How sad the giant curved Cinerama screen at the Dome is way smaller since they went digital when not showing films. Look at the bottom right and left how It curves up. To bad they don’t have the correct lens and masking like many other still in use curved screens to not make the bottom look so bad.
This long closed cinema will open again after all the work is done to bring It up to code on the inside and outside. Just like the Drafthouse New Mission and the Grand Theatre, Mission St is coming back in SF for a new generation to enjoy. Thanks so much Granola for the nice color photo.
Did they finally replace all the dark blue lights shinning down on the sides and curtains that many were burnt out over the years with clear bright bulbs? Now at last you can find your reserved seat and It won’t be in the dark. Is this a new photo?
So nice this long closed cinema will shine again. Only theatre in town so It will do well. Let the neon glow again!!!! just off the Bart train stop Lafayette CA.
Dennis thanks for the photo. Must have been for the 4th Of July or Memorial Day. You won’t find movie circuits these days having any flags up for a holiday.
Let’s hope they put in some curtains that open and close and install some color lights up on the ceiling. It’s time for the water falls to be fixed and going also.
Must have been hard to watch a film on the large scope screen and see the image from the second screen on the left. They needed to plant some large trees to block the view.
A recent visit a few weeks ago was not a good time for me at the Fox Atlanta. We saw ‘The Shining’ The Fox run some ads in the local art/entertainment free newspapers and tell about the Coke Film Festival Night. They show the time starting at 7:30PM. What they don’t tell you about all the wonderfull things going on during the pre show at 6 45PM. The pipe organ, cartoons, news, plus trailers all in 35mm film. Most of the main features are DCP video. Not the best look with such a long throw from the back high up balcony projection booth. They did not close the curtains like they did in the past after the organ or between the main feature. So many ads cover the above the screen section and projected on the walls. This gave the place a junkie look, not like a first class classic movie theatre. What was so sad many people came in at 7:30PM or later and blocked screen view looking for their seats and talking. Most had no idea about coming early I think or looking for a place to park. They ran so many screen ads before the video main feature started I thought I was at a Regal Theatre. The lady at the boxoffice told me they open at 6 PM. She was wrong I had to wait in the hot heat till 6 30PM. I did talk to some sort of manager lady in the lobby and told her how important the curtains are with some color lights on them like they did in the past. She did listen to me so let’s see If they can get a stage person backstage to open and close them at the correct time (slowly) as they do adjust the screen masking by hand for flat or scope. The screen they use is way smaller then the huge CinemaScope® screen they had in the 50’s. The Fox need’s to change the name to Coke Video Festival as they don’t show 35mm or 70mm film on the main features they book. Glad the place is still open and let’s wish they bring some showmanship back on these great movie/video nights and change the newspaper ads to show what is going on before the main feature plus mention COME EARLY and open at 6 PM. They now have metal detectors out side the front doors so you will be checked to enter just like at the airports. This adds some time also to get in. Watching a movie is not like going to a rock show.
I worked at the Fox Paramount in the mid 60’s. The manager was Robert Apple, a great showman. This is were I saw my first CinemaScope® film in the early 50’s. They had many true studio sneak previews. I worked the time they showed the sneak preview of ‘Mollie Brow’ in 4 track mag stereo. When the movie was released at the Paramount later on they only sent a mono print. MR Apple was very upset I remember ‘Mollie’ had some great surround sound effects and the Paramount had plenty of surround speakers in the balcony also. So nice It’s still open and they do show movies once in a while.
To bad the current people that have this old theatre took down the nice neon marquee. You can still go in and see It was a great little cinema in the 50 and 60’s.
If you see a music event here and sit up stairs you won’t see the stage as most people stand up and block the view. The music is way to loud. Bring ear plugs. They even sell them in the lobby at the Fox Oakland Theatre. The manager needs to check all the people smoking up stairs and have them sit down. They were not smoking cigarette’s. A fire danger and the ushers don’t care. No seats downstairs, you pay a high price and have to stand all during the show. Nice job on all the color lights when they have them on. Hope some day they show some movies on 35mm film or DCP and put in a large screen and get the curtain to work. APE the gang that books the place offers nothing for seniors to enjoy. Check the Fox out and take the Bart train to almost the front door. Don’t forget your ear plugs!!!!
The downstairs RKO#1 curved Cinerama screen was just put in the back of the wide stage and It did not have the impact as the Orpheum Cinerama up the street that had wrap around curtains. Yes SF had two Cinerama type theatres during this time. The upstairs RKO#2 was one of the worst keystone screens ever.
