Coronet Theatre

The Coronet has been the major venue in San Francisco for first-run major studio blockbusters for over 25 years.

This is where I waited in line for over two hours around the block on May 25, 1977 for the premiere opening of George Lucas' first STAR WARS movie in 70mm and Dolby Surround Stereo Sound. I returned to see it two more times here in 1977. The stories about the ticket lines being over half a mile long around the block then are not exaggerated. Many sci-fi fans met, networked and even fell in love while camping out in lines here.

I also saw CLOSE ENCOUNTERS here in 70mm in October 1977 on its premiere, and we waited in line for over an hour for that one.

I must have seen a dozen films there in the next 20 years. The last two times I went there, I saw BATMAN AND ROBIN (1995) and BATMAN FOREVER (1997).

The Coronet, on Geary Blvd., is an indispensable part of the San Francisco Cinema experience, and it needs to be preserved. As you can see from the photo above, taken in 1964, the Coronet is an Art Deco-Moderne style building, and has thankfully never been remodeled, twinned, or multiplexed.

Its appearance is still unchanged today.

It would be a historical tragedy if it is destroyed.

I was employed at the coronet in the late sixties up to the first star wars movie release in 1977. I have many memories of the people I worked with . I also remember meeting many celebrities there.

There is a more recent photo of the Coronet as well as further information on the following website:
http://www.outsidelands.org/coronet.html

From what I heard, The Coronet theater is closing down after the lord of the ring 3 return of the king.

The Coronet will now continue to be open through the END of 2004! Heck, with these continued extensions, the theatre just may stay open long enough to see the Star Wars movie in 2005.

The Coronet Theatre heralded it's gala opening on November 2nd, 1949, as the city's first major theatre construction in more than 15 years. The luxurious Coronet seated 1336 people when it opened on that night. The architects of the Coronet Theatre were Cantin & Cantin firm that was founded in 1901. That firm also designed and remodeled other theatres in the Bay Area. Colma, Lake in San Francisco, Studio, Burbank in San Jose, Crest in Sacramento.
In addition to an eye-catching neon vertical sign rising from a three-sided marquee, the front features a plain block design in light Nile green with terrazzo marble running from the curb to the doorway. Marble, together with stainless steel has been generouly used to trim the glass boxoffice and display cases. The foyer color scheme back in 1949 was a blend of browns, creams and gold with pre-colored acoustical plaster. A sunken lounge section behind the candy counter has entrances for the manager's office, telephone booth, and restrooms. Wall to wall carpeting with floal designs in Venetian red retains the plush atmosphere. The oval chartreuse ceiling of the auditorium has colored lights which follow the perimeter of the oval. Murals on the magenta walls are medieval in design. Upper level seats have been arranged in a "stadium" rather than a conventional balcony pattern.

The Coronet, with its long tradition of being THE place in the Bay Area to premier the biggest blockbuster films (especially the Star Wars franchise) would be sorely missed by those of us who have loyally driven the extra distance to see these films specifically at THAT theater(I actually live in Contra Costa County and regularly drive the 45 miles in to the city and wait, happily, in lines around the block for these movies when they premier there). There is not a single multiplex in the Bay Area with the same mix of nostalgia and grandeur that this theater brings to the experience of watching a bigger-than-life epic movie. To say nothing of the appreciative, enthusiastic, and sometimes raucous (but always entertaining) crowd it attracts for these events. My wish is that this theater could be saved as a landmark or, in some way, preserved by anyone with a love of film and the money to afford a gem like the Coronet (Mr. Lucas, Mr. Spielberg, any interest?)... Probably just wishful thinking.

In 1959, The first run of "BEN HUR", for the Bay Area, was at the GREAT CORONET! Ran there for a long, long time, also! -Ronnie T.

In 1964, the first run of "My Fair Lady" which seemingly ran forever. And of course, "Godfathers I & II, packed to the rafters.

