Hi terrywade – Thanks for your comments. Somewhere in my slide collection I have a shot of manager Dan McLean onstage with the Ten-0-Win wheel. Will post it when I find it. I am still in SF, 46+ years now, and also lament the lack of movie theaters on Market St.
I recently bought a scanner and have started going through 55+ years (got my first camera at age 8) of slides and negatives to digitalize. Was surprised to come across several B&W photos I took of the Embassy’s front entrance in March 1977 and have posted 2 of them in the Photos section. Maybe someone knows the lady in the box office? I believe that the ticket taker is manager Dan McLean (who also would spin the 10-0-Win wheel at evening shows).
SF Chronicle architectural writer John King’s story (with photos) on the reopened Strand Theater. Scroll to the bottom for a 1950 photo of the marquee.
The (single screen) Hyatt Cinema never showed Cinerama films. I saw a production of South Pacific (with Mary Martin) there when it was a theater in the round in the mid 60’s. After it became a single screen theater in ‘67 or '68 I saw Doctor Zhivago there on it’s very impressive large curved screen. After it was twinned I never went back.
First copy the link. Then in the comment box here Title the link in brackets [title of link], paste link in parenthesis(paste here). Note there is no space between ](. When you click Add Comment it should turn into a live link.
According to the Chronicle story in the link I posted May 28 Alamo founder and CEO Tim League is looking for a fall 2015 opening. No exact date set yet.
This article + photos on the progress at the New Mission was published a couple of days ago in the SF Chronicle and was also in their on line edition. If the link does not work because it requires a subscription and password would someone let me know and I’ll remove this post. I have been waiting a few days to see if the Chronicle would also post this story on their free SFGate but so far has not happened.
In 1971 the Cockettes, a San Francisco hippy drag troupe, brought their show to the Anderson which turned out to be a disaster for them. From the website NoeHill, a photo of the marquee and a hand drawn playbill for Pearls Over Shanghai and their film Tricia’s Wedding both of which failed to wow the crowds:
The current name of the shopping center is Westfield San Francisco Centre. The theatre’s address on their website is 845 Market. On Fandango the address is listed as 845 Market #500.
In this morning’s SF Chronicle John King details the Mid Market push for more high-rise housing/office and the lack of esthetics of some of them. A few of the addresses sounded familiar. The project for 1066 Market (across the street from the Market St Cinema) will replace a small building and parking lot that was once the long ago demolished Paramount. The empty lot mentioned at 1125 Market is the site of the quake damaged, then demolished Embassy Theater.
2 new photos added today – one of the marquee and blade shrouded in netting and with a banner claiming a 2015 opening and the other taken from the corner of 22nd and Mission showing the changing landscape in the Mission.
The current site where the Palmer Theater stood has been altered several times. The last time it was remodeled it was built as 2 storefronts, one for a title company and the other the Wells Fargo branch Joe Vogel mentioned above. Prior to that is was a Rite Aid, before that the venerable Surf Super grocery store and before that the above mentioned auto repair shop.
Linked here is a Nov 2003 story from the local Noe Valley Voice about the Palmer Theater and Noe Valley’s other neighborhood theaters.
On my last 2 visits to San Diego (last week and 2 years ago) I saw IMAX films at this domed venue. Both times the films (Journey to the South Pacific and Mysteries of the Unseen World – last week) seemed under lit and less than sharply focused. I was told by the person selling tickets both were being projected in 70mm. I have seen countless conventional 70mm films on large screens that were brilliant and sharp so wondering why the quality is not good at the Space Theater. Also it looked like there was a hole in the screen. I know this theater has been around since the 70’s but it seems like the quality of presentation has become 2nd rate. Anyone know why?
etcmss…McArthur played only 10 weeks at the Loma in 1977 while Saturday Night Fever ran 26 weeks. Meanwhile Star Wars tied up the nearby Valley Circle for 57 weeks starting in 1977 and into 1978. San Diego may still have been a big military town in the late 70’s but my guess is that the movie going taste of the young soldiers and sailors stationed there favored disco and sci fi action rather than the famous WW2 general.
Photo taken in August 1977.
Hi terrywade – Thanks for your comments. Somewhere in my slide collection I have a shot of manager Dan McLean onstage with the Ten-0-Win wheel. Will post it when I find it. I am still in SF, 46+ years now, and also lament the lack of movie theaters on Market St.
