From above: The Strand Theatre in 1942; amateur night at the Strand, August 6, 1936; the problem of smuggling illegal Chinese emigrants appeared on July 9, 1936 at the Alma Theatre.

Although the Great Depression was in full swing in Gratiot County in the late 1930s, it did not stop people from going to the movies. The Strand Theatre and the Alma Theatre continued to draw people in and managed to stay in business. For many in Gratiot County, going to the movies offered an escape from the economic and social challenges of the times.

In Alma, theatre owners continued to use gimmicks to attract people to see a movie. In early January 1935, “The Great Kirma,” a mystic from India, arrived for one week at the Strand. He started his appearance by driving his 1935 Model Terraplane Six Sedan through the streets of Alma while completely blindfolded. Afterward, in front of onlookers, he hypnotized a young lady in Walker’s Electric Shop show window. During his shows each night, Kirma further mesmerized people by answering any question the audience asked him.

In July of that year, the Strand installed a new device billed as air conditioning. By removing dirt and pollen from the air, hay fever and pollen sufferers found relief while enjoying a show at “The Coolest Spot in Town.”  Strand ownership advertised cooler temperatures and help from hay fever. For hay fever sufferers, going to the movies in Alma for relief continued to be advertised for several decades to come. During the winter, these fans also supplied each person with twenty feet of warm air.

Throughout the late 1930s, the Strand held various community benefits, often at Christmas. Those who attended a show received a free ticket for a movie if they brought in food for Smith Memorial Hospital or for holiday baskets to help people in need. On a more serious note,  Alma ministers stated in 1935 that they favored movie censorship and wholly disapproved of movies being shown on Sundays. They also discouraged churches from publishing advertisements about shows.

Amateur entertainment remained a Strand staple. In August 1936, amateur acts auditioned to win appearances  every Saturday night in “Four Acts of Vodvil.” One year later, Major Bowes’ Amateur Revue and Jamboree appeared. These shows featured some of the top amateurs in the country. It turned out that Bowes’ program was the forerunner of the 1950s television show Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour. 

Also in early 1936, W.A. Cassidy and his wife from Midland purchased the Alma Theatre, known to many in Alma as the old Idlehour. They improved it and continued showing movies from Thursdays through Mondays. Sometimes, controversial movies appeared in Alma. In May 1938, the Strand featured “Assassin of Youth – Marihuana! Fruit from the Devil’s Garden.” It was followed two months later by “Damaged Goods: The Picture that Dares Tell the Truth.”  Restricted audiences got to view movies about drug abuse and the dangers of syphilis.

In late 1938, the Strand underwent significant renovations. A new marquee rose, double its former size, with a larger canopy. This new canopy curved in a semi-circle for 53 feet, then extended for 12 feet over the sidewalk. It held 340 lamps, each giving off 40 watts of light. With this new addition, the new marquee could be easily visible from distances up and down the business district at night. Those walking down the street each week could see interchangeable letters that spelled out the titles of the latest movies. Four double doors went from the foyer to the lobby as one entered the Strand. A new box office now allowed people to purchase tickets from the sidewalk. More remodeling took place inside as 500 new seats replaced the old ones. By the end of the decade, ticket prices, which had been ten and fifteen cents per ticket in 1935, rose to twenty cents by the end of 1939.

As the 1930s ended, another world war appeared on the horizon, and a new era of movie blockbusters was about to start in Alma.

Copyright 2024 James M Goodspeed