Does anyone out there really know the date that the Coronet will finally close? Each day
that I pass by, and see a title on the markee, I realize that I still have one more chance. Its really sad that nothing can be done to save the best theater in town. We all understand the bottom-line but this is a landmark. The recent closing of the Alexandria was a blow, but this is another small cultural tragedy.

Wouldn't it be great to get all three "Rings" movies there for a real send-off when the final days draw near--like the special day-long 10th Anniversary Star Wars events.
I just hope we continue to get extensions.

I too saw Ben Hur at the Coronet in the late 50's. The Coronet is being razed so a developer can build a 6 story VERY MASSIVE, 120 unit apartment building with 2 floors of office on the ground level.
The new building will be at least 2 stories higher than the theater and will extend all the way to the gas station (over the entire parking lot).
We need as much "HISTORICAL" information about the Coronet as possible to fight such a mamoth "high rise" development in a "low rise" neighborhood.
If anyone knows the whereabouts of Jim Doyle, the historical expert on the Coronet, please ask him to email me ASAP.
LET'S SAVE THE CORONET!!!

Regal just continues to baffle me. Instead of booking Harry Potter and Spiderman 2, the big summer movies that SHOULD be playing The Coronet, they're showing Dodgeball to an empty house. I fear the end is very near...

Pictures of The Coronet can be seen at http://photos.yahoo.com/coronet_theatre1

I too was suprised that the Coronet passed on Spiderman 2. I assume it's because they are playing "I Robot" instead. Likweise I think they should have moved "The Terminal" from the Metro to the Vogue so they could play Spiderman 2 there (instead of vise versa).

San Francisco had great viable single screen theatres longer than most other cities. It was the arrival of the AMC megaplex that one by one all the great single screen movie theatres started to bite the dust. After the decline of downtown in the 1960's the Coronet was the undisputed king of the box office in San Francisco. The Coronet continued to be a big excusive run house long after the reserved seat roadshow fims of the 1960's. I would venture to say the Coronet was one of the most successful single screen theatres in the nation for decades. All the studios and producers wanted there movies booked into the Coronet.Its to bad Regal got there hands on this property.Regal doesn't even attempt to showcase this theatre in any way knowing they were going to dispose of it when they took over United Artists. The Coronet continued to be the flagship of UA long after the decline of the Egyptian in Hollywood and the Rivoli in NYC.The Coronet was always kept in top shape by United Artists who was notorious for letting there theatres fall apart.The Coronet was built in 1949 when not many theatres were being built. The first movie I saw at the Coronet was the reseved seat roadshow attraction "Funny Girl" in 1968. I saw Star Wars on its first day of release at the Coronet and the lines went on forever. 20th Century Fox had figured the number of people who had seen "Star Wars" at the Coronet matched the entire population of San Francisco, 6 months into its run it was still gossing $80,000 a week.Remember this is the same City which was offered the Fox for $1Million in 1963 and turned it down and then spent over $70 Million years later constructing Davies Symphony Hall. I guess when its all said and done the Castro maybe the last single screen still showing movies in the city.brucec

ANYONE INTERESTED IN HELPING SAVE THE CORONET PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP.
I HAVE OPEN THIS PROJECT UP AND I AM READY TO TAKE CHARGE ON SAVING THE BUILDING FROM GETTING DESTORYED. SAVE THE CORONET!!
EMAIL ME IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED!!
worldmusicteacher@yahoo.com

Let's not forget that the Coronet was the San Francisco premiere house for Todd-AO, "Oklahoma" opening around 2/16/56, followed by Todd's "Around the World in 80 Days" Christmas week, same year.

Phantom at the Coronet!! I'm driving 40 miles to see it as it should be seen. Can't wait!!

To be followed in May by the finale of the phenomenal Star Wars saga.......ironically could be the final curtain for our last grand single screen megastructure.

People, I do not see the passionate public outcry of protesting which San Francisco is famous for to save this theater.

Remember the FOX.

What a drag this is! This was the place to see the bigscreen movies in San Francisco. I'm defintely going on Feb. 10 to get some last shots.