I recently bought a scanner and have started going through 55+ years (got my first camera at age 8) of slides and negatives to digitalize. Was surprised to come across several B&W photos I took of the Embassy’s front entrance in March 1977 and have posted 2 of them in the Photos section. Maybe someone knows the lady in the box office? I believe that the ticket taker is manager Dan McLean (who also would spin the 10-0-Win wheel at evening shows).
The link above does not work. Here is a direct link:
Great Opera Houses
SF Chronicle architectural writer John King’s story (with photos) on the reopened Strand Theater. Scroll to the bottom for a 1950 photo of the marquee.
Strand
The (single screen) Hyatt Cinema never showed Cinerama films. I saw a production of South Pacific (with Mary Martin) there when it was a theater in the round in the mid 60’s. After it became a single screen theater in ‘67 or '68 I saw Doctor Zhivago there on it’s very impressive large curved screen. After it was twinned I never went back.
March 8, 1968 was the opening night of Fillmore East.
bazookadave…
First copy the link. Then in the comment box here Title the link in brackets [title of link], paste link in parenthesis(paste here). Note there is no space between ](. When you click Add Comment it should turn into a live link.
According to the Chronicle story in the link I posted May 28 Alamo founder and CEO Tim League is looking for a fall 2015 opening. No exact date set yet.
This article + photos on the progress at the New Mission was published a couple of days ago in the SF Chronicle and was also in their on line edition. If the link does not work because it requires a subscription and password would someone let me know and I’ll remove this post. I have been waiting a few days to see if the Chronicle would also post this story on their free SFGate but so far has not happened.
New Mission
Would like to add Vivian Maier’s website where more of her stunningly beautiful work can be seen:
vivianmaier.com
The comment I just made refers to Orlando’s post of 3/23/15. It was in today’s NYTimes.
Restored Furniture
In 1971 the Cockettes, a San Francisco hippy drag troupe, brought their show to the Anderson which turned out to be a disaster for them. From the website NoeHill, a photo of the marquee and a hand drawn playbill for Pearls Over Shanghai and their film Tricia’s Wedding both of which failed to wow the crowds:
Cockettes 1971
From today’s SFGate:
New Parkway
The current name of the shopping center is Westfield San Francisco Centre. The theatre’s address on their website is 845 Market. On Fandango the address is listed as 845 Market #500.
Market St Theaters
In this morning’s SF Chronicle John King details the Mid Market push for more high-rise housing/office and the lack of esthetics of some of them. A few of the addresses sounded familiar. The project for 1066 Market (across the street from the Market St Cinema) will replace a small building and parking lot that was once the long ago demolished Paramount. The empty lot mentioned at 1125 Market is the site of the quake damaged, then demolished Embassy Theater.
This theater’s status should be “open”. Gray Area has a 10 year lease on the theater and has been presenting events since May 31, 2014.
grayarea.org
3 new pictures posted.
2 new photos added today – one of the marquee and blade shrouded in netting and with a banner claiming a 2015 opening and the other taken from the corner of 22nd and Mission showing the changing landscape in the Mission.
John Rice…Add the Castro Theatre in San Francisco to your very short list of theaters in the SF Bay Area to still use curtains and masking properly.
The current site where the Palmer Theater stood has been altered several times. The last time it was remodeled it was built as 2 storefronts, one for a title company and the other the Wells Fargo branch Joe Vogel mentioned above. Prior to that is was a Rite Aid, before that the venerable Surf Super grocery store and before that the above mentioned auto repair shop.
Linked here is a Nov 2003 story from the local Noe Valley Voice about the Palmer Theater and Noe Valley’s other neighborhood theaters.
NoeValleyTheaters
Direct link:
RichmondSF
On my last 2 visits to San Diego (last week and 2 years ago) I saw IMAX films at this domed venue. Both times the films (Journey to the South Pacific and Mysteries of the Unseen World – last week) seemed under lit and less than sharply focused. I was told by the person selling tickets both were being projected in 70mm. I have seen countless conventional 70mm films on large screens that were brilliant and sharp so wondering why the quality is not good at the Space Theater. Also it looked like there was a hole in the screen. I know this theater has been around since the 70’s but it seems like the quality of presentation has become 2nd rate. Anyone know why?
etcmss…McArthur played only 10 weeks at the Loma in 1977 while Saturday Night Fever ran 26 weeks. Meanwhile Star Wars tied up the nearby Valley Circle for 57 weeks starting in 1977 and into 1978. San Diego may still have been a big military town in the late 70’s but my guess is that the movie going taste of the young soldiers and sailors stationed there favored disco and sci fi action rather than the famous WW2 general.
Is the Cleopatra link broken? When I click on it Die Hard comes up.