on May 1, 2017 at 7:09 am

Philadelphia Inquirer reports today the Strand was gutted to be a pizza place. Marquee refaced. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/Jersey-Shore-Manco-boardwalk-pizza-prison-Ocean-City.html

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on May 2, 2017 at 1:40 pm

Thanks to the Frank Theater chain, they ruined a great theater when they took it over from Shriver theaters and chopped it up into 5 screens. They also ruined all the theaters in Wildwood NJ. What a piece of crap theater chain. They were even worse when I worked briefly for them in 1975

markp
markp on May 3, 2017 at 11:00 am

Yes they sure did ruin all the Wildwood theatres. They ruin everything they touch.

Movieman65
Movieman65 on July 15, 2019 at 9:16 pm

I was visiting family here in the summer of'75. Jaws was sold out. I was so disappointed, wasn’t old enough to see Rollerball, so I had to settle for The Apple Dumplin Gang.

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on October 7, 2021 at 4:41 pm

Markp Just saw your comment back to me in 2017. I was happy when they filed bankruptcy. They ruined everything they touched in NJ and Florida

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