05/06/2026
This is a tribute to Bessie Stravitz who passed away on October 27, 2006, at the age of 99, born in New York City in 1907.
For nearly 45 years she personally greeted her patrons at the Monroe Theater, anyone that may remember her knows this to be true, she was a hard working lady. She was a strict no nonsense and straightforward woman. She first operated the Colonial Theater on Lake Street from 1933 to 1954 along with her husband, Rudy. In 1953 they bought and began operating the 10,000 square foot, 750 seat theater on Millpond Parkway in the Village. In 1949 they built the Woodbury Theater which they also operated until it closed in 1974 and now has been torn down. After the death of her husband, Rudy in 1981, she continued to operate the Monroe Theater with the part-time help of her sons. Before the Monroe Theater closed in December, 1998, it had been one of the last large single screen theaters operating in the Hudson Valley.
The History of the Colonial Theater:
Directly across the street from D'Angelis Hall is the Colonial Theater Building. This was the first movie theater to be constructed in Monroe. It opened on July 31st in 1922 with a showing of the silent movie “The Boat” starring Buster Keaton. In 1926 it was purchased by the Masonic Lodge. The 2nd floor was used as their meeting hall and the ground floor was leased to the theater. In 1929 the theater began exploring the possibilities of installing new equipment that would allow the showing of a newfangled invention called “talkies”. A year later the talking movie “Welcome Danger” with Harold Lloyd premiered on Feb 14th.
The showing of movies on Sundays was originally banned in Monroe until a referendum allowing it was overwhelmingly passed in 1934.
With the newer air-conditioned Monroe Theater around the corner, and features like “Francis (the mule) joins the WACS” and “Killer Leopards”, the Colonial Theater was finally forced to close on Oct. 10, 1954. The Masons sold the building in 2000.
In the 1960s, the primary movie theater in Monroe, NY, was the Monroe Theaters. It was owned by Rudolf Stravitz and located in the village, serving as the town's main cinema after the older Colonial Theater closed in 1954.
Monroe Theaters Highlights: Often showed popular films of the era, such as "The Sound of Music," which reportedly ran for a year.
Location/Style: Featured a Colonial American-style facade that was a well-known sight to travelers on Route 17 during that period.
The Area Scene: While the Monroe Theaters was active, the older Colonial Theater had already closed (1954) and converted to retail use. movie theater in Monroe NY 1960s Monroe NY. In the 1960s, the primary cinema in Monroe, NY, was the
Monroe Theaters located on Mill Pond Parkway. The Monroe Theaters opened on March 10, 1949, and was a prominent local fixture throughout the 1960s under the operation of Rudolph and Bessie Stravitz. During this era, it was known for:
Its Large Single Screen: It eventually became the only indoor big screen remaining in the county.
Annual Holiday Events: The theater hosted popular annual Christmas shows sponsored by the American Legion, where children would bring gifts for veterans at Castle Point Hospital.
Saturday Matinees: Local children frequently visited for "cartoon fests," cowboy movies, and serials like The Three Stooges.
Key Historical Timeline
• 1922: Colonial Theater opens as the town's first movie house.
• 1949: Monroe Theater opens on Mill Pond Parkway.
• 1954: Colonial Theater closes; Monroe Theater becomes the sole town cinema.
• 1960s: The theater remains a community hub for families and kids.
• 1999: The Monroe Theaters closes its doors permanently
