Metro Theatre

I saw Dangerous Liaisons here in 1988! Wonderful memories. UA did a better job in upkeep than the Col Alex or Coronet! Spacious yet comfortable. Employees swore it was like a second home. I MISS YOU METROPOLITAN!

Hello-

many thanks to Eric for your reply. interestingly I even thought the name of the theater I was looking might have been the Cinema or Century 21. I had no idea of the name change. this site apparently lists theaters by their current names and not the name they were known by for the majority of their existence.

Hello-

to stevenj thanks for your reply. I did see a film at the Presidio on a subsequent visit. the theater I saw Titanic at was a large theater so it definitely wasn’t the Presidio. plus it was on the opposite side of the street that the Presidio is on. I remember the theater I saw Titanic at was the 1st theater in S.F. with a certifies THX sound system.

Hello from NYC-

when I was vacationing in San Francisco the Spring of 1998 I saw Titanic for I think the 12th time. I think this might have bee this theater. I remember it was at a decent size theater om Union or Chestnut Sts.

This reopened as Metro on June 7th, 1941. Ad in the photo section.

The facade of the Metro is essentially finished. It, and the marquee and vertical are repainted in two shades of taupe, and all the neon is back in place. Construction still continues inside. The 1920s ticket lobby ceiling in the entrance has either been preserved or carefully replicated. Through the new entry doors, one can see that the central one-third of the stenciled lobby ceiling has been faithfully replicated.

Here is a quote from the Landmark Designation Report for the Metro Theatre, regarding the involvement of architect Otto A. Deichmann in the 1941 remodeling of the house, and his professional relationship with Timothy Pflueger:

“While architect Timothy L. Pflueger (1892-1946) has long been associated with the 1941 renovation of the Metro Theatre, his involvement is less clear than that of architect Otto A. Deichmann (1890-1964). A city permit, dated 1941, for interior work and plumbing lists the name of the architect as Otto Deichmann, 321 Bush Street. Historical consultants involved with the 1998 renovation of the theatre believe that Deichmann worked with Timothy Pflueger during the renovation. Research has not confirmed that Deichmann worked in the offices of Pflueger’s firm, Miller and Pflueger, but the two men were associates and overlapped on important projects, most notably the Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939-1940, where Deichmann designed the Shasta-Cascade Building. The well-known mural by Diego Rivera, Pan American Unity, now located at the main campus of City College of San Francisco, was commissioned for the Golden Gate International Exposition. The mural depicts both Pflueger and Deichmann. Pflueger, friend and patron of Rivera, collaborated with him on the mural.”

Very nice maybe someone can open it back up.

The Metro in slightly better days – from spring 1996:
View link

Here are a few shots from the exterior taken in January 2008

Metro Theater

Does anyone know what is currently happening with the theater? Are they planning on using it as a theater or for alternative uses? It is a shame that it is not in use, because it is such a beautiful theater. Who is the current owner of the property, and what is their contact information?

Wow, it’s real sad to see it all boarded up and dormant like that. I bet the residents and businesses on/near Union Street now wish they had tried to save it and keep it open.

I am looking tp photograph some interior shots of the Metro. If anyone has access to the Metro and knows the importance for archival documentation please email me or post a comment I would love to help.