We are in the process of renovation and would like to find out info on the reid bros architects of SF do you know if there is any archeival info plans etc…thanks
I am in the process of a renovation of a spanish revival theatre in Eureka Ca that was done by reid bros.Richard Sweasey.any idea if old plans were archieved somewhere we have a few pages but poor quality and incomplete…thanks…kurt
Hi this is Evan,im 10 years old.My dad use to work at des plains theater,and he said that a old man told him that he saw a ghost,and that I might wanta visit it someday.He has told me other creepy stuff about the theater,also I heard about saving the theater so when you email me tell me the stuff I can do to save the theater bye.
We were in Aberdeen this weekend and swung by to see the D & R theater. It is no longer for lease. The owner is renting the two small retail spaces in the front. We called him to ask about the condition of the theater itself, and he said that it was empty, the seats had been removed, and it was being used as storage space. The old ticket booth is still there in front of the doors, wrapped in chicken wire, and the general exterior of the building is very run down.
I have in my possesion a full set of architectural drawings of the Roxy Theater of New York City. The drawing were done by my great uncle, Tom Moreford. Does anyone have anyone photos of the theater they could share?
I worked as an usher at the Granada in the late 60’s. What a masterpiece it was. It was once included in a list of the top 50 Balaban and Katz “Movie Palaces”. Another one that was allowed to die was the Howard, also in Rogers Park. I understand the crowds have been gone for a long time. But preservation of history has to have some priority! We must not let this continue.
As a niece of Anthony Laporte who was an owner of the Avalon from approx. 1951 to 1971, our family is saddened by the potential of losing that treasured space. My grandmother, my mother and my sisters often reminisced about going to see first run pictures like “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”, “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” while I was growing up in Bay View. My mother still speaks of her memories of working the ticket booth when she was 15.
This was a long running art house theater. Walter Reade Theaters ran it for years. Landmark was the last operator of this theater. Very popular theater for foreign films in its day. (Lina Wertmueller’s films were very popular here, in particular the 1977 film Swept Away.)
The Empire theater is not closed. Century Theaters has run this for a number of years and recently converted it into a CineArts theater showing foreign and independent films. Originally a single screener, it was chopped up into a three-plex in the early 1970’s.
When it was the Stage Door, it ran foreign art films. I saw several Ingmar Bergman films here in the 1970’s. Walter Reade Theaters ran it until 1978 when they went bankrupt. Blumenfeld took over and called it Regency 3, which showed mostly holdover fare from the Regency 1 & 2 that were several blocks away. A live multimedia show called The San Francisco Experience ran here for a while after Blumenfeld left.
This place only has live sex shows now. It was the Regal theater, which showed quadruple billed films to Market Street audiences(& even advertised “always 6 color cartoons”). In 1972, started showing hardcore films(the notorious film “Animal Lover” played here, which got booted out of San Francisco due to public outcry) and in 1973, the Mitchell Brothers took it over and showed triple bills of hard porn (initially at $1.99). The Mitchells ran this until the early 1990’s(and at that time it was the only theater they had left showing porn films, the rest either folded or, in the case of the O'Farrell Theater, went to strickly live sex shows). Deja Vu runs it now.
I recently discovered that my house was built by the same architects as the paris theatre. The firm Maxon,Sells and Ficke was in NYC on fith avenue in the 1950’s. I also have documentation about it.
Operated as a second run house until the late 1940’s until Pete DeCencie operated it as a “burlesk” house, showing live burlesque shows. The famous stripper Tempest Storm was often an attraction here and Russ Meyer made his first (short) film French Peep Show here at this theater with Storm. As live burlesque waned in the late 1950’s, the theater switched to “adults only” films and then later hard porn in the 1970’s before it closed. Pictures of this theater are in the Eddie Mueller book Grindhouse.
As a long time resident of Bay View, I am extremely saddened by the stagnation of the Avalon Theater. This beautiful place holds many childhood, teenage, and adulthood memories…here’s a few highlights: we walked for 2 miles from our house (we were in 7th and 8th grade) to see movies at the Avalon in the early to mid 80’s because it was something to do (even if the movie was “Conan”). I was always dazzled by the twinkling stars! Occasionally, they would resurrect the old organ and we’d be treated to a pre-movie concert which facinated us. In the late 80’s a lazer light show accompanied “The Wall” and they opened the balcony just for these performances. In the 90’s, my all-time favorite movie, “The Wizard of Oz” was shown with a touring collection of movie memorabilia (including one of the original pairs of ruby slippers), and one of the last living Munchkins, Fern Formica, signed autographs! Again, for this special show, the balcony was opened :) I love the Avalon and so do many of my friends—we don’t know how to help (nor do we have the funds, or know-how, to buy or renovate)but we sure hope someone does. These were just a few memories, and I’ve seen countless movies there. I’m heartbroken that I may not be able to see anything come of this beloved landmark that is one of the things that made Bay View unique.