The first time I went into the Coronet was during the long run reserved seat engagement of My Fair Lady. The top of the marquee was festooned with plastic flowers and I believe flags of many countries sprouted from the flower baskets. All the seats had clean white covers over the tops of the seatbacks. The house curtain was a deep yellow and besides the huge screen the Coronet had about the best sound system in the City. Going to the Coronet was an event. Over the years I've seen many films there. The last time I went in some jerk sitting behind me yacked on his cell phone until 3 of us asked him to shut up. They didn't even use the deep yellow curtain anymore - it was permanantly open. The show started with a bunch of commercials. It was sad to see the theatre go down the tubes. It's corporate (don't care) ownership was showing very badly.

I got to visit the Coronet this past Saturday and I must say that although that was my first time there, it won't be my last! I do plan on being there for the final showing of "Million Dollar Baby." After all, the movie is that good I don't mind seeing it twice.

While there on Saturday night, the head projectionist (who also works at the nearby Metro Theatre) closed the house curtain prior to the show and gave a small speech about the theatres history while mentioning to the audience about the Coronet's upcoming closure. It was eerie how silent it got in that auditorium. He talked about the theatre having two different sound systems and how the they were capable of screening 70mm films. He also urged patrons to support the Metro, as it is in need of more moviegoers. After his short, but very appreciated speech he mentioned that after the previews the curtain would close and reopen at the start of the movie, just as if we were attending a movie back in the 50s. I'm sorry I didn't catch the projectionists name.

Either way, I plan on being there this Thursday and enjoying the Coronet one last time!

Just heard on the news this very moment that tonight's 10pm showing of Million Dollar Baby will be the last show. 6:58 am 2/13/05

Went to the 3:45 matinee this afternoon. The projectionist Mr Garcia mentioned gave a short history of the theatre before the show started. He said the theatre would be open for a few weeks more but that Million Dollar Baby would be the theatre's last film. In the 50's Mike Todd supervised the installation of the current screen (for Todd AO presentation), the orginal "surround" speakers were in the ceiling and the 2 sound systems installed now are Dolby Digital and Sony's SDDS. The projectionist said they use the Dolby Digital system because it "sounds better". The projectors also were modified in the 50's for 70mm showings so that the correct aspect ratios could be achieved. Unless somehow this theatre can be saved from the wrecking ball, in a few weeks we will just have our memories of the Coronet.

Unfortunately, the photo shown here doesn't make it look like much of an architectural landmark.

According to KCBS newsradio today, the Coronet will be staying open another week due to "increased crowds".

That's a bogus "reason". The closing is/was never due to dimished attendence but that the owner's want to develop the property for thier use.

Fandango has showtimes scheduled all the way through March 3rd listed....

STAR WARS III opens in 3 months, May 19.

Demolition is scheduled Decmeber.

Would a 3+ month lease extension be a guaranteed FINANCIAL JACKPOT for Regal Entertainment Co. and the new building owners?

Heck, the net profits will pay for the wrecking ball crew.

Local Presidio mogul George Lucas has yet to pick a theater for the benefit showings. ???.....

I have been going to the Coronet theater since I was a kid and seeing Star Wars for the first time in 1977. It is a shame that it will not be allowed to stay open for the whole series. I’ve grown up in the Richmond District and have seen countless movies there since that 1977 date. Is there anything you’re aware of to keep the theater open long enough to allow everyone who wants to see all the six films in the place where it all originated? Is there a community group that can be contacted or a preservation society or Star Wars club site to get a plan in action to keep the Coronet theater open at least through July or August?

reply to aboriginal@earthlink.net

DATE SET

Pardon you, but what exactly does that mean? Date for WHAT? The last show? Thanks for that useless bit of info.