Thanks Dennis for the photo. Did your cinema ever have 70mm film on the screen? Did the screen have the same look as many Showcase theatres hade at that time with no curtains and more of a box set screen back in the wall. Thanks again.
To bad they tore this semi Cinerama type curved screen theatre down a few years ago. Many people tried to save her but the owners wanted to cash out. Thanks so much Texas2 for the memories.
I saw this as a kid at the huge Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland Ca. Steve Reeves was on the giant stage in person opening week. They had up on the marquee ‘Oakland Own’s Steve Reeves In Person’ Mr Mac Dougal the manager went all out with the front 3 sheets and newspaper advertising in Oakland. Thanks CC for this great ad. They even had a MR Hercules contest on stage for local bodybuilder type guys.
I was amazed how large the backstage was. They had room to put a much larger curved type 70mm screen on the massive stage not the flat one they used for all the 70mm roadshow films that played like ‘Sound Of Music’ and ‘The Bible’ (D-150) in a flat semi small Todd-AO 70mm screen. At least the stereo surround sounded good here as they had plenty of surround effect speakers and kept them way up for 6 Ch 70mm mag stereo! SF has torn down so many nice theatres in the past 30 years and now this one is gone. Not even a photo or article in the SF Chronicle this week as I sent them all mine to use. Many older people now went here in the 50’s and 60’s for reserved seat roadshow films.
Thanks CC for this great photo. To bad the city of SF did not keep this huge theatre. Many other cities kept their Fox Theatres. The Shuberts needed to take It over and give some West Coast competition to the Nederlanders.
terrywade
commented about
ROYALon
Jul 15, 2016 at 10:02 am
Thanks Don for this classic photo. To bad the Nasser family did not keep the neon sign up when they went condo. Some of the front is still in place on Polk St in SF. They could call It the ‘Condos Royal’
I often wonder who got the two CinemaScope neon signs from the marquee?
How sad the giant curved Cinerama screen at the Dome is way smaller since they went digital when not showing films. Look at the bottom right and left how It curves up. To bad they don’t have the correct lens and masking like many other still in use curved screens to not make the bottom look so bad.
This long closed cinema will open again after all the work is done to bring It up to code on the inside and outside. Just like the Drafthouse New Mission and the Grand Theatre, Mission St is coming back in SF for a new generation to enjoy. Thanks so much Granola for the nice color photo.
Thanks Gran, looks like they even didn’t save the curved curtain track and curtains all put in the dumpster.
Thanks David, to think they even had a large curved Todd-AO screen at a time.
Did they finally replace all the dark blue lights shinning down on the sides and curtains that many were burnt out over the years with clear bright bulbs? Now at last you can find your reserved seat and It won’t be in the dark. Is this a new photo?
So nice this long closed cinema will shine again. Only theatre in town so It will do well. Let the neon glow again!!!! just off the Bart train stop Lafayette CA.
Dennis thanks for the photo. Must have been for the 4th Of July or Memorial Day. You won’t find movie circuits these days having any flags up for a holiday.
So nice they still use curtains that open and close. The screen in the large downstairs cinema has a slight curve to It.
Thanks Dennis for the photo. I wonder If that is neon light behind the glass blocks? A great looking boxoffice and doors.
Let’s hope they put in some curtains that open and close and install some color lights up on the ceiling. It’s time for the water falls to be fixed and going also.
To bad they had old white lights on. A nice touch would have been blue or green bulbs. Thanks Ken for the great photos. Is the place still open?
Must have been hard to watch a film on the large scope screen and see the image from the second screen on the left. They needed to plant some large trees to block the view.
