I remember seeing ‘Journey To The Center Of The Earth’ at the Bal many years ago. They had the best 4 track stereo surround system in the 50’s and 60’s. Someone needs to reopen the place. Book movies from the 50’s, get the seniors to come, make it like the old days. People are tired of the multiplex experience. The Lorenzo is about to be re opened one day.
Does anyone know if the Balboa has Dolby Digital or a reguler stereo set up with surrounds? Last time I went it was mono sound. If they are now showing first run films please put in a better sound system. Most people now have Dolby Digital at home. Some day I hope they take out the wall down the middle and turn it back to single screen. I don’t like the narrow long look it is in know.
Robb thanks for the info on the remodel. It will be great, the movie people of Alameda will have a big movie theatre to go to again. Hope they put in a big curved scope screen in the main theatre. And curtains that work. The stereo will sound great in the old Alameda. Do you know how big the smaller cinemas will be on the side building? When will be the grand opening?
Yes for a old UA cut up they did a good job. Two big theatres downstairs, two big ones uptairs in the old balcony. The lobby is still looking very deco. The other small theatres are not worth seeing movies in. One is in the backstage area the others are closets. The last time I went a few months ago the right stereo speaker in the upstairs left big theatre was not on. I got my money back, they didn’t believe me but after checking it out they said I was correct. Go see a film and check out the lobby. The stereo I think is DTS and the surrounds are up at a good level. Not like the Landmark down the street. You can stand under a surround speaker and hear about 10% audio at the California and Albany Theatres.
Next time you go complain that the curtains don’t work. Wait till you hear what the manager tells you. I don’t understand why they put in such a small screen in the downstairs part. The manager says it’s because they had to move the screen up during the seismic work. It can still be enlarged on the sides. The projector is in a strange area below the old balcony. The lens looks plastic not a good image. Landmark won’t spend any $ to fix the curtains or put in a larger screen. I remember seeing with my parents in the 50’s a double bill of The King & I with Anastasia when it was a big single screen house with 4 track stereo on a huge curved cinemascope screen. No wonder people are staying home and watching Dvd’s. The California needs to bring back that showmanship experience. At least they do have some nice lights up on the side walls in the upstairs twin and use red and blue bulbs.Someone must be awake still at the CAL. With all the students going to school at UC this is a hot spot for good movies.
Bruce thanks for your note. I don’t think seeing Sound of Music at the Roxie in Oakland after it had played in SF for many months on the Roxie small screen in 35mm was Roadshow. Same at the Grand Lake, they didn’t show in full 70mm nor most times they didn’t give programs for sale. You may have thought you were at at a Roadshow presentation, but if you saw the same film in Hollywood or SF a few months before it looked great. Did the Grand Lake have reserved seats? I don’t remember. What bothered me with the Roxie in Oakland they put in the advertisement 70mm or Todd-Ao many times they just took the logo from the reel roadshow and just used it. Most people that didn’t go to SF prob didn’t know the 35mm rip off. Wow if the Grand Lake had put in a big curved sceen how great this theatres projection roadshow look for the people of Oakland. 35mm or 70mm at least the Grand Lake is still open, but I think Its roadshow days are gone. I saw Dreamgirls at the big theatre downstairs and the right surrounds did'nt come on. I asked the projectionist Steffon about it, he told me they need to fix it. Next time you go to the Grand Lake check to see if the right surrounds are on. The place needs new rugs in the lobby very bad.
This theatre needs a major remodel job. Landmark won’t spend a dime on it. Needs curtains fixed and working. The stereo sound needs a upgrade, the surrounds are never on. The little art deco lights on the side are dirty and dusty. The out side is the wrong color. The only good thing is the lobby. I have never been upstairs in the twin. Landmark runs the California also, I think they just lease both theatres and won’t spend any money on them. The people of the east bay need better art theatres.
Id love to see the curtains working again. They don’t close them lack of showmanship by the Syufy brothers. The curve from the big screen they had is gone. To bad they didn’t keep it in at least for the 21 Dome. The Syufy people need to do a big 70mm week at the Century 21.
Good news in todays LA Times Thurs Aug 9 the Pacific team has the listing CINERAMA DOME not just The Dome. Did they read my note this week? Now lets get the great Cinema Treasure book for sale in the gift shop and bring back the Cinerama shirts. The tourists will snap them up. It’s time for a new print of Cinerama Holiday to play. Play it up for the summer vacation people in Hollywood.