ARE ALWAYS THIS RUDE

ARE YOU ALWAYS THIS RUDE ANTKNEE/I SEE YOU ARE NEW/

READ THE NEWS PAGE.....MARCH 17 =THE LAST DAY

And why didn't you post that in the first place? To answer your question: No I'm not always that rude, are you always this stupid? If you really did any reserach you'd see that I am NOT new here nor am I "always that rude" Am sorry to all the others here for publicly posting this

Now now children. LOL

Waaaaaaaaah! LOL

Most on this site would not need the First page news story reprinted!Yes i see you are here for a year , even more of a reason to have some manors. PS. When you see a post sometimes you have to go back and read a few of the others . I HOPED THIS WAS OF SOME HELP.

These comments last a lot longer than the front page, so if you have a significant event to report (like a Last Day), it's best to provide as much detail as possible here.

What a sad day. Another great theater bites the dust! :(

When I was in San Francisco, the only place I saw a movie was at the Castro. I wish now I had caught one at the Coronet as well.

This is the day after the (supposed) closing. Anyone have any new info?

The Coronet is truly closed, and there are no listings in the paper.

I called the theater at 3:30pm today. Someone picked up after 10 rings, answered the phone: "Coronet". I asked him if they were still opened for business. He said, "No, we're closed." The End.

The coronet theater closed on the 17th, the last show was at 7:00pm "Million Dollar Baby". It was a sad day for one of the nicest single house theaters in the city. There aren't too many left, enjoy the last of the few because they will all be gone someday too. The theater was bought by the institute for aging and will be used to house elderly people. Unfortunately UA lost the theater during their bankrupcy in 1999. Cest La Vie to a cinema treasure.

What theaters are left in SF besides the Castro? (decent sized I mean).

For grandiose theaters, I would say the UA Metro on union and the Castro. There are a few other single house theaters, I hear that the presidio is back up and running by the 4 star folks. Red Vic and the clay but those are not big theaters and the vogue is pretty small in comparison to the Metro and Castro. I think Metro is the last that actually shows first run films.

Help!! Now that the Coronet is closed where does one go to see Star WarsIII?!! A multiplex seems too depressing! The "Grand Lake" in Oakland or is that been closed or divided too? Help, my husband is a big Star Wars fan.

The Prsidio is now a 4-screener(original auditorium was chopped into 3 screens--Screen 4 was added in another space.) Grand Lake is also chopped into 4 screens. The best bet would be if it plays at the Orinda theater(a good possibility), whose main auditorium is still intact(the two other screens were added in an adjacent building) or at the Century 21 in San Jose(part of a complex, but the Century 21 itself is an undivided dome that seats over 1000). I would bet good money that Century 21 will play it.

The Grand Lake is not chopped up into four screens.The main theatre has wonderful architecture and its theatre organ,and a second screen is in the former balcony with a large screen. Two additional screens were added next store in former retail spaces. The Grand Lake is the best movie palace to see first run films in the Bay Area and the Century 21 is the finest modern single screen theatre still showing first run fims in the Bay Area. The finest screen to see classic Hollywood movies is the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto and Castro in San Francisco. The 3000 seat Paramount is the best restored former movie palace which shows classic films a few times a year on Friday Nights and the newly restored California theatre in San Jose.brucec

Just wanted to add to brubec.....I've been going to the Grand Lake more and more to see the big screen movies (Aviator, Chicago, Lord of the Rings III, etc.) in the downstairs main theatre. Nice big screen and great accoustics and sound. It's worth the trip to Oakland, easy freeway access, an easy 1/2 hour walk from the 19th St subway station, if you drive parking is fairly easy, especially on Sundays. Bargain prices at matinees are indeed bargains. Going to this theatre is f*u*n!!

***** "I also saw CLOSE ENCOUNTERS here in 70mm in October 1977" *****

"Close Encounters" opened at the Coronet on December 14, 1977.

