The interior lobby was modern and spare for the 1960’s. The auditorium was basically a wall to wall screen in the front, gold curtained walls on each side and a plain wall in the back with the elevated projection room. Grand or cathedral like it wasn’t. But it did boast excellent projection and sound … and that big screen.
From the above linked 2016 RichmondSFBlog article it sounds like the box office, marquee and blade will all be retained. The “1976 marquee” referred I believe is the “1-2-3” on each side of the blade tower that was added in 1976 when the theatre was triplexed. Nice that they will retain the upper portions of the side walls for the 3rd floor offices.
From the SF Planning Dept. website:
Received Date:
Oct 03, 2017
Description:
5400 Geary Ave – REPAIR MARQUEE AND SIGN ELEMENTS: REPLACE SOFFIT AND LIGHTING, REPAIR & REPAINT MARQUEE, REPLACE NEON, REPAIR BLADE SIGN, REPLACE NEON, REPAIR “PARKING” SIGN, REPLACE NEON
San Francisco’s longest-running movie theater — the oldest continuously operating movie theater in the United States is thriving. Very good article here from the SF Chronicle’s movie reviewer Mick LaSalle:
I can’t remember the color of the seats or walls inside the auditorium but yes, there was a narrow balcony that wrapped around the sides and rear of it. The lobby and waiting area on the Van Ness Ave side as I recall was quite ornate with green and purple paisley wallpaper and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. I saw quite a few films at this theatre and loved going to the bargain matinees in the 70’s. Don’t remember much of a rake to the floor in the auditorium and the acoustics were not very good but this was a really popular theatre that really pulled the crowds in. The last film I saw here was Evita in the mid 90’s.
Winterland was at Post and Steiner, at the other end of the block to the left of the Uptown at Sutter and Steiner (in the above photo). They were actually next door to each other. That is some long line. Winterland was huge and held 5400 for rock shows. The photo is looking west towards Pierce and Sutter – the line, in other words, was nearly all the way around the block. That entire block was razed for housing.
The new building on the site of the old Galaxy at 1285 Sutter is a14 story apartment building with a CVS on the ground floor.
bigjoe59…..the redevelopment of this lot was delayed by the 2008 recession when practically nothing got built and the notoriously slow pace of the SF Planning Dept.
Also the Golden Gate at Market and Taylor with musicals and plays. Run by Shorenstein Hays Nederlander (SHN) – On Your Feet (the Gloria Estefan musical) is currently playing.
The new 70mm print of Lawrence of Arabia played in a roadshow presentation over the 4 day holiday weekend starting last Friday evening. As the overture and entre act music played the house lighting dimmed gradually until only the curtains were half lit before finally going dark when the film started. Showmanship lives here! Whoever is up in the booth needs to be thanked not only for this weekend’s performances but for all films that play here. The print was great – crystal clear and vibrant.
Touchstone Climbing, the company behind Ironworks and other gyms around California, plans to purchase the Oaks Theatre in Berkeley and turn it into a climbing facility.
CT member ImaxGeek posted on the CT Metreon page Aug 7, 2016 that the Lincoln Sq and Metreon screens were the same size (97 ft W X 76 ft H) and the largest in North America.
The Chinese screen is 94 ft W X 46 ft H according to the overview on the CT page for that theatre.
A current definitive list of US or world IMAX screen sizes does not seem to exist. Wikipedia’s has a worldwide list of IMAX venues and states the same as ImaxGeek for the Lincoln Sq and Metreon.
An April 2017 Google map street view shows the theater building still there and just a few weeks ago I drove down the Bayshore Freeway and it is still standing.
This story about the Grandview was published in today’s (7-21-17) SF Chronicle. I’ve also posted a couple of the photos accompanying the article.
Upon first glance, the Buddha Exquisite in Chinatown blends in with the neighboring businesses, which are tightly packed in the bustling corridor. A sea-foam green marquee rests atop the store’s entrance with an image of Buddah adorned by rosy lotus buds.
The business, located on 756 Jackson St., operates as a paper goods shop. But back in 1940, the Grandview Theater occupied the location and was considered Chinatown’s first modern theater, according to an article by SF Weekly.
Today, the only signs of its former heyday are the marquee and a neon-lit sign. The structure’s interior was remodeled, but it once held 400 seats and carpeted floors.
The Grandview Theater opened in 1940, when filmmaker Joseph Sunn Jue envisioned a movie theater that catered to Chinese audiences.
He presented films shot in Hong Kong but also Cantonese-language films that Jue produced in San Francisco, the San Francisco Chronicle’s G. Allen Johnson wrote.
A former nightclub located in an alley off Grant Avenue was converted into a movie studio called the “Grandview Motion Picture Company,” where Jue created his films, the Chronicle wrote on Sept. 21, 1947.
Joseph Jue is the only organizer and president of America’s only company that produces Chinese films, and that company is right here.”
