Warfield Theatre
982 Market Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94102
982 Market Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94102
15 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 55 comments
1945 photo added.
The inside of this building is seen on the dvd “Kate Miller-Heidke live in San Francisco”.
Remodeled as it’s rebranded a Loew’s again on January 5th, 1950. Ad posted.
That’s right!
In the early 1950’s this was one of the biggest theaters to enjoy a Saturday Afternoon matinee. Then called, The Lowes Warfield it played many 1st run movies popular during that timeframe. One of the highlights was the 1954 Preimer showing of the movie “Dragnet” starring Jack Webb. Mr. Webb was present for the initial Saturday Afternoon showing before a packed house of screaming kids who favored his tv series by the same name. He briefly addressed the audience but for the Lowes to host such event was big news at the time.
1973 photo courtesy of Michael Thomas Angelo.
Name change came shortly after the FOX was closed and torn down. That was in the 60’s. The FOX WARFIELD was not even close to being the original FOX.
Does anyone know when the name changed from Loews Warfield Theater to Fox Warfield and then to Warfield Theater?
The district office for National General Theatres/later Mann Theatres was just upstairs in the office building of the Fox Warfield Building. The company did a lot of storefront leases on theatres and buildings they owned.
An interesting fact thatI have never read on C.T. that many theatres like this one,the building was just not a theatre but an office building too.Even in those days Loews and many other theatre companys knew that a theatre was not a good way to make money.The rent on the offices and storefronts paid for the buildings.When I worked for Loews it was called Loews Theatres and Realty Co.The Real Estate was where the money really came in.
Great history and photos, looks as if it had several different vertical signs over the years,like the double vertical and roof signs.
William………… Many thanks! That was one busy theatre in the 60’s and 70’s. Believe it or not, there were times when it out-grossed the Fox Warfield.
It’s listed under Crazy Horse Theatre, it’s current name.
Unable to find link to the Crest Theatre which was located right next door to the Warfield. Anybody know?
Here is a 1964 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/nane32
these pics aint great but i like the architectural detail although i wish i took notes on the lion’s head…no positive whether it is warfield, golden gate, or another building on the block…
View link
The THSA 2008 Conclave has a large set of photos at:
View link
Here are their photos of the Warfield Theater:
View link – Upper Proscenium
View link – Auditorium ceiling
View link – Auditorium ceiling at rear
View link – Auditorium ceiling – from balcony to proscenium
View link – Auditorium sidewalls – from balcony
View link Auditorium Ceiling
View link – Auditorium
View link – Stage & Proscenium – from balcony
View link – Auditorium sidewall
I would like to know how the renovation looks since the Warfield reopened. I hope they worked on downstairs which looked horrible when I was in the theatre in July. They need to work on the front of the house which I hope will happen in the near future. The Warfield is an example of why I cringe when they take out floor seating for rock shows. The Fox theatre restoration across the bay will have versatile seating which can be taken out and put back in depending on the type of show that is booked. The Warfield was by favorite surviving movie palace in San Francisco until what I saw the theatre looked like downstairs I hope this renovation restored the beauty of this theatre. bruce
Refurbished Warfield to open Saturday 09/13/2008:
San Francisco’s baroque Warfield theater, a 1922 vaudeville and movie house that became a prime venue for Louis Armstrong, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead and countless other performers, was looking a little shabby when it closed in May after the lease changed hands. But the Market Street rock palace has a fresh glow after a four-month renovation that spruced up the ornate interior and installed permanent new lighting and sound systems.
Run for 30 years by Bill Graham Presents, then Live Nation, the Warfield, which reopens Saturday night with a show by comedian George Lopez, is now managed by Goldenvoice, a wing of the giant Anschutz Entertainment Group (billionaire Chairman Philip Anschutz owns the San Francisco Examiner). Among the changes: The mixing console has been moved downstairs from the front of the balcony, making space for 30 more prime reserved seats, the lobby walls were painted a deep blue to match the new carpets and the brass chandeliers got a polish.
The matadors and Spanish dancers that Albert Herter painted across the proscenium arch in 1922 were left alone. And a new set of Warfield concert posters, from shows by David Bowie, James Brown, David Byrne, Jerry Garcia and many others, line the lobby walls.
“We’re looking to present a pretty broad range of artists,” says David Lefkowitz, Goldenvoice’s vice president for booking. “Everything from alternative bands like the Kooks to (jazz singer) Cassandra Wilson.” Lefkowitz has also booked dates for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Rancid, the Dandy Warhols and Bullet for My Valentine.
Warfield reopening: With comedian George Lopez. Tickets available for 8 p.m. Monday (Saturday and Sunday shows sold out). 982 Market St. Tickets: $57.50. www.ticketmaster.com or www.goldenvoice.com
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The Warfield is currently being renovated and work is to be done on the front of the theatre with a new marquee which Im am told will look like the original from the 1920’s. I was in the theatre a few weeks ago and the upstairs looked beatiful but the downstairs looked awful. I hope AEG take better care of the theatre than BGP. When BGP took over in the late 1970’s the theatre was in great shape.The Warfield is the most beautiful theatre still standing Downtown.brucec
Walked by the theater yesterday and it looks terrible. Hope they put some money into refurbishing the exterior. I recall in 1980 when Grateful Dead played a memorable string of shows here. Good times.
AEG Live (owned by Philip Anschultz, pardon my spelling) is taking over the venue after BGP departs.
Bill Graham Presents lost there lease to this theater & will have their final shows there in May with a 4 night set of Phil Lesh & Friends (Lesh was a member of The Grateful Dead). Saw ad in yesterday’s SF Chronicle Datebook section.
I will be taking a tour of the Warfield with THS in the summer of 2008. It was still showing movies the last time I was in the Warfield in the late 1970’s and was in great shape. The Warfield was my favorite surviving movie palace in San Francisco. A good friend of the family danced in a chorus line at the Loew’s Warfield during the 1940’s.brucec
Here is a 1954 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/3c6ahr