70mm Presentations at the Coronet

Source: http://www.in70mm.com/lists/various/70mm_cinemas_sf.htm

Title (Premiere Date)
RSE = Reserved Seat Engagement

Oklahoma! (Feb. 16, 1956; RSE)
Sleeping Beauty (Feb. 11, 1959)
Porgy And Bess (July 22, 1959; RSE)
Ben-Hur (Dec. 23, 1959; RSE)
King Of Kings (Oct. 25, 1961; RSE)
Mutiny On The Bounty (Nov. 20, 1962; RSE)
55 Days At Peking (May 29, 1963; 70mm unconfirmed)
My Fair Lady (Oct. 29, 1964; RSE)
Hawaii (Oct. 19, 1966; RSE; 70mm unconfirmed)
Camelot (Nov. 1, 1967; RSE)
Funny Girl (Oct. 10, 1968; RSE; 70mm unconfirmed)
Star Wars* (May 25, 1977)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Dec. 14, 1977)
Outland (May 22, 1981)
Quest For Fire (Mar. 5, 1982)
Blade Runner (June 25, 1982)
Return Of The Jedi (May 25, 1983)
Greystoke (Mar. 30, 1984)
Gremlins (June 8, 1984)
Amadeus (Sep. 19, 1984)
2010 (Dec. 7, 1984)
The Goonies (June 7, 1985)
SpaceCamp (June 6, 1986)
Aliens (July 18, 1986)
Little Shop Of Horrors (Dec. 19, 1986)
Lethal Weapon (Mar. 6, 1987)
The Witches Of Eastwick (June 12, 1987)
Die Hard (July 15, 1988)
Cocoon: The Return (Nov. 23, 1988)
Batman (June 23, 1989)
Glory (Jan. 12, 1990)
Gremlins 2 (June 15, 1990)
Die Hard 2 (July 4, 1990)
Edward Scissorhands (Dec. 14, 1990; 70mm-CDS)
Hook (Dec. 11, 1991)
Lethal Weapon 3 (May 15, 1992)
Cliffhanger (May 28, 1993)
True Lies (July 15, 1994)

*Highest box-office gross in the U.S. May 25 - Dec 13, 1977

Re-Issues/Move-Over/Second-Run/Return Engagements:
Oklahoma! (1962, 1966)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1970)
The Sound Of Music (1978)
Star Wars Triple Feature (One-Day-Only; Mar. 28, 1985)
Return Of The Jedi (1985)

Awesome list and Excellent 70MM link. I had almost forgotten how really special movie theater going use to be like pre-80's.

The opening minute of Close Encounters at the Coronet, on the first Saturday nite showing, had the already frenzied sold out audience yelling with excitement as John Williams'music score built up to an orchestral opening crescendo, was PRICELESS. You had to be there.

The DVD of "Phantom Menace" contains some great footage of the marquee as well as the auditorium when the film premiered here. Lucas and others are seenm greeting the audience many of whom were wielding toy lightsabers.

From a couple of posts earlier, I forgot to include "Around The World In Eighty Days" in the list of 70mm engagements that ran at the Coronet. It premiered Dec. 26, 1956 and ran for quite a long time.

A major point in the Coronet's long history is that it was in the forefront of those "neighborhood" theatres that beginning in the fifties began to showcase first run features bypassing the downtown houses. Magna Theatres had a hand in this when they booked the original Todd-AO roadshow engagement of "Oklahoma" here instead of at a downtown location. Magna and United Artists continued this trend with this Rodgers & Hammerstein production as well as the 2nd and 3rd Todd-AO films, "80 Days" and "South Pacific". "Oklahoma" also ran first-run 70mm roadshow at the Uptown Theatres'in Washington DC and Houston. Both were located, appropriately enough, "uptown," not downtown.

" 'Oklahoma' also ran first-run 70mm roadshow at the Uptown Theatres' in Washington DC and Houston." (veyoung)
*****************************

Wasn't the original Houston engagement of "Oklahoma!" at the Tower Theatre?

http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/todd_ao_50th_aniversary.htm (scroll down to 22 June 1956)

Back to the Coronet...this theatre was among the initial batch of venues to install Dolby Digital for "Batman Returns" in June 1992. The intallation and industry-wide acceptance of digital sound, of course, being related to the demise of the 70mm format.