This theatre had a great curved screen. almost like a D-150 screen.It’s sister theatre the Reg 1 had a smaller screen and like many Blumenfield theatres they just droped masking down to make it cinemascope. I believe they both had 70mm.
Last time I went last year I looked up at the ceiling. It was full of cobwebs. Watch out a spider may come down on your popcorn. The surround speakers are never up full. I was told by a cranky manager that if they turned them up they will be heard in the next theatre. I will pass on this UA dump.
To bad Ray Syufy got money hungrey and split many of his Domes down the middle. Leaking sound, seats going the wrong way. It was a mess. At least he didn’t split the flagship The Century 21 in San Jose.
Does anyone know when the Parkway is to be fixed up? I heard now that they have worked things out on a lease they can start with some touch up. Please put in a good Dolby unit downstairs and up. I don’t want to see a movie I missed first run in Mono sound at the Parkway. They the owners did a great job at the El Cerito. Curtains that work and a great stereo sound system. Check it out. Now it’s time the do the same at Oakland’s Parkway. A former manager friend of mine told me the old owner Mr Foster didn’t have enough plastic letters so he had to go to the Piedmont or the Albany all the time and borrow some letters he was missing. They also oversold the house when it was a first class art house. Lucky the Oakland Fire dept didn’t come in and see many people on the floor blocking exits. If you complained you lost your job. This was in the 60’s. Things are better know at the Parkway. Strange thing the owners don’t advertise what is playing in the Oakland Tribune. But they advertise in the Contra Costa paper many miles away. Did they get mad at the Tribune for a bad review? They miss boxoffice customers by not running a small ad in the Tribune.
Went in a few weeks ago. A real mess. The old projection guy was living in the projection booth. He is no longer the projection guy. The sound is the worst in any theatre. They advertise Dolby Stereo but it is so bad with a hum and scrathy sound. The light on the screen is about 30%. A long wire hangs from the uper left part of the screen. The same guy has been in the little boxoffice booth for years. The manager is very bad news. I complained about the sound and screen. He told me it was his theatre and if I didn’t like it I can leave. To bad with a little clean up and screen cleaning and some color lights they can make this into a tourist grindhouse and show films from the 50’s and 60’s. They don’t even light the neon stars under the marquee any more. The worst thing when you go in on the right ramp you are greated with a mop and bucket with Clorox smell. Mr Tarintino needs to by this place, as he goes to the Vine from time to time. Clean it up and bring back the action, horror Grindhouse only with a clean picture and sound. This theatres days are numbered. It will be another night club with no parking. Like what is going into the Fox Hollywood and they tried to put into the Vogue Hollywood. The film people need to check this place out before they book the second run prints. The movie is so dim you can’t tell anything on a dark scene. Enter at your own risk. Check it out and see all what goes on before it is closed. Behind the candy counter (drinks are all carbon) you will see the old boat wheel from the Admiral days long gone. All this going on near The Broadway Hollywood fancy new condos about to open. PS If it’s hot outside in Hollywood wait till you feel the heat at the Vine. The air is not working or they won’t turn on. Take a look at the big curtains above the screen. Looked great at one time when they worked, they are the waterfall type. Now covered in so mutch dust. Go and check it out and have some fun. You won’t find another place like it in California.
The gift store in the lobby of the Pacific Arclight no longer sells Cinerama shirts. The rude lady told me they took a bath on them.I don’t think so. I have seen many people with them in the last few years. They had many styles with the Cinerama logo. They don’t even sell the new Cinema Treasure book that has the Cinerama Dome in it. I asked about the book she never heard of it. Of all places to sell this book this is the place. the Pacific people don’t care about Cinerama anymore. In the LA Times the theatre is just called the Dome. Why not call it The Cinerama Dome. They can put in the little logo for Cinerama. At one time the Seattle people and the Pacific guys wanted to restore all the 3 proj prints. Is this ever going to happen?