When he wasn’t busy directing films, he was an usher at the Grandview Theater, the Chronicle wrote on Nov. 25, 1940.
His films covered various genres including detective stories, zany comedies and historic dramas, the Chronicle noted.
In 1940, Jue produced about 18 films a year and categorized features as “supers” or “quickies.” The budget and timeframe for these projects depended on the category.
“’Supers’ are budgeted at between $40,000 and $60,000 and take from three to six months to produce. ‘Quickies’ cost $15,000 to $20,000 and are rushed out in three weeks,” The Chronicle wrote in 1940.
In the same article, the Chronicle said the latest film Jue produced was called, “They Get What They Wanted.” Jue believed the film was “somewhere better than a quickie” but by no means a “super.”
Perhaps what made the Grandview Theater successful was that it had a strong hold in the Asian community. First generation Chinese-Americans spoke little English and Chinese movies were among the few diversions available, SF Weekly wrote.
In fact, Jue’s films were popular with viewers outside of San Francisco. According to the Chronicle, Jue’s films were a hit in several countries including Cuba, Mexico, Panama, South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Australia, and Madagascar.
In the 1960s popularity for Chinese movie theaters started to fade as some in the community started to prefer American movies.
“Second-generation Chinese-Americans generally stayed away from Chinese movie theaters, going only on occasion and in the company of an older relative,” SF Weekly wrote.
Still, that wasn’t enough to sustain the theater and in the mid-1980s, the Grandview Theater finally closed its doors.
Eventually, the theater was sold and works produced by Jue were thrown out of the attic where they were stored, erasing the historic record of 20th century San Francisco, the Chronicle’s G. Allen Johnson wrote.
Accidentally put the wrong link in yesterday – here is the correct one for this theatre w/article MarkDHite mentions: Capitol
The (San Francisco) Castro Theatre’s website lists 2001 as also opening May 18 for 9 days with a 70mm print. 2001
The interior lobby was modern and spare for the 1960’s. The auditorium was basically a wall to wall screen in the front, gold curtained walls on each side and a plain wall in the back with the elevated projection room. Grand or cathedral like it wasn’t. But it did boast excellent projection and sound … and that big screen.
From the above linked 2016 RichmondSFBlog article it sounds like the box office, marquee and blade will all be retained. The “1976 marquee” referred I believe is the “1-2-3” on each side of the blade tower that was added in 1976 when the theatre was triplexed. Nice that they will retain the upper portions of the side walls for the 3rd floor offices.
From the SF Planning Dept. website: Received Date: Oct 03, 2017 Description: 5400 Geary Ave – REPAIR MARQUEE AND SIGN ELEMENTS: REPLACE SOFFIT AND LIGHTING, REPAIR & REPAINT MARQUEE, REPLACE NEON, REPAIR BLADE SIGN, REPLACE NEON, REPAIR “PARKING” SIGN, REPLACE NEON
MSC77….You are correct re: 1st THX sound system. The Kabuki was still having live concerts in 1984 when the Galaxy opened.
Sounds like from this linked article dated Jan 30, 2018 that the Great Star has closed.
HoodlineSF
San Francisco’s longest-running movie theater — the oldest continuously operating movie theater in the United States is thriving. Very good article here from the SF Chronicle’s movie reviewer Mick LaSalle:
Roxie
davidcoppock…This drive in was at the eastern edge of LA’s Los Feliz neighborhood.
The Stage Door/Regency III/Ruby Skye is being reimagined again:
StageDoor
The world premier of Star Wars The Last Jedi was held at the Shrine Auditorium last night.
Jedi
I can’t remember the color of the seats or walls inside the auditorium but yes, there was a narrow balcony that wrapped around the sides and rear of it. The lobby and waiting area on the Van Ness Ave side as I recall was quite ornate with green and purple paisley wallpaper and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. I saw quite a few films at this theatre and loved going to the bargain matinees in the 70’s. Don’t remember much of a rake to the floor in the auditorium and the acoustics were not very good but this was a really popular theatre that really pulled the crowds in. The last film I saw here was Evita in the mid 90’s.
“91-Year-Old Divisadero St Theater Reborn As ‘Emporium SF’ Arcade Bar”
HardingTheatre
Winterland was at Post and Steiner, at the other end of the block to the left of the Uptown at Sutter and Steiner (in the above photo). They were actually next door to each other. That is some long line. Winterland was huge and held 5400 for rock shows. The photo is looking west towards Pierce and Sutter – the line, in other words, was nearly all the way around the block. That entire block was razed for housing.
729 Market St is located between 3rd and 4th Sts. The photo above is of the Hub Theatre which was at 727 Market.
The new building on the site of the old Galaxy at 1285 Sutter is a14 story apartment building with a CVS on the ground floor.
bigjoe59…..the redevelopment of this lot was delayed by the 2008 recession when practically nothing got built and the notoriously slow pace of the SF Planning Dept.