I was visiting in-laws and had a chance to see a movie at this magnificent theatre. I liked the lobby display with the various bits and pieces of memorobilia of the theatre’s history and the interior murals and paintings were breathtaking. I’m glad a place like this has survived.
I join the query: why is the “Friends of the Fox” website no longer viable and why does no one seem able to reinstate it? One would think that the new owner and the Riverside Arts council/Redevelopment, et al., would welcome any/all offers of donations and help.
Info I’ve found:
October 25, 2003: “Gone With the Wind” gala includes hors d'ouvres, libation, dessert, special seating for $50.00. First come, first seated general w/intermission desssert selections and libations is $15.00/ticket available at the ticket booth on the 25th.
Please note that the powers-that-be who slicked through a Kentucky Fried on the objecting homeowners of Canyon Crest is not terribly in love w/the new owner’s plans to fully restore the theater. They were planning to either tear it down for the ubiquitous flat, environmentally crude parking lot, turning it into retail businesses – see the used-to-be beautiful De Anza theater on Market Street – or making it another multiplex theater by gutting the beautiful and historic interior.
The new owner has had one battle after another with our ever-thoughtful City Council and endured vandalism, break-ins and thefts of antique fixtures to his building but continues his efforts.
Let’s give him a round of applause send your offers of help and questions to:
“Friends of the Fox/Riverside Arts Council"
3839 Brocton Avenue, Ste E
Riverside, CA 92501.
Ticket info: (909) 784-7095.
Good luck, peace, thanks for caring.
With “The Producers” coming to town, one would hope the Hipp would have a chance to shine again. However, with Ticketmaster charging a $4.50 facility fee AND and $9.50 ‘Convenience’ fee, on top of a $75.00 ticket (Hmmm, lets, see…can you say ‘fleece’?), the average schmo, like me, may be put off.
Where exactly is this theatre? Any help would be appreciated.
We are in the process of renovation and would like to find out info on the reid bros architects of SF do you know if there is any archeival info plans etc…thanks
I am in the process of a renovation of a spanish revival theatre in Eureka Ca that was done by reid bros.Richard Sweasey.any idea if old plans were archieved somewhere we have a few pages but poor quality and incomplete…thanks…kurt
Hi this is Evan,im 10 years old.My dad use to work at des plains theater,and he said that a old man told him that he saw a ghost,and that I might wanta visit it someday.He has told me other creepy stuff about the theater,also I heard about saving the theater so when you email me tell me the stuff I can do to save the theater bye.
We were in Aberdeen this weekend and swung by to see the D & R theater. It is no longer for lease. The owner is renting the two small retail spaces in the front. We called him to ask about the condition of the theater itself, and he said that it was empty, the seats had been removed, and it was being used as storage space. The old ticket booth is still there in front of the doors, wrapped in chicken wire, and the general exterior of the building is very run down.
I have in my possesion a full set of architectural drawings of the Roxy Theater of New York City. The drawing were done by my great uncle, Tom Moreford. Does anyone have anyone photos of the theater they could share?
I worked as an usher at the Granada in the late 60’s. What a masterpiece it was. It was once included in a list of the top 50 Balaban and Katz “Movie Palaces”. Another one that was allowed to die was the Howard, also in Rogers Park. I understand the crowds have been gone for a long time. But preservation of history has to have some priority! We must not let this continue.
I am very interested in refurbishing the theatre and restoring it back to it’s original form
As a niece of Anthony Laporte who was an owner of the Avalon from approx. 1951 to 1971, our family is saddened by the potential of losing that treasured space. My grandmother, my mother and my sisters often reminisced about going to see first run pictures like “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”, “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” while I was growing up in Bay View. My mother still speaks of her memories of working the ticket booth when she was 15.
This was a long running art house theater. Walter Reade Theaters ran it for years. Landmark was the last operator of this theater. Very popular theater for foreign films in its day. (Lina Wertmueller’s films were very popular here, in particular the 1977 film Swept Away.)
The Empire theater is not closed. Century Theaters has run this for a number of years and recently converted it into a CineArts theater showing foreign and independent films. Originally a single screener, it was chopped up into a three-plex in the early 1970’s.
When it was the Stage Door, it ran foreign art films. I saw several Ingmar Bergman films here in the 1970’s. Walter Reade Theaters ran it until 1978 when they went bankrupt. Blumenfeld took over and called it Regency 3, which showed mostly holdover fare from the Regency 1 & 2 that were several blocks away. A live multimedia show called The San Francisco Experience ran here for a while after Blumenfeld left.