Same thing went on at the Roxie that the Fox Grand Lake was doing. The Blumenfelds booked the Roxie at times like a road show house. had in the adds even 70mm listed. They didn’t have 70mm even had mono sound till many people got upset. Disney made them put in 4 track stereo for Mary Popins.Most people went to San francisco to see Cinerama, Todd-Ao and the other 70mm systems. The poor guys who went to the small Roxie screen missed all the presentation that SF had. It wasn’t till Ray S put in his Dome Century 21/22 big curved 70mm screens in San Jose that the 70mm hold had been let out of the SF theatres.
When Fox West Coast ran it they fooled the people of Oakland thinking they had a road show theatre. All the big 70mm road shows played San Francisco first, later in the run the Grand Lake picked up the prints before they went to the small theatres and booked them like it was the same thing as road show. They didn’t tell the people they only had 35mm. I think later on they did put in 70mm when Allen came on board.
Like many new Century Theatres they don’t have a full scope screen. They just drop black masking down from the big flat screen and make it look like Cinemascope. To fit in as many shoebox’s as possible they made the screens not able to expand. Gone are the days that curtains closed and the masking went out for a wide screen show.
Like Bruce says It is a sad thing about the front of The RKO Golden Gate. The Shorensteins have so much money, they can’t even put some in the fix up of the front of the RKO Golden Gate. When they took over they got rid of the nice neon marquee and painted everying brown out front. Can’t they buy some blue,green and golden red paint and redue the signs. The part of the block It is on is one of worst parts of downtown SF. If you park in the area your car will get broken into. Most people take Bart and rush in the door. I remember at one time SF had this as a second Super 70mm Cinerama Theatre. They did the worst job, they put the big Cinerama curved screen back on the stage. So they had flat curtains and it opened to a small size poor mans Cinerama show. The up stairs balcony had road show 70mm but the keystone was so bad I got my money back.
It was strange, they got many 70mm roadshow films in the 70’s. even played ‘The Bible’ a D-150 movie and played it on a flat screen. It was in 70mm/Stereo but I was looking to seeing it in D-150. Even the Todd-Ao print of Sound of Music played not on a Todd-Ao curved screen but the flat one they used both for cinemascope and 70mm. They charged road show prices with reserved seats but not the full road show style.
This was great road show house at a time. Many 70mm prints played, I went to see Sweat Charity in 70mm. They had a flat screen to bad It didn’t have a curve to it. Today someone thinks they can put condos on the site. Good Luck this is still one of the worst sections of Market St. I don’t see change coming.
I remember seeing Thank God It’s Friday at the Fox Warfield in 4 track mag stero. The place turned into a huge disco when it played. Gary needed to add a mirror ball when Donna Summer sang.
On a trip to Hollywood a few weeks ago to see Harry Pot at the Chinese I was shocked to go into the this great theatre and see bright orange lights on the screen with a digiatl add pre show thing going on the huge curved cinemascope screen. If adds have to be run so, so but to have all the orange lights on the screen Iam glad I did'nt pay to play my adds on the screen, the lights cut out the image. The biggest shock they didn’t close the great Chinese curtains after the spots or between the previews. Gone Is this last bit of showmanship at the Chinese. I asked for a Coke at the candy counter they gave me a Pepsi full of Ice! When you go Mann Theatres needs to help pay for the remodel job so they fill your cup all with ice and don’t even tell you they have have Pepsi. The Coke people need to check this problem out at the Chinese. The Mann people (Paramount/Warner Bros) Owners of the what is left of the great Fox West Coast Circuit need to get on track with what is going on across the street at Disney’s El Capitain Theatre, with long lines to get in across the street a stage show sometimes with live organ, many sets of curtains the poor Chinese sits almost empty after the second week of a movie? With all the Warner Cartoon people why can’t they do someting like the guys across the street, Charge a little more, with certain engagements have some pre show entertainment. The kids outside just looking at the footprints and tourists will line up like at the El Capitian.I saw a preview at the Chinese of a new Xmass movie, this is a great time to pull something together to bring people back into the Chinese. And please if you go to the Chinese complain to the manager about bringing the curtains back and put in some blue or red lights in the inside of the theatre during the movie. To see just white lights in the place just doesn’t work. Bring back some showmanship. Does anyone know why they don’t use the full curve screen for scope prints or digital? Seems like they can go up and out more in the masking.
