Larry Fenstermacher purchases The Strand from Paul Herman in 1946, enlisting family members to operate the theatre. The Fenstermacher family lives in the building’s upstairs apartment until the early 1950s as they run the theatre below.
The Strand runs two showings per night—the first at 7 and the second at 9 p.m. The same two movies run Wednesday and Thursday, then the shows switch to two new movies on Friday and Saturday and switch again for Sunday. The theatre is closed Monday and Tuesday. Films arrive every two days at the Bottling Works truck stop. Movies cost 20 cents for adults and 10 cents for kids and include a 10% defense tax for war efforts.
From May 4 to August 31, 1946, The Strand is closed for renovations. When the theatre reopens on September 1, audiences are welcomed by an enlarged auditorium, a bigger lobby, and an expanded upstairs balcony. The theatre’s capacity increases to 500 people. Notably, the iconic Strand marquee adds considerable curb appeal to the structure.
(Image: Fenstermacher’s planning of the renovation from an issue of the Kutztown Patriot in 1946.)