This place only has live sex shows now. It was the Regal theater, which showed quadruple billed films to Market Street audiences(& even advertised “always 6 color cartoons”). In 1972, started showing hardcore films(the notorious film “Animal Lover” played here, which got booted out of San Francisco due to public outcry) and in 1973, the Mitchell Brothers took it over and showed triple bills of hard porn (initially at $1.99). The Mitchells ran this until the early 1990’s(and at that time it was the only theater they had left showing porn films, the rest either folded or, in the case of the O'Farrell Theater, went to strickly live sex shows). Deja Vu runs it now.
The engineer was Rutherford L Stinard who worked with Maxon,Sells and Ficke
I recently discovered that my house was built by the same architects as the paris theatre. The firm Maxon,Sells and Ficke was in NYC on fith avenue in the 1950’s. I also have documentation about it.
This theater is now the site of a Longs Drugs store. Closed as a theater in the 1950’s.
Operated as a second run house until the late 1940’s until Pete DeCencie operated it as a “burlesk” house, showing live burlesque shows. The famous stripper Tempest Storm was often an attraction here and Russ Meyer made his first (short) film French Peep Show here at this theater with Storm. As live burlesque waned in the late 1950’s, the theater switched to “adults only” films and then later hard porn in the 1970’s before it closed. Pictures of this theater are in the Eddie Mueller book Grindhouse.
This theater largely operated as a theater showing “adults only” fare in the 1960’s. It closed sometime in the 1970’s.
As a long time resident of Bay View, I am extremely saddened by the stagnation of the Avalon Theater. This beautiful place holds many childhood, teenage, and adulthood memories…here’s a few highlights: we walked for 2 miles from our house (we were in 7th and 8th grade) to see movies at the Avalon in the early to mid 80’s because it was something to do (even if the movie was “Conan”). I was always dazzled by the twinkling stars! Occasionally, they would resurrect the old organ and we’d be treated to a pre-movie concert which facinated us. In the late 80’s a lazer light show accompanied “The Wall” and they opened the balcony just for these performances. In the 90’s, my all-time favorite movie, “The Wizard of Oz” was shown with a touring collection of movie memorabilia (including one of the original pairs of ruby slippers), and one of the last living Munchkins, Fern Formica, signed autographs! Again, for this special show, the balcony was opened :) I love the Avalon and so do many of my friends—we don’t know how to help (nor do we have the funds, or know-how, to buy or renovate)but we sure hope someone does. These were just a few memories, and I’ve seen countless movies there. I’m heartbroken that I may not be able to see anything come of this beloved landmark that is one of the things that made Bay View unique.
I’m proud of you Ruthy.The theater brings back great memories.Great web site!
I was visiting in-laws and had a chance to see a movie at this magnificent theatre. I liked the lobby display with the various bits and pieces of memorobilia of the theatre’s history and the interior murals and paintings were breathtaking. I’m glad a place like this has survived.
FYI – I spoke with Regal Entertainment. They have no intention of selling the property and stated that they have plans for the location.
new website of the olympic theater
www.theolympictheater.com
no more .tv
I join the query: why is the “Friends of the Fox” website no longer viable and why does no one seem able to reinstate it? One would think that the new owner and the Riverside Arts council/Redevelopment, et al., would welcome any/all offers of donations and help.
Info I’ve found:
October 25, 2003: “Gone With the Wind” gala includes hors d'ouvres, libation, dessert, special seating for $50.00. First come, first seated general w/intermission desssert selections and libations is $15.00/ticket available at the ticket booth on the 25th.
Please note that the powers-that-be who slicked through a Kentucky Fried on the objecting homeowners of Canyon Crest is not terribly in love w/the new owner’s plans to fully restore the theater. They were planning to either tear it down for the ubiquitous flat, environmentally crude parking lot, turning it into retail businesses – see the used-to-be beautiful De Anza theater on Market Street – or making it another multiplex theater by gutting the beautiful and historic interior.
The new owner has had one battle after another with our ever-thoughtful City Council and endured vandalism, break-ins and thefts of antique fixtures to his building but continues his efforts.
Let’s give him a round of applause send your offers of help and questions to:
“Friends of the Fox/Riverside Arts Council"
3839 Brocton Avenue, Ste E
Riverside, CA 92501.
Ticket info: (909) 784-7095.
Good luck, peace, thanks for caring.
With “The Producers” coming to town, one would hope the Hipp would have a chance to shine again. However, with Ticketmaster charging a $4.50 facility fee AND and $9.50 ‘Convenience’ fee, on top of a $75.00 ticket (Hmmm, lets, see…can you say ‘fleece’?), the average schmo, like me, may be put off.