Strand Theatre
3240 N. 1st Street,
Jena,
LA
71342
3240 N. 1st Street,
Jena,
LA
71342
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There are two Strand Theatres in Jena.
The first and old Strand Theatre was located on Main Street and opened its doors on May 20, 1937 with Francis Langford in “The Hit Parade” (unclear if any short subjects were added) featuring a total of 400 seats (with 325 in the lower level and 75 in the balcony).
In 1941, it was announced that a second, newer, and much larger Strand Theatre will be built on 1st Street with an estimate $40,000 on construction.
The newer and second Strand Theatre on 1st Street opened its doors on November 19, 1941 with Walter Pidgeon in “Blossoms In The Dust” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with a capacity of 700 seats.
Because both Strands were operational throughout portions of warfare, Mr. J.M. Heard, the manager of both Strands, decided to operate both Strands at separate days. The old Strand on Main Street operated four-days-a-week (Friday to Monday), while the new Strand on 1st Street operated three-days-a-week (Tuesday to Thursday). Unfortunately, this did not last long at all. By the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, both theaters operate seven-days-a-week.
Despite the 1st Street Strand being known as the New Strand Theatre for its first couple of years of operation, the Old Strand Theatre on Main Street closed in 1942, leaving the Strand on 1st Street the only movie house in town.
In 1974, the Strand briefly closed due to major remodeling. The Strand reopened as the “Country Strand Theatre” on August 2, 1974 with “The Scalawags”. The Strand closed for the final time in 1981.