I remember seeing ‘Journey To The Center Of The Earth’ at the Bal many years ago. They had the best 4 track stereo surround system in the 50’s and 60’s. Someone needs to reopen the place. Book movies from the 50’s, get the seniors to come, make it like the old days. People are tired of the multiplex experience. The Lorenzo is about to be re opened one day.
Does anyone know if the Balboa has Dolby Digital or a reguler stereo set up with surrounds? Last time I went it was mono sound. If they are now showing first run films please put in a better sound system. Most people now have Dolby Digital at home. Some day I hope they take out the wall down the middle and turn it back to single screen. I don’t like the narrow long look it is in know.
Robb thanks for the info on the remodel. It will be great, the movie people of Alameda will have a big movie theatre to go to again. Hope they put in a big curved scope screen in the main theatre. And curtains that work. The stereo will sound great in the old Alameda. Do you know how big the smaller cinemas will be on the side building? When will be the grand opening?
Yes for a old UA cut up they did a good job. Two big theatres downstairs, two big ones uptairs in the old balcony. The lobby is still looking very deco. The other small theatres are not worth seeing movies in. One is in the backstage area the others are closets. The last time I went a few months ago the right stereo speaker in the upstairs left big theatre was not on. I got my money back, they didn’t believe me but after checking it out they said I was correct. Go see a film and check out the lobby. The stereo I think is DTS and the surrounds are up at a good level. Not like the Landmark down the street. You can stand under a surround speaker and hear about 10% audio at the California and Albany Theatres.
Next time you go complain that the curtains don’t work. Wait till you hear what the manager tells you. I don’t understand why they put in such a small screen in the downstairs part. The manager says it’s because they had to move the screen up during the seismic work. It can still be enlarged on the sides. The projector is in a strange area below the old balcony. The lens looks plastic not a good image. Landmark won’t spend any $ to fix the curtains or put in a larger screen. I remember seeing with my parents in the 50’s a double bill of The King & I with Anastasia when it was a big single screen house with 4 track stereo on a huge curved cinemascope screen. No wonder people are staying home and watching Dvd’s. The California needs to bring back that showmanship experience. At least they do have some nice lights up on the side walls in the upstairs twin and use red and blue bulbs.Someone must be awake still at the CAL. With all the students going to school at UC this is a hot spot for good movies.
Can anyone tell me did the Tower have the D-150 curved screen at a time?
Bruce thanks for your note. I don’t think seeing Sound of Music at the Roxie in Oakland after it had played in SF for many months on the Roxie small screen in 35mm was Roadshow. Same at the Grand Lake, they didn’t show in full 70mm nor most times they didn’t give programs for sale. You may have thought you were at at a Roadshow presentation, but if you saw the same film in Hollywood or SF a few months before it looked great. Did the Grand Lake have reserved seats? I don’t remember. What bothered me with the Roxie in Oakland they put in the advertisement 70mm or Todd-Ao many times they just took the logo from the reel roadshow and just used it. Most people that didn’t go to SF prob didn’t know the 35mm rip off. Wow if the Grand Lake had put in a big curved sceen how great this theatres projection roadshow look for the people of Oakland. 35mm or 70mm at least the Grand Lake is still open, but I think Its roadshow days are gone. I saw Dreamgirls at the big theatre downstairs and the right surrounds did'nt come on. I asked the projectionist Steffon about it, he told me they need to fix it. Next time you go to the Grand Lake check to see if the right surrounds are on. The place needs new rugs in the lobby very bad.
This theatre needs a major remodel job. Landmark won’t spend a dime on it. Needs curtains fixed and working. The stereo sound needs a upgrade, the surrounds are never on. The little art deco lights on the side are dirty and dusty. The out side is the wrong color. The only good thing is the lobby. I have never been upstairs in the twin. Landmark runs the California also, I think they just lease both theatres and won’t spend any money on them. The people of the east bay need better art theatres.
Id love to see the curtains working again. They don’t close them lack of showmanship by the Syufy brothers. The curve from the big screen they had is gone. To bad they didn’t keep it in at least for the 21 Dome. The Syufy people need to do a big 70mm week at the Century 21.
Good news in todays LA Times Thurs Aug 9 the Pacific team has the listing CINERAMA DOME not just The Dome. Did they read my note this week? Now lets get the great Cinema Treasure book for sale in the gift shop and bring back the Cinerama shirts. The tourists will snap them up. It’s time for a new print of Cinerama Holiday to play. Play it up for the summer vacation people in Hollywood.