Mike, I think you're right. The interstates chain installed Todd-AO projection in both of their Tower Theatres, in Dallas and Houston at some point in mid-'56. The two uptown Uptown theatres I mentioned ran "South Pacific" roadshow in 70mm in '58. Sorry.

I am one representative of 3 neighborhood associations surrounding the Coronet who are working very hard to try to save the Theater. Would some of you with historical information PLEASE contact me. We need your help. This plea is completely genuine. We have hired an attorney/mobilized our neighborhoods/and more.
PLEASE CONTACT ME. Email me @ libby_b@pacbell.net, or call me at home 415.386.6432.
Libby Benedict

I think that George Lucas, who openly stated that the Coronet was one of his favorite theatres, doesn't step in to intervene. He's got millions, and what a tax deduction! To save a theatre with his backing? I am very surprised, and dissapointed that he did not at least arrange his Star Wars screening there. With the Alexandra gone and now the Coronet, the Bridge is the last remaining open movie house on Geary Street. It is amazing that such a huge populace such as San Francisco, would not patronize such a wonderful theatre. In a city rich with culture and entertainment, this is a travesty.

I have been in contact with Mr. Lucas' office, and he has chosen not to get involved at this time... Oh well.

The Coronet was among the theatres included in the original limited-market launch of "Star Wars." The Coronet's 5/25/77 opening-day gross, according to Daily Variety, was a house record $16,462.

The Coronet was among the handful of theaters that was equipped with Cinema Digital Sound (CDS), the 1990-1991 precursor to the contemporary digital sound formats.

Saw Speilberg's War Of The Worlds last night and couldn't help think how awesome this film would have been at The Coronet with a pack house. Oh well.....

Saw Paper Moon here for the first time on June 24, 1973 and Aliens on July 18, 1986.

Well, The Coronet is still standing there, untouched since it 'closed'. What was the point of closing it if no immediate action was going to be taken? The GIOA could have still been leasing it back to REG all this time. They could have been showing Episode 3 and War Of The Worlds all this time...

What a complete waste of the building, a complete waste of lossed rent $$ for the GIOA, and a waste for the City of SF.

And it makes me MAD AS HELL!

(The same can be said for The Alexandria, too!)

I agree that these buildings remaining unused is a shame, but at least they REMAIN! And in so doing, there's always hope that somehow they may return to showing movies.

This is a nice color photo of the Coronet Theater.

THE PLACE to see the first-run blockbuster. How I bragged about this theater to everyone I knew when I first moved to San Francisco. Little by little, I made them all watch a movie here and they all ask about it. I had to break the news to them. My parents are still upset it's closed and when they visit me, they no longer want to see a movie in the city. Even they know all we have left is...shoeboxes. That's because the city has lost a jewel of first-run programming. The closing of this theater was the last straw for me. After my problems with the new multiplexes and with no place decent to see a first-run Hollywood film, I have officially stopped going.
This theater had such great sound and going here was what movie watching was all about. Everyone got along here! No cellphone problems! No tough-talking guetto youths staring you down as you walked by! It was this city's last civilized, classy first-run theater. They're gone. Over.

Correction - it's not the city's last great one. The Metro is still with us although I haven't gone there in a few years. It's a beauty. I'll post my accolades there.
Thanks for reading!

Don't forget the city still has the Orpheum, Golden Gate and the Warfield Theatres. Ok they found renewed life with stage shows and concerts, their still around and open.

And the wonderful Castro Theatre too.

Yes..those are very nice theaters, but the only one still showing first run films is the UA Metro.

Pretty ridicuous situation. It could be argued that theatres which have decayed to the point of being dangerous (like Detroit's United Artists) should probably be torn down. But nobody can argue about those that are in good repair and still have significant ticket sales. My guess is that it all comes down to someone paying someone else a lot of money. Such is usually the case.

Valuable real estate. Sad. At least the Coronet didnt undergo the indignity of being multiplexed itself. I've read about this theater for years.........

