Another article from Hoodline yesterday and more comments from Another Planet CEO Gregg Perloff addressing the Castro’s history and future. Emotions have been running high over the Castro. Possibly these statements will qualm some fears over the amount of film presentations and community input but physical changes inside are likely regarding (some flexible front orchestra) seating, organ installation, sound upgrades, lighting, HVAC and marquee rehab and more.
“Castro Theatre will still show movies, new operator Another Planet assures distraught film fanatics”.
“People are making assumptions that are unfounded,” he (Greg Perloff, CEO and founder of Another Planet) said on Thursday, Jan. 20. “What we have talked about is doing a little of everything. The intention is to have film and film festivals, along with music and comedy and lectures. Ultimately, the public will tell us what they want to see.”
Here is G. Allen Johnson’s SF Chronicle article on the changes coming to the Castro and the importance of the Castro Theater to film lovers and film makers as a special place for cinema.
A reminder on how to link to another site in your comment…
Between these brackets [ ] type in a name or title for the link (as MSC77 did with “this link”).
Between these parentheses ( ) copy and paste the web address.
There is no space between ] and(. After you click on Add Comment your link should go live.
The Castro’s website shows that films are back starting with Nightmare Alley (2021) tonight and a free showing of Spielberg’s West Side Story Dec 12 among others this month.
In addition to Mike (saps) find in Variety, on page 4 of the photos for the Rivoli, I noticed a newspaper ad grindhouse uploaded in Aug 2020 during the run of West Side Story that exclaims about ¾ of the way down “EXCLUSIVE ROADSHOW ENGAGEMENTS For Your Convenience in the New York and New Jersey Areas”.
“Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema, whose future was uncertain to due to the pandemic and which a property owner at one point wanted to convert into office space, is set to reopen Friday, Nov. 19, with a couple of San Francisco classics and some new art house fare on its screens.”
Ed S - I have no idea but I suppose that was possible - I saw 2 films in one evening at the Golden Gate in SF in the early 70’s - one on a flat wide screen (the musical western Zachariah), the other on their Cinerama screen (a sneak preview of The Andromeda Strain). One of the recent commenters above posted that he was the manager of the Rivoli in the 70’s. Maybe he could chime in on that.
bigjoe59 - According to the link, the ToddAO screen was 52' X 26'. The D150 screen was 74' X 29'.
“A few years after this purchase (referring to ToddAO’s purchase of D150 from it’s inventors), in 1966, a Dimension-150 screen was installed in the Rivoli prior to the opening of “The Sand Pebbles”, which was filmed in Panavision and was screened at the Rivoli in 70mm. This screen remained in place until the theater was twinned in 1984. (“The Bible” and “Patton”, the only D- 150 films, played elsewhere on Broadway so the Rivoli never ran a D-150 film. However, it projected “Hello, Dolly!”, “Star!”, and “The Last Valley” in D-150.)”
The building is on the market for sale or lease. If you click on the link Regency and scroll down to “Watch the Drone Tour” and click on the image you will be taken virtually through this entire amazing building.
This theater reopened Sept 3. The new name is CGV Cinemas San Francisco. There are 2 other CGV Cinemas in California. One is in Buena Park, the other in Los Angeles.
The 4 Star has been sold. The new owner has hired Adam Bergeron, owner-operator of the Balboa Theater and operator of the Vogue Theater, to program the 4 Star.
Details here with links to an SF Chronicle story about the sale and also the CinemaSF.com website that oversees the 3 theaters.
I don’t think this is the Market St Granada (Paramount) either. There were businesses on both sides of the theatre in 1923 with display windows. This Granada has what looks to be a brick wall to it’s right.
A homeowner in the Balboa Park district of SF has found original blueprints of the Fox in a cabinet in her garage. She has arranged to donate them to the SF Public Library’s History Center.
Recently found a 1967 ad in one of the local peninsula newspapers and posted it in photos. In 1967 it was called the Palo Alto Automovie. The Oregon Expressway turnoff from the Bayshore Freeway mentioned in the ad is just north of the actual location of the drive in.
Hi bigjoe59…seem to remember a discussion about this (Titanic) but cannot find the comments on either the Presidio or Marina theater pages here which are the 2 theaters on Chestnut St. - Titanic played at both. I saw it at the Presidio, G. DeLuca posted a pic on the Marina page from when it played there. The first THX installation in SF was at the UA Galaxy on Van Ness according to a Feb 2018 comment on the AMC Kabuki page.
bigjoe59 - I’ve uploaded a screen shot from google maps to Photos of the Coliseum. The ground floor is now a Walgreens. The rest of the building has been turned into condos.
A Alverez…and where did his/her posts go???? In fact this most recent thread (up until yesterday’s date) completely disappeared from the “Recent Comments” list accessible from the Home page.
The Arlington is celebrating it’s 90th anniversary and has reopened.
“Kicking off the day’s events on Saturday, May 22 at 12:30pm will be a free live performance featuring organ music provided by the Santa Barbara Theatre Organ Society with special guest organist Adam Aceto. Aceto will play on the Arlington’s Great Theatre Pipe Organ, a 1928 Robert-Morton “Wonder Morton” of which only 5 were ever made.”
With the $5 admission ticket the organ performance, a film and free popcorn were included.
Another article from Hoodline yesterday and more comments from Another Planet CEO Gregg Perloff addressing the Castro’s history and future. Emotions have been running high over the Castro. Possibly these statements will qualm some fears over the amount of film presentations and community input but physical changes inside are likely regarding (some flexible front orchestra) seating, organ installation, sound upgrades, lighting, HVAC and marquee rehab and more.