This theatre had a great curved screen. almost like a D-150 screen.It’s sister theatre the Reg 1 had a smaller screen and like many Blumenfield theatres they just droped masking down to make it cinemascope. I believe they both had 70mm.
Last time I went last year I looked up at the ceiling. It was full of cobwebs. Watch out a spider may come down on your popcorn. The surround speakers are never up full. I was told by a cranky manager that if they turned them up they will be heard in the next theatre. I will pass on this UA dump.
To bad Ray Syufy got money hungrey and split many of his Domes down the middle. Leaking sound, seats going the wrong way. It was a mess. At least he didn’t split the flagship The Century 21 in San Jose.
Does anyone know when the Parkway is to be fixed up? I heard now that they have worked things out on a lease they can start with some touch up. Please put in a good Dolby unit downstairs and up. I don’t want to see a movie I missed first run in Mono sound at the Parkway. They the owners did a great job at the El Cerito. Curtains that work and a great stereo sound system. Check it out. Now it’s time the do the same at Oakland’s Parkway. A former manager friend of mine told me the old owner Mr Foster didn’t have enough plastic letters so he had to go to the Piedmont or the Albany all the time and borrow some letters he was missing. They also oversold the house when it was a first class art house. Lucky the Oakland Fire dept didn’t come in and see many people on the floor blocking exits. If you complained you lost your job. This was in the 60’s. Things are better know at the Parkway. Strange thing the owners don’t advertise what is playing in the Oakland Tribune. But they advertise in the Contra Costa paper many miles away. Did they get mad at the Tribune for a bad review? They miss boxoffice customers by not running a small ad in the Tribune.
Went in a few weeks ago. A real mess. The old projection guy was living in the projection booth. He is no longer the projection guy. The sound is the worst in any theatre. They advertise Dolby Stereo but it is so bad with a hum and scrathy sound. The light on the screen is about 30%. A long wire hangs from the uper left part of the screen. The same guy has been in the little boxoffice booth for years. The manager is very bad news. I complained about the sound and screen. He told me it was his theatre and if I didn’t like it I can leave. To bad with a little clean up and screen cleaning and some color lights they can make this into a tourist grindhouse and show films from the 50’s and 60’s. They don’t even light the neon stars under the marquee any more. The worst thing when you go in on the right ramp you are greated with a mop and bucket with Clorox smell. Mr Tarintino needs to by this place, as he goes to the Vine from time to time. Clean it up and bring back the action, horror Grindhouse only with a clean picture and sound. This theatres days are numbered. It will be another night club with no parking. Like what is going into the Fox Hollywood and they tried to put into the Vogue Hollywood. The film people need to check this place out before they book the second run prints. The movie is so dim you can’t tell anything on a dark scene. Enter at your own risk. Check it out and see all what goes on before it is closed. Behind the candy counter (drinks are all carbon) you will see the old boat wheel from the Admiral days long gone. All this going on near The Broadway Hollywood fancy new condos about to open. PS If it’s hot outside in Hollywood wait till you feel the heat at the Vine. The air is not working or they won’t turn on. Take a look at the big curtains above the screen. Looked great at one time when they worked, they are the waterfall type. Now covered in so mutch dust. Go and check it out and have some fun. You won’t find another place like it in California.
The gift store in the lobby of the Pacific Arclight no longer sells Cinerama shirts. The rude lady told me they took a bath on them.I don’t think so. I have seen many people with them in the last few years. They had many styles with the Cinerama logo. They don’t even sell the new Cinema Treasure book that has the Cinerama Dome in it. I asked about the book she never heard of it. Of all places to sell this book this is the place. the Pacific people don’t care about Cinerama anymore. In the LA Times the theatre is just called the Dome. Why not call it The Cinerama Dome. They can put in the little logo for Cinerama. At one time the Seattle people and the Pacific guys wanted to restore all the 3 proj prints. Is this ever going to happen?
