Telegraph Repertory Cinema
2519 Telegraph Avenue,
Berkeley,
CA
94704
2519 Telegraph Avenue,
Berkeley,
CA
94704
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 24 comments
Hi! This is a great thread. My name is Piero, and I am my friends have a facebook group dedicated to remembering these olden days Berkeley telegraph Avenue memories. We’re looking for photos particularly, since photos of the late 60’s to 70’s are really hard to come by! If any of you have pictures or memories of anything telegraph avenue, especially these theaters, in including the DK, (Sunset) theater, and the Northside theater on Euclid, please feel free to join and share them with us! Thanks! Piero “Historical Berkeley” (Not to be mistaken for the “Berkeley Historical Society”) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1724953854446022/
Stephan Blanchard, I am Enrique LaRoche Pretty easy to find , enriquelaroche.com use the contact form
My name is Stephan Blanchard, and I am the daughter of Alan Blanchard. My father passed in 1999 of colon cancer. He never discussed personal things with me. And wanting to know about where I came from, I have been doing research about my dad. I was told growing up that he was blinded in an accident at work, and that was it. I just learned of the shooting two days ago while researching. I would love some insight on who my father was before this accident. If anyone who had posted previously that they knew my father would like to get in contact with me, I would greatly appreciate it.
This was my family’s favorite late Saturday night stop. They had midnight movies, often classics. Each night there would be several hundred fliers out front. Everyone took a handful. The audience really participated, booing or shouting. I recall seeing North by Northwest. When Cary Grant grabs Eva Marie Saint, the screen was inundated with wadded up fliers and calls of male sexist pig. This was in the late 60’s or early 70’s, when afros were the rage. One couple came in late, the guy had the biggest afro I’d even seen. The theater became quiet except for the sounds of paper being folded. Very soon the air was full of paper airplanes targeting his afro. He soon left. Thanks for the memories. It’s a shame it closed
slagheap one night early seventies we saw Romero’s original “ Night of the Living Dead ” at the Telegraph Rep. REPLY I was the projectionist for that showing, (if it was the first time we ran it) It was in cinema 1 , it was shown on single reel 16mm It was a scary film even after seeing it for a week 3 times a day. The Theatre on the left in the photo above
one night early seventies we saw Romero’s original “ Night of the Living Dead ” at the Telegraph Rep. must have been at the original location, because i actually remembered it as being above and behind shakespeare books, nw corner of dwight & telly! definitely not at the address in the photograph. i saw a lot of films in brkly and sf this era.
gsmurph. Yes this was the original Telegraph rep. Cinema 1 and 2 The address up the street was also the Telegraph Repertory cinema, Cinema 3 and 4 .. I helped build it … I ran the projectors … 16mm only up the center stairs cinema 3 left 4 right. I only know what happened up to about 1974
It should be noted that the photo above is of the original Telegraph Repertory Cinema (which later became Flickers/Studio Guild), the address shown above is that of the later location, just north of the original.
Frank P Nimz was the technical wiz who made it work. Silicon valley before it was invented. He built the Projection systems . Had a company called ARC Labs He was a good friend who I would love to hear more about we lost touch in the mid 80’s Designed a system to beat roulette on a programmable calculator. I think He Died in 1999 Camels and Pepsi and Excedrin will take a toll.
He had a Bendix analog computer in his House in Pleasant hill 1300 vacuum tubes and a Mag Drum.
I began working there a few months after alan was shot.
I believe Bloody Thursday was in May 69? I started at the theatre in October 1969.
Try Googling Alan’s name I think he is still around.
I knew Alan Blanchard during the months just before, and following, the People’s Park incident known as “Bloddy Thursday.” Alan was working as a carpenter on the Telegraph Repertory Theater, and he went up to the roof to see what was going on after he heard all the commotion on the street. An Alameda County Sherrif opened fire, blinding Alan and killing James Rector with shotgun blast. Does anyone know where Alan is now?
Correction
George was 74 years old.
Tales of the cinema..
The Fire.
1.5 cans of Nitrate film and a cigarette ash.
3 months of cleaning and rebuilding the Projectors.
The Murder of oue of our cashiers.
Al was pissed we drove around berkeley and Oakland armed looking for the perps.
Three bandits shot and killed our 19 year old cashier for $154.00
Ironic, the Godfather had just opened down the street and they had $20k in the boxoffice.
2001 a spaced out odditiy. A copy of 2001 recut and dubbed with 60’s rock and roll sound track. Best enjoyed on Orange sunshine or Clear light.
Parties after work that if you can remember you werent there.
Meg back from Vietnam with bags of the latest imported Herbs.
It was a great time.
Enrique
“Treasure Walked down the street?”