Hoodline
“Castro Theatre will still show movies, new operator Another Planet assures distraught film fanatics”.
“People are making assumptions that are unfounded,” he (Greg Perloff, CEO and founder of Another Planet) said on Thursday, Jan. 20. “What we have talked about is doing a little of everything. The intention is to have film and film festivals, along with music and comedy and lectures. Ultimately, the public will tell us what they want to see.”
Here is G. Allen Johnson’s SF Chronicle article on the changes coming to the Castro and the importance of the Castro Theater to film lovers and film makers as a special place for cinema.
Castro
another article here on Another Planet taking over operating the Castro at sfist:
Castro
Added to Photos - an image capture from Google maps from June 2021.
A reminder on how to link to another site in your comment… Between these brackets [ ] type in a name or title for the link (as MSC77 did with “this link”). Between these parentheses ( ) copy and paste the web address. There is no space between ] and(. After you click on Add Comment your link should go live.
The Castro’s website shows that films are back starting with Nightmare Alley (2021) tonight and a free showing of Spielberg’s West Side Story Dec 12 among others this month.
In addition to Mike (saps) find in Variety, on page 4 of the photos for the Rivoli, I noticed a newspaper ad grindhouse uploaded in Aug 2020 during the run of West Side Story that exclaims about ¾ of the way down “EXCLUSIVE ROADSHOW ENGAGEMENTS For Your Convenience in the New York and New Jersey Areas”.
“Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema, whose future was uncertain to due to the pandemic and which a property owner at one point wanted to convert into office space, is set to reopen Friday, Nov. 19, with a couple of San Francisco classics and some new art house fare on its screens.”
The SF Chronicle story here: OperaPlaza
Ed S - I have no idea but I suppose that was possible - I saw 2 films in one evening at the Golden Gate in SF in the early 70’s - one on a flat wide screen (the musical western Zachariah), the other on their Cinerama screen (a sneak preview of The Andromeda Strain). One of the recent commenters above posted that he was the manager of the Rivoli in the 70’s. Maybe he could chime in on that.
bigjoe59 - According to the link, the ToddAO screen was 52' X 26'. The D150 screen was 74' X 29'.
bigjoe59…This is a link to the Rivoli page on In70MM.com…
Rivoli D150 Screen
“A few years after this purchase (referring to ToddAO’s purchase of D150 from it’s inventors), in 1966, a Dimension-150 screen was installed in the Rivoli prior to the opening of “The Sand Pebbles”, which was filmed in Panavision and was screened at the Rivoli in 70mm. This screen remained in place until the theater was twinned in 1984. (“The Bible” and “Patton”, the only D- 150 films, played elsewhere on Broadway so the Rivoli never ran a D-150 film. However, it projected “Hello, Dolly!”, “Star!”, and “The Last Valley” in D-150.)”
The building is on the market for sale or lease. If you click on the link Regency and scroll down to “Watch the Drone Tour” and click on the image you will be taken virtually through this entire amazing building.
Here is a link to an SFGate story about the closing of the California:
Cal
This theater reopened Sept 3. The new name is CGV Cinemas San Francisco. There are 2 other CGV Cinemas in California. One is in Buena Park, the other in Los Angeles.
The website is Here
Currently tickets for 6 films are being sold on Fandango in 8 of it’s screening rooms.
The 4 Star has been sold. The new owner has hired Adam Bergeron, owner-operator of the Balboa Theater and operator of the Vogue Theater, to program the 4 Star.
Details here with links to an SF Chronicle story about the sale and also the CinemaSF.com website that oversees the 3 theaters.
I don’t think this is the Market St Granada (Paramount) either. There were businesses on both sides of the theatre in 1923 with display windows. This Granada has what looks to be a brick wall to it’s right.
Outsidelands.org El Rey page here.
A homeowner in the Balboa Park district of SF has found original blueprints of the Fox in a cabinet in her garage. She has arranged to donate them to the SF Public Library’s History Center.
Fox Blueprints
Recently found a 1967 ad in one of the local peninsula newspapers and posted it in photos. In 1967 it was called the Palo Alto Automovie. The Oregon Expressway turnoff from the Bayshore Freeway mentioned in the ad is just north of the actual location of the drive in.
Hi bigjoe59…seem to remember a discussion about this (Titanic) but cannot find the comments on either the Presidio or Marina theater pages here which are the 2 theaters on Chestnut St. - Titanic played at both. I saw it at the Presidio, G. DeLuca posted a pic on the Marina page from when it played there. The first THX installation in SF was at the UA Galaxy on Van Ness according to a Feb 2018 comment on the AMC Kabuki page.
bigjoe59 - I’ve uploaded a screen shot from google maps to Photos of the Coliseum. The ground floor is now a Walgreens. The rest of the building has been turned into condos.
The Great Star has reopened. From their website:
Great Star
Just scrolled through the lot of them Cinerama- thanks for taking the time to post them.
Market St tunnels for metro lines K, L and M being dug and Castro St station where the fenced open hole is at right.
A Alverez…and where did his/her posts go???? In fact this most recent thread (up until yesterday’s date) completely disappeared from the “Recent Comments” list accessible from the Home page.
The Arlington is celebrating it’s 90th anniversary and has reopened.
“Kicking off the day’s events on Saturday, May 22 at 12:30pm will be a free live performance featuring organ music provided by the Santa Barbara Theatre Organ Society with special guest organist Adam Aceto. Aceto will play on the Arlington’s Great Theatre Pipe Organ, a 1928 Robert-Morton “Wonder Morton” of which only 5 were ever made.”
With the $5 admission ticket the organ performance, a film and free popcorn were included.
Photos added.