Gilson Cafe & Cinema
354 Main Street,
Winsted,
CT
06098
354 Main Street,
Winsted,
CT
06098
3 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Gilson Cafe Cinema (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Lockwood & Gordon Enterprises
Architects: Loomis J. Thompson
Functions: Movies
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Strand Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Originally a vaudeville theatre, then called the Strand Theatre from 1926, and later an arcade, this old theatre has been known as the Gilson Cafe & Cinema since 1985. You can have a filling meal and then catch a movie. The balcony was recently made into a lounge theatre giving the Gilson Café & Cinema two screens.
Contributed by
Roger Katz
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
As a single screen theatre the Strand seated 888 people.
My above summary is wrong. I have seen a few movies at the Gilson recently as well as taken extensive photographs of the interior. The upstairs theatre was NOT a former balcony. Rather it is former office space above the lobby converted into a tiny 50 seat theatre. One door to it still has a sign for the Attorney at Law who used to work in that office on the window!
I was passing through here last week on a cycling trip and loved the art deco touches of the marquee.
I was in Torrington on a bike trip yesterday and I stopped to sightsee at a cool inn downtown, across from the Warner. I was snapping pics inside by the restored carriage and on the wall was a framed poster of movies being shown at the Strand in Winsted. A nice find.
The poster said Roger Williams, Strand Winsted, Thurs-Sat, June 15-17, Tyrone Power, Alice Fay, Al Jolson in “Rose of Washington Square (1939)” / “Boyfriend (1939)” w/Jane Withers, (free prizes to lucky children), Cary Grant and Jean Arthur in “Only Angels Have Wings (1939)”, “The Jones Family in Hollywood (1939)”, Bobby Breen, Henry Armetta, Leo Carrillo in “Fisherman’s Wharf (1939)” and Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper in “Treasure Island (1934).” Also showing at the bottom is “It’s a Wonderful World (1939)” and “Ex-Champ” (1939).
Cool idea.
Tiny mention of it within a dining review in Sunday’s NYTimes.
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My father-in-law was the manager at the Strand both before and after World War II. Does anyone remember him or have any photos. He recently passed away at age 95. He did remember his work at the Strand fondly.
By the way, my father-in-law was Paul Purdy
Big Screen Cinema Guide says the Strand opened in 1926. This item from Motion Picture News of October 10, 1925 was probably about it: “Winsted— L. J. Thompson of New Britain is drawing plans for the erection of theatre bldg. on Main St. Owner, John E. Panara.”