Coliseum Theater

The architects were Reid Bros.

The original decorative feel was an eclectic blend of Arts and Crafts and Italian Renaissance, with hints of Moorish. The Mezzanine featured faux fireplaces and furnishings worthy of the finest bungalows. Later, sometime in the Twenties, the theatre underwent a slight redecoration, but the most significant remodeling occurred c. 1930 at the hands of LA architect S. Charles Lee. The predominantly silver and black "high art deco" interior scheme could be called a budget version of the interior of Lee's Fox Wilshire in LA. In any case by the end of the decade, perhaps being deemed too distracting, the decor was toned down considerably, with the rich ornamental art deco plasterwork fronting the organ chambers remaining, but repainted along with the entire interior, in subdued colors with Greco-deco nudes painted along the sidewalls. The lobby was drastically redecorated in the Sixties, with the main floor being reseated around the same time. At some point the balcony fire escapes were deemed unsafe, and so for the remaining years of the Coliseum's operation the vast balcony was kept closed and became a sort of time capsule, with seating from the 1930s remodel undisturbed, along with the carpet.

I visited the closed Coliseum in 1995 through a connection in United Artists, and was able to photograph the entire interior. Even though it was day, we turned on the vertical sign and marquee for the photos. This was likely the last time they were ever on.

When the theatre was gutted in 2000, everything was gutted to the bare walls, though four of the nude goddesses on the auditorium walls remained, and were sealed behind new concrete shearwall. One of the huge auditorium chandeliers (there had been eight), and one of the small under-balcony hanging fixtures were rescued from destruction during the demolition process, and were subsequently beautifully restored and sold. Likewise the etched glass windows on the Mezzanine from the 1930 remodel which were hidden behind later drywall were saved.

At least the outside of the building still looks obviously like a theatre, with facade ornament intact and a simple marquee holding the Walgreens sign (the ground floor retail tenant). All the upper floors are housing.

There are some great before and after photos of the Coliseum (showing it in its movie house days, during its conversion into housing/retail, and its current appearance) at the following website:
http://www.outsidelands.org/coliseum.html

The opening date of the Coliseum was November 22, 1918.
The official seating capacity was 2047 seats,
not 3000 as posted above. By the late 1980's
the upstairs portions of the theatre were deemed unusable,
allegedly because the fire escapes therefrom were no longer safe.
The building was severely damaged by the October 17, 1989 earthquake, and closed permanently as a result of the damage.
The shell of the original building remains, with portions of
the facade restored to their original design, while, inside,
the interior has been remodelled and converted to condominium apartments.

I saw the opening of Superman here. Somehow I got so excited it set off a seizure and had to have help walking to the bus a short block away.

Always wondered what they were going to do with it after the '89 quake. Ever notice that drugstores seem to have money to put drugstores in theatres and wonder why they couldnt restore one for a change...:(

George Senda
Concord, Ca

Not demolished yet---just "Closed."

Though the interoir is hollowed out and gone, Coliseum's status should be "Closed," not "Closed-Demolished."

In the mid-1920's press adverts show the Coliseum Theater being operated by the Samuel H. Levin chain of neighborhood theatres, San Francisco Theatres Inc.

From the SF Public Library website:

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAA-8624.jpg

From the same source:

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAA-8634.jpg

This is a photo from 1944. The theater is on the right:

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAB-3352.jpg

Here is another photo from Bryan Krefft's aforementioned link:

http://www.outsidelands.org/sw3.html

I grew up on the Presidio,( 1976-81 ) and used to sneak through a hole in the fence that put you on 15th ave. and Lake, rather than go all the way around to the Lincoln/25th ave. entrance. Through the summers of 1976-'77 my buddies and I saw many films at the Coliseum, the Coronet, and the Alexandria. The Alexandria was a particular favorite place because of the Atari Gand prix game in the lobby. I remember seeing the Sorcerer, A bridge to far, a double feature of both the Godfather and the GodfatherII !, and more that I can't recall at the moment. The last film I saw there was The adventures of Yellow dog in 1994. A few years ago I was walking in the richmond, and was devastated to see the coliseum just after they finished a phase, the building was gutted, no insides, no roof just the outside walls, I just stopped and stared, just seeing it like that ...and just like now as I'm typing this,it made me cry. It made me remember not only the films I saw there, but also the buddies and girlfriends I went there with. Remember the line in the classic film Vertigo that the tycoon said to James Stewart's character " The things that mean San Francisco to me are quickly disappearing " I guess this happens to all of us who live long enough.

Oh yeah, the last film that I saw at the coliseum, was Predator in 1987; a lunch and a movie date.

There was a fire at the Coliseum on July 2, 1935:

The Coliseum Theater at Ninth Avenue and Clement Street, one of San Francisco's largest neighborhood theaters, was swept by a major fire causing undetermined damage early today. An unidentified motorist at 2:30 a.m. notified a special policeman two blocks from the playhouse that he had seen smoke issuing from the building as he drove past it. An alarm summoned firemen, who broke down the heavy doors of the main entrance. This action, they said, resulted in a draft which caused the entire balcony section of the theater to burst into flames. A second alarm brought additional men and apparatus to the scene and a stubborn battle against the flames began. Five hours later the battle was still in progress.

Reports from the scene said the whole balcony section of the theater had been destroyed and the main floor seriously damaged by smoke and water. Valuable projection and sound equipment also was lost, the report said. The origin of the fire had not been determined, but fire department officials expressed belief that it was caused by a carelessly discarded cigaret in the balcony section, where smoking was permitted. The theater is owned by the San Francisco Theater Corporation, with offices at Taylor Street.

A Robert-Morton theater organ was installed in the Coliseum Theater in 1917.

Here are some 1986 photos:

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3