Alhambra Theatre
2330 Polk Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94109
2330 Polk Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94109
21 people
favorited this theater
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My photograph of the ALHAMBRA View link
I walked by the Alhambra today, and it no longer Gorilla Sports. It is now being operated by Crunch Fitness. Who knows, someday it may even be a movie theater again.
The Alhambra Theater was designated an official San Francisco landmark on February 21, 1996.
After I moved to SF in 1992, I bragged to everyone in my hometown about the Alhambra. It was a real movie palace. I loved seeing the great Disney pictures there. I even managed a showing of “Scream” at this wonderful place.
How it HURT to see it go! You just didn’t have the problems with movie-going back then! No cellphones, pushy patrons, rude youth…I had the best experiences here and it made seeing a movie special! This was a HUGE loss to us movie-goers, but multiplex patrons could care less which is sad.
I miss this theater!
OOooops, sorry… here is the 2nd link again:
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Here are 5 photographs courtesy of the archive of the Cinema Theatre Association, UK. Taken in 1997 just prior to the closure of the Alhambra:
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http;//flickr.com/photos/53257210@N00/89754710/in/photostream/
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Aerick-You are right about the beautiful ceiling, but it was not a triplex, It was a twin.
I absolutely loved this theatre. I lived on Nob Hill from 1982 to 2001 and would go here when i could. I remember in 82 it was a triplex and really do not remember the interior. Can’t remember what I saw, but “Dune” was playing in one of the other parts so this must have been 82 or 83. When it reverted back to a single screen, I remember seeing “Dances with Wolves” here when it first came out, so it did become a first run theatre. Saw “The Replacements” here and scores of others.
I am sooo surprised nobody mentioned the incredible ceiling. It was greenish and reddish lights in a very intricate moorish design and when the lights went down for the movie, the ceiling lights would become very faint and twinkly with a reddish and green hue. It was incredible.
I do wonder what the health club has done with it.
Here is a link from France which shows the Alhambra after it was twinned. Click on the San Francisco page and scroll down:
http://www.silverscreens.com/main.html
Here is an expanded version of the photo at the top of the page:
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These two photos show different Alhambra theaters in San Francisco, presumably. The first shot was taken after the 1906 earthquake.
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From the SF Public Library:
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Newer photos:
http://www.noehill.com/sf/landmarks/sf217.asp
I was a projectionist in San Francisco for 32 years. I did my training at the Alhambra in 1970,with Virgil Morgan. I did the day off shift there till they twined it,then I went back a few times when they put it back to a single screen. It was one of my favorite theater to work . I am glad they save most of it for the gym
When the Alhambra Theatre was restored back to a single screen, their premiere screening was “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. What was odd, all the money that was spent restoring it, they never used the curtain on the stage. I asked the Manager, and he explained that it was too expensive to fix? What? When the movie “An Innocent Man” starring Tom Selleck played there, he was there in the audience, all 25 of them. I sat in the loge with my date and we were the only ones up there. Selleck came up and said hello, really nice guy. Beautiful Theatre
Fabulous theatre! When was it built? Does anyone know of/remember the Palace on Columbus Ave.?
The Alhambra was operating as a twin screen cinema in November 1976.
Doug,
I agree with you 100% on this sensitive conversion. In NYC too many picture palaces have been gutted for oversized drugstores and other retail venues. If only all buisness owners would take time to restore embellishments on formerly grand buildings, they would attract more custostomers who enjoy surrounding themselves in oppulence. Recently a vacant bank building in the Bronx NYC has been turned into an upscale Mexican restaurant/nightclub and it has been applauded by the community for all of the restoration work done on the elaborate grillwork, as well as the delicious food and goregeous mariachi singers in decadent costume.
I live two blocks from the Alhambra Theater and am thrilled that it has been preserved — albeit as a health club. However, for those of you not in the area, I want to assure you that the conversion was extremely sensitive. In fact, the theater could easily be converted back to its original use with a very high percentage of its original detail in place. It is a delight to walk past the theater at night as it lights up the neighborhood. Its red minarets and marquee are a real focal point. And it is even a pleasure to work out in the club. As a preservationist, I would much rather see this kind of adaptive re-use of theaters than the out-and-out closure and demolition that has been the fate of so many great theaters in San Francisco and beyond. I attended one movie at the Alhambra one week after moving to San Francisco in 1997 — Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. While it was a thrill to see the theater, it was obvious that the previous renovation was fading.
Will the health nut idiots ever be kicked out and it be converted back to a theatre? Roger Rabbit was a great movie, must of been great in this theatre.
The biggest problem the Alhambra had was parking. I think in later years it would have been more successful if parking hadn’t been so difficult. What a beautiful neighberhood movie palace. Its marquee is still a delight.brucec
I saw the last showing of “Wag the Dog” on the closing night of the Alhambra. After the film ended they turned on the houselight. Unfortunately it looked as though the restoration that had been done for the “Roger Rabbit” reopening had already begun to age. During the restoration (back to a single screen theatre) part of the orginal proscenium was revealed behind another renovation and the results can be seen in the above photo. On foggy damp nights its minarets glowed beautifully. For “Roger Rabbit” a new sound system was installed – the theatre had great accoustics.
I’m afraid to look, since it has recently been converted into a HEALTH CLUB!!!! An amazingly enjoyable theater for film. I only hope we can reclaim it one of these days.
When the Alhambra Theatre was a single screen it seated 1625 people.
Did see the inside of this theater recently on a news station & it looks like a nice renovation was done.
Other notes: The theater was twinned in the 1970’s and then a few years before it closed as a theater, it was re-converted back to single screen. Blumenfeld ran this theater in the later years.