A recent visit a few weeks ago was not a good time for me at the Fox Atlanta. We saw ‘The Shining’ The Fox run some ads in the local art/entertainment free newspapers and tell about the Coke Film Festival Night. They show the time starting at 7:30PM. What they don’t tell you about all the wonderfull things going on during the pre show at 6 45PM. The pipe organ, cartoons, news, plus trailers all in 35mm film. Most of the main features are DCP video. Not the best look with such a long throw from the back high up balcony projection booth. They did not close the curtains like they did in the past after the organ or between the main feature. So many ads cover the above the screen section and projected on the walls. This gave the place a junkie look, not like a first class classic movie theatre. What was so sad many people came in at 7:30PM or later and blocked screen view looking for their seats and talking. Most had no idea about coming early I think or looking for a place to park. They ran so many screen ads before the video main feature started I thought I was at a Regal Theatre. The lady at the boxoffice told me they open at 6 PM. She was wrong I had to wait in the hot heat till 6 30PM. I did talk to some sort of manager lady in the lobby and told her how important the curtains are with some color lights on them like they did in the past. She did listen to me so let’s see If they can get a stage person backstage to open and close them at the correct time (slowly) as they do adjust the screen masking by hand for flat or scope. The screen they use is way smaller then the huge CinemaScope® screen they had in the 50’s. The Fox need’s to change the name to Coke Video Festival as they don’t show 35mm or 70mm film on the main features they book. Glad the place is still open and let’s wish they bring some showmanship back on these great movie/video nights and change the newspaper ads to show what is going on before the main feature plus mention COME EARLY and open at 6 PM. They now have metal detectors out side the front doors so you will be checked to enter just like at the airports. This adds some time also to get in. Watching a movie is not like going to a rock show.
I worked at the Fox Paramount in the mid 60’s. The manager was Robert Apple, a great showman. This is were I saw my first CinemaScope® film in the early 50’s. They had many true studio sneak previews. I worked the time they showed the sneak preview of ‘Mollie Brow’ in 4 track mag stereo. When the movie was released at the Paramount later on they only sent a mono print. MR Apple was very upset I remember ‘Mollie’ had some great surround sound effects and the Paramount had plenty of surround speakers in the balcony also. So nice It’s still open and they do show movies once in a while.
To bad the current people that have this old theatre took down the nice neon marquee. You can still go in and see It was a great little cinema in the 50 and 60’s.
If you see a music event here and sit up stairs you won’t see the stage as most people stand up and block the view. The music is way to loud. Bring ear plugs. They even sell them in the lobby at the Fox Oakland Theatre. The manager needs to check all the people smoking up stairs and have them sit down. They were not smoking cigarette’s. A fire danger and the ushers don’t care. No seats downstairs, you pay a high price and have to stand all during the show. Nice job on all the color lights when they have them on. Hope some day they show some movies on 35mm film or DCP and put in a large screen and get the curtain to work. APE the gang that books the place offers nothing for seniors to enjoy. Check the Fox out and take the Bart train to almost the front door. Don’t forget your ear plugs!!!!
The downstairs RKO#1 curved Cinerama screen was just put in the back of the wide stage and It did not have the impact as the Orpheum Cinerama up the street that had wrap around curtains. Yes SF had two Cinerama type theatres during this time. The upstairs RKO#2 was one of the worst keystone screens ever.
Thanks Dennis for the photo. Did your cinema ever have 70mm film on the screen? Did the screen have the same look as many Showcase theatres hade at that time with no curtains and more of a box set screen back in the wall. Thanks again.
To bad they tore this semi Cinerama type curved screen theatre down a few years ago. Many people tried to save her but the owners wanted to cash out. Thanks so much Texas2 for the memories.
I saw this as a kid at the huge Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland Ca. Steve Reeves was on the giant stage in person opening week. They had up on the marquee ‘Oakland Own’s Steve Reeves In Person’ Mr Mac Dougal the manager went all out with the front 3 sheets and newspaper advertising in Oakland. Thanks CC for this great ad. They even had a MR Hercules contest on stage for local bodybuilder type guys.
I was amazed how large the backstage was. They had room to put a much larger curved type 70mm screen on the massive stage not the flat one they used for all the 70mm roadshow films that played like ‘Sound Of Music’ and ‘The Bible’ (D-150) in a flat semi small Todd-AO 70mm screen. At least the stereo surround sounded good here as they had plenty of surround effect speakers and kept them way up for 6 Ch 70mm mag stereo! SF has torn down so many nice theatres in the past 30 years and now this one is gone. Not even a photo or article in the SF Chronicle this week as I sent them all mine to use. Many older people now went here in the 50’s and 60’s for reserved seat roadshow films.
It is now being worked on to bring It open again as a bar/club with arcade games.
Thanks CC for this great photo. To bad the city of SF did not keep this huge theatre. Many other cities kept their Fox Theatres. The Shuberts needed to take It over and give some West Coast competition to the Nederlanders.
Thanks Don for this classic photo. To bad the Nasser family did not keep the neon sign up when they went condo. Some of the front is still in place on Polk St in SF. They could call It the ‘Condos Royal’