Comments from terrywade

Probably one of the smallest mini IMAX screens around SF as the this cinema does not have very many big wide screens and most are set for flat 1.85, they just show wide screen in the middle, don’t bother to drop down masking anymore. The only reason Century did this IMAX here in Daly City as to get a IMAX in the area before the new Regal Stonestown 12 opens in March 2020. I doubt they tore out a wall between two small theatre spaces to create a larger IMAX screen. They won’t hire anymore boxoffice help out front with the new IMAX set up, you will wait in line to buy a ticket with only one ticket seller with all the other windows closed at this location. The ‘Joker’ was shot in flat 1.85 so It may look good in IMAX as they also have no masking for a scope print, you will just see white screen on the top and bottom. No more showmanship at Century/Cinemark. At least Syufy used masking on their screens.

Lets hope maybe some other movie chain or even Netflik or Amazon will buy or take over the now closed Paris Theatre NY lease. People need to protest and complain to the money hungry real estate owners. Thanks Howard for the photo image. The landlord at the Paris may have another deal in the works who knows?

Thanks David for the photo image. How nice to see color lights on a curtain. Something you don’t find in USA cinemas.

Thanks OP yes I think they had the white work lights on when I took this photo. Was inside a few days ago when the bar was open and they were red again. Now only If they can put some color lights inside Theatre #1. All the pre show is washed out on the screen by overhead white deco roof lights shining down on the screen. This can be fixed by putting in a shield on the 3 ceiling lights so the light does not aim down at the screen on the backside. The side old organ grills need some blue or green/turquoise lighting along with the red curtains. Many years ago this classic cinema had blue lights on dim in a dark theatre when a movie was going. Now everything is turned off. Showmanship needs to come back at the Alamo ‘New Mission’. Check out the old Fox Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto CA and see their color lights during a movie.

Thanks Dallas for this classic photo. These side black light murals of scenes of deco San Francisco glowed dark blue when a movie was on. They all left when the cinema was turned into a drug store and a small cinema space put in in the former balcony. Too bad no one saved this classic SF black light art. If you look on the side fire exits from the front right side you can see the whole cement theatre building still standing. They just gutted the inside. Maybe some day when the W drug store goes MR Lee’s family can put the Marina Theatre back downstairs and restore the black light murals if he can find a artist that knows black light art image glow. I have some of the vapor black light bulbs from this cinema, they won’t work with my electric set up.

Thanks Texas for this great 1954 CinemaScope® ad from NY. I remember as a kid going to see it with my parents and brother at the Golden State DelMar Theatre in downtown Santa Cruz CA on their new wide screen. We had to sit up on the right side of the balcony and I remember one of the fist times hearing 4 track mag stereo sound from the wall surround RCA speakers when the airplane engines started to fail. I kept looking up at the speakers with the sound effects that came on at times during the film. Was so happy when our family got our first stereo record turntable in the late 1950’s. I think I even bought the soundtrack album.

Just like 20th Century Fox did in their early CinemaScope® ads that showed a screen way to curved going into the seats the ABC Ultra-Vision® company did the same thing. The Ultra-Vision® curved screen was nice and curved but not like the drawing in this newspaper ad. I think from I remember It was not as curved as the UA D-150 screen. One interesting point in the booth with the Ultra-Vision® set up It had two projectors coming out of one port window. They used a mirror set up so both projectors were centered in the middle of the screen for a straight throw and used a special lens. I wonder today around the USA are there any of these Ultra screens still left?

Thanks Elmo for this hot curtain theatre photo. It’s sad all the multiplex cinema companies today would never put in nice curtains like this these days. Just a plain old white screen with boring ads plus wall lights going on the sides of the screen making the pre show ads all washed out with gray not black images. Thanks again.

I hope some one from the Cinema Treasures site can post a better photo then the dirty theatre set up like the one that greats you now when you go to this New Mission site. The old cinema has way better photos to put on the first photo. Thanks!

Projection booth for smaller cinema space.

Ceiling lights in the larger cinema space. I’d like to see blue lights up in the fixtures.

It may have been on one of the posters along with the Vogue Theatre in Hollywood but after 4 days of drive by night neon shooting on 35mm film MR Tarantino only used the outside view shots of these classic cinemas for a few seconds on the edited finished movie. Maybe on the extras on the Blu Ray disk we will see more along with the former Pussy Cat Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. Go see the movie you will enjoy It!