Also the Golden Gate at Market and Taylor with musicals and plays. Run by Shorenstein Hays Nederlander (SHN) – On Your Feet (the Gloria Estefan musical) is currently playing.
Follow up article to DavidZorning’s update in SFChronicle of the Avenue’s refurbished neon blade and lighting ceremony a couple of nights ago.
The new 70mm print of Lawrence of Arabia played in a roadshow presentation over the 4 day holiday weekend starting last Friday evening. As the overture and entre act music played the house lighting dimmed gradually until only the curtains were half lit before finally going dark when the film started. Showmanship lives here! Whoever is up in the booth needs to be thanked not only for this weekend’s performances but for all films that play here. The print was great – crystal clear and vibrant.
According to the PTGuide.com website they are showing Cars 3 and Transformers: The Last Knight. Says their website is temporarily down.
PTGuide
Touchstone Climbing, the company behind Ironworks and other gyms around California, plans to purchase the Oaks Theatre in Berkeley and turn it into a climbing facility.
SFGate-Oaks
A change of use application has been filed with the SF Planning Dept to convert the Opera Plaza into retail space:
Opera Plaza
CT member ImaxGeek posted on the CT Metreon page Aug 7, 2016 that the Lincoln Sq and Metreon screens were the same size (97 ft W X 76 ft H) and the largest in North America.
Metreon
The Chinese screen is 94 ft W X 46 ft H according to the overview on the CT page for that theatre.
A current definitive list of US or world IMAX screen sizes does not seem to exist. Wikipedia’s has a worldwide list of IMAX venues and states the same as ImaxGeek for the Lincoln Sq and Metreon.
An April 2017 Google map street view shows the theater building still there and just a few weeks ago I drove down the Bayshore Freeway and it is still standing.
This story about the Grandview was published in today’s (7-21-17) SF Chronicle. I’ve also posted a couple of the photos accompanying the article.
Upon first glance, the Buddha Exquisite in Chinatown blends in with the neighboring businesses, which are tightly packed in the bustling corridor. A sea-foam green marquee rests atop the store’s entrance with an image of Buddah adorned by rosy lotus buds. The business, located on 756 Jackson St., operates as a paper goods shop. But back in 1940, the Grandview Theater occupied the location and was considered Chinatown’s first modern theater, according to an article by SF Weekly. Today, the only signs of its former heyday are the marquee and a neon-lit sign. The structure’s interior was remodeled, but it once held 400 seats and carpeted floors. The Grandview Theater opened in 1940, when filmmaker Joseph Sunn Jue envisioned a movie theater that catered to Chinese audiences. He presented films shot in Hong Kong but also Cantonese-language films that Jue produced in San Francisco, the San Francisco Chronicle’s G. Allen Johnson wrote. A former nightclub located in an alley off Grant Avenue was converted into a movie studio called the “Grandview Motion Picture Company,” where Jue created his films, the Chronicle wrote on Sept. 21, 1947. Joseph Jue is the only organizer and president of America’s only company that produces Chinese films, and that company is right here.” When he wasn’t busy directing films, he was an usher at the Grandview Theater, the Chronicle wrote on Nov. 25, 1940.
His films covered various genres including detective stories, zany comedies and historic dramas, the Chronicle noted. In 1940, Jue produced about 18 films a year and categorized features as “supers” or “quickies.” The budget and timeframe for these projects depended on the category. “’Supers’ are budgeted at between $40,000 and $60,000 and take from three to six months to produce. ‘Quickies’ cost $15,000 to $20,000 and are rushed out in three weeks,” The Chronicle wrote in 1940. In the same article, the Chronicle said the latest film Jue produced was called, “They Get What They Wanted.” Jue believed the film was “somewhere better than a quickie” but by no means a “super.” Perhaps what made the Grandview Theater successful was that it had a strong hold in the Asian community. First generation Chinese-Americans spoke little English and Chinese movies were among the few diversions available, SF Weekly wrote. In fact, Jue’s films were popular with viewers outside of San Francisco. According to the Chronicle, Jue’s films were a hit in several countries including Cuba, Mexico, Panama, South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Australia, and Madagascar. In the 1960s popularity for Chinese movie theaters started to fade as some in the community started to prefer American movies.
“Second-generation Chinese-Americans generally stayed away from Chinese movie theaters, going only on occasion and in the company of an older relative,” SF Weekly wrote. Still, that wasn’t enough to sustain the theater and in the mid-1980s, the Grandview Theater finally closed its doors. Eventually, the theater was sold and works produced by Jue were thrown out of the attic where they were stored, erasing the historic record of 20th century San Francisco, the Chronicle’s G. Allen Johnson wrote.
Photo attributed to Orlando/Getty Images.