The only time we ever left the Booth was if one projectionists didnt show up for work and this left one who had to run 4 theatres seperated by 150 feet.
All 4 theaters had large reel systems whole movie on one reel.
It stil required 2 to run 4.
All theatres had real movie Screens never projected on a wall?
I spoke with George about a month before he died.. He was certainly almost 90 years old, having difficulty walking and had a cold.
But we sat and talked for hours his mind was as sharp as ever.
I feel quite fortunate to have known and worked for him. He was a quiet intelligent and good man.
He was also an architect and did much design of Highland Hospital acute care tower.
Again if you have questions about what went on at the theatre let me know.
A friend commented on the above Berkeley Daily Planet article I posted:
“I heard there were several mistakes in the article, and that the Telly Rep was not such a treasure. Films were projected onto a wall and the guy sometimes left the machine running unattended while he walked down the street….”
An interesting article appeared in the 9-18-07 issue of the Berkeley Daily Planet about the founder of the Telegraph Repertory Cinema, George Pauly (1933-2007), who died on August 27.
THE ARTICLE
I also have Photos of the Telegraph Rep Ca 1969
The Cinema Crew that I knew.
Owner George Pauley (and architect designed part of Highland Hospital)
Head projectionist and technical visionary Feank Nimz (lockheed missiles and space) RIP 1999
Audio expert and Acoustic Designer (John Curl) currently with Parasound.
Manager (Doug Aley) Tweed Jacket moustache tall and a bit portly. (RIP date ?)
Manager (Ron Smith) married the daughter of the owner of Sun Valley Ford)
Manager (Byron ? rode a Honda 750)
Program directors.
Tom Luddy (Pacific Film archive.)
Projectionists
Bob Silva ?– 1969
Enrique LaRoche 1969-1973
Accountant Kathy Silva. (RIP 2007)
Sorry I dont remember the cashiers.
I also worked at the Cinema on Shattuck and haste, these were both projected by Frank and Me.
I was the Projectionist at the Telegraph rep from Oct 1969 until March 1973.
If you need accurate information about it please just ask.
The first theatres were next to the car dealership, Cinema I and II
The Projection booths were in the back of the theatre but could only support 16 mm projectors. (space and fire regs)
Later we built a booth on the roof.
We built some of the very first single reel 35 mm projection sustems
the reels were almost 4' in diameter.
We shot thrugh a periscope of front surfaced mirrors.
Later George decided to build two additional theatres two doors down and upstairs.
These were 100 seat theatres which we used for specialty films.
(today (9-06-07) Kathy Silva the theatres bookeeper passed from this life and I am sad)
Of all the chaos that was Berkeley in those days, there always had to be people to keep things on a practical level.
Kathy was one of these people.
Enrique LaRoche
The description of the street-level entrance on Telegraph and the narrow stairway leading upstairs by Jeff Frentzen is what I recall about this screening room sized space. Like watching a film in somebody’s shabby living room. Saw “Chinatown” there in the mid-late 70s.
I went in the mid-80’s, when I was a college student—I remember they popped their popcorn with a standard hot-air popper, the kind you would have at home, and melted actual butter from the supermarket. They also sold Coke in tall glass bottles. Way better than mainstream cinema food! You had to be careful when you sat down, because the theater was dark and some of the seats were missing their bottoms. Once I was watching a film there and felt something furry squeeze by—a black lab or similar dog was cruising through all the aisles, looking for its owner. I remember seeing “North by Northwest” there. It was a vivid experience to see anything at the Telegraph Rep!
Throughout the 1970s, I went to this theater when it was a twin. It played titles that no one else would play, such as John Waters' early movies and anything by Jodorowsky, documentaries and assorted arthouse fare (including experimental films and Stan Brakhage-type shorts). The TRC was less commercial than the U.C. or the Rialto but also was not above playing something like GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER(!). The entrance was through a nondescript street level door and up a narrow staircase that had the feeling of an apartment house. The TRC was not designed with customer satisfaction in mind. One of the auditoriums was somewhat comfortable; the second one was very uncomfortable, with ricketing wooden seats that did not have any padding. It may have run 35mm but it showed mostly in 16mm. Snack bar? I think there was one but I don’t recall it at all. It smelled of pot in those auditoriums, quite frequently.
Kael was involved with the programming of the nearby Cinema-Guild (q.v.). Don’t know for sure about the Telegraph; hopefully some cinema aficionado from that area and period can supply the answer.
Wasn’t film critic Pauline Kael involved one time in the programming of the Telegraph Rep?
The original location of the Telegraph Repertory Cinema (prior to its move to the above-listed address) was 2533 Telegraph Avenue.