Same thing went on at the Roxie that the Fox Grand Lake was doing. The Blumenfelds booked the Roxie at times like a road show house. had in the adds even 70mm listed. They didn’t have 70mm even had mono sound till many people got upset. Disney made them put in 4 track stereo for Mary Popins.Most people went to San francisco to see Cinerama, Todd-Ao and the other 70mm systems. The poor guys who went to the small Roxie screen missed all the presentation that SF had. It wasn’t till Ray S put in his Dome Century 21/22 big curved 70mm screens in San Jose that the 70mm hold had been let out of the SF theatres.
When Fox West Coast ran it they fooled the people of Oakland thinking they had a road show theatre. All the big 70mm road shows played San Francisco first, later in the run the Grand Lake picked up the prints before they went to the small theatres and booked them like it was the same thing as road show. They didn’t tell the people they only had 35mm. I think later on they did put in 70mm when Allen came on board.
Like many new Century Theatres they don’t have a full scope screen. They just drop black masking down from the big flat screen and make it look like Cinemascope. To fit in as many shoebox’s as possible they made the screens not able to expand. Gone are the days that curtains closed and the masking went out for a wide screen show.
Like Bruce says It is a sad thing about the front of The RKO Golden Gate. The Shorensteins have so much money, they can’t even put some in the fix up of the front of the RKO Golden Gate. When they took over they got rid of the nice neon marquee and painted everying brown out front. Can’t they buy some blue,green and golden red paint and redue the signs. The part of the block It is on is one of worst parts of downtown SF. If you park in the area your car will get broken into. Most people take Bart and rush in the door. I remember at one time SF had this as a second Super 70mm Cinerama Theatre. They did the worst job, they put the big Cinerama curved screen back on the stage. So they had flat curtains and it opened to a small size poor mans Cinerama show. The up stairs balcony had road show 70mm but the keystone was so bad I got my money back.
It was strange, they got many 70mm roadshow films in the 70’s. even played ‘The Bible’ a D-150 movie and played it on a flat screen. It was in 70mm/Stereo but I was looking to seeing it in D-150. Even the Todd-Ao print of Sound of Music played not on a Todd-Ao curved screen but the flat one they used both for cinemascope and 70mm. They charged road show prices with reserved seats but not the full road show style.
This was great road show house at a time. Many 70mm prints played, I went to see Sweat Charity in 70mm. They had a flat screen to bad It didn’t have a curve to it. Today someone thinks they can put condos on the site. Good Luck this is still one of the worst sections of Market St. I don’t see change coming.
I remember seeing Thank God It’s Friday at the Fox Warfield in 4 track mag stero. The place turned into a huge disco when it played. Gary needed to add a mirror ball when Donna Summer sang.
This Theatre after UA made a mess out of trying to use every inch to put in more screens was the worst theatre I have ever been in.
On a trip to Hollywood a few weeks ago to see Harry Pot at the Chinese I was shocked to go into the this great theatre and see bright orange lights on the screen with a digiatl add pre show thing going on the huge curved cinemascope screen. If adds have to be run so, so but to have all the orange lights on the screen Iam glad I did'nt pay to play my adds on the screen, the lights cut out the image. The biggest shock they didn’t close the great Chinese curtains after the spots or between the previews. Gone Is this last bit of showmanship at the Chinese. I asked for a Coke at the candy counter they gave me a Pepsi full of Ice! When you go Mann Theatres needs to help pay for the remodel job so they fill your cup all with ice and don’t even tell you they have have Pepsi. The Coke people need to check this problem out at the Chinese. The Mann people (Paramount/Warner Bros) Owners of the what is left of the great Fox West Coast Circuit need to get on track with what is going on across the street at Disney’s El Capitain Theatre, with long lines to get in across the street a stage show sometimes with live organ, many sets of curtains the poor Chinese sits almost empty after the second week of a movie? With all the Warner Cartoon people why can’t they do someting like the guys across the street, Charge a little more, with certain engagements have some pre show entertainment. The kids outside just looking at the footprints and tourists will line up like at the El Capitian.I saw a preview at the Chinese of a new Xmass movie, this is a great time to pull something together to bring people back into the Chinese. And please if you go to the Chinese complain to the manager about bringing the curtains back and put in some blue or red lights in the inside of the theatre during the movie. To see just white lights in the place just doesn’t work. Bring back some showmanship. Does anyone know why they don’t use the full curve screen for scope prints or digital? Seems like they can go up and out more in the masking.