Warfield Theatre
982 Market Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94102
982 Market Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94102
15 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 55 of 55 comments
Loew’s Warfield boasted one of the more impressive marquees of the Market St movie palaces. It was 3 sided with the street side arched. Full of lights and neon it also featured an inner marquee above the inside of the arch. The towering verticle sign was 6 stories high (like its neighbor around the corner, the Golden Gate). May West was there for the premier of her film “Sextette” in the 70’s. Looking a little “waxy” and seated in a big chair, she was carted across the stage to a mic by a couple of oiled up bodybuilders. They propped her up and she said in her best Westian “Thanks for commin' to my picsha” and then was carted back to the wings. The sold out crowd went wild. Architecturally, I think this is one of the nicest of the remaining movie palaces in San Francisco. The beautiful fan-like ceiling made the theatre look wider than it was deep and it has a beautiful classically painted mural over the proscenium. The balcony has chandeliers hanging from blue-lit coves. The marquee and verticle sign had to be taken down in the late 60’s when pile drivers came through building the side supports of the BART subway. The side walks were widened and street trees added when subway construction was finished – and the new “look” forbade putting back those big marquees and verticle signs on any theatre that faced Market St. That’s why they all have flat, fixed to the building plastic marquees now.
Mike Thomas did briefly operate the Warfield in the late 1970’s-early 1980’s before it sold to Bill Graham.
The Warfield was always a first run house. The Warfield was given a beautiful renovation by National General in 1969. This is my favorite remaining movie palace in San Francisco.
At one time it was the Loews Warfield and the Fox Warfield. brucec
The balcony area has chair seating. In the 1970’s, National General Cinemas and later Mann theaters ran it, primarily showing second-run fare. “Dawn of the Dead” was shown first-run here in May 1979 and I had seen it here. Shortly after the run of “Dawn”, the Warfield became an occasional concert venue and now runs concerts full-time.
Bill Grahm Presents. Not a thing has changed in this wonderful theater except there are no chairs. I have seen many concerts here and love every one L7, Gwar, Marilyn Manson, Chemical Brothers, A.F.I., The Offspring, Jerry Garcia band, Great place great shows.