What a bunch of $#*&

Tear down decrepit theatres in ghetto neighborhoods that are about to fall over. But don't mess around with one that is well-maintained and does good business. You can build a freakin' senior center anywere.

I shouldn't post comments of this nature. But it REALLY pisses me off.

Indeed. Tearing down a single screen theater in ANY neighborhood is tragic.

I think that neighborhood did not get involved to protest or fight to save the Coronet theater.

how many subwoofers did it have?

Is the theatre still sitting there?

All of eleven years old I saw BEN-HUR at the Coronet in the Spring of 1960. Traveled alone by public transit all the way from East Oakland to see it. To this day the best movie experience ever. The lead up to the break for Intermission and the accompanying music was exquisite. Drama & score marriage has never been outdone. Hollywood pulled out all the stops on this one. I tip my hat to you Coronet for knowing how to put on a show. When that huge red curtain closed and I walked out of the theater that day in 1960 the Coronet would indelibly be etched in my memory forever. Goodbye old friend.

The theater is still standing (as of last week anyway) and the marquee says something about it being the future home of the senior center who owns it.

That's one movie I don't want to see.

Thursday, I was in Berkeley in an architectual salvage yard, and two of the coronet's glass fronted movie poster display cases were for sale. I guess parts of the Coronet will live on elsewhere...

The Coronet saga goes on.
You can read the latest news (Sept 2006) here:

http://www.sunsetbeacon.com/archives/richmondreview/2006editions/Sept06/Coronetsite.html

Here is a July 2000 article about the possible demolition of the theater:
http://tinyurl.com/y6xfwe

Interior demolition of the Coronet apparantly began about 2 weeks ago. A huge debris box has been set up in the parking lot next to the theater and scaffolding has been erected inside. I have seen workers dumping wheelbarrows full of plaster & tile into the debris box and as I was passing there one day last week I saw them hauling out huge rolls of carpet that had been ripped out of the interior. -JimC-

:-(

Unbelievable bullshit that this place is being taken apart. There is no sophisticated way to describe it.

Barring further last minute legal challenges, The Coronet Theater building is scheduled to be demolished in April 2007.

R.I.P. :-(

At least the Alexandria is still standing, (as far as I know).

This is horse s**t.

I remember seeing Camelot at the Coronet. We four couples drove up from San Jose. We all marveled at the beauty of the theatre which was so different from what we were used to. The experience turned out to be a very special night out for us in the 1960s.

Here is a recent photo of the Coronet Theater.

**** the Institute on Aging.

Has anyone read the new "Making Of Star Wars" book? I think the book overall is fantastic and a must-read for any fan, but contained within is some erroneous information pertaining to the post-production and distribution of the film. In particular, one glaring error appears in regard to the CORONET.

To summarize, there was some controversy surrounding "Star Wars" being pulled by court order to accommodate a booking of "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind." The book's author, however, erroneously claims that the matter was settled by having "Close Encounters" play at the NORTHPOINT while "Star Wars" stayed at the CORONET. This, of course, is not how the matter was resolved.

"Star Wars" was sent out for re-bid and wound up a week later at the CINEMA 21; "Close Encounters" did in fact play the CORONET; "The Goodbye Girl" played the NORTHPOINT at that time.

I found the error humorous considering the author singled out the CORONET no doubt due to its proximity to the headquarters of the company that produced the movie and for the many historical links between "Star Wars" and the city of San Francisco.

(1) Lucasfilm Ltd. for many years was based in Marin County, just a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. Today, the company is based in San Francisco. (2) San Francisco is the city in which "Star Wars" was test-screened. (3) The CORONET was among the original theatres chosen to play the movie. (4) The CORONET had the highest boxoffice gross of the theatres in the U.S. that played the film during 1977.

You'd think that error would not have slipped through!

Demolition began tody on the CORONET. Not much too see yet. Most of the work today was knocking down the gas station next door which is part of the project. But they did knock a huge hole in the side of the theater so they could get fork lift trucks and pnumatic drills inside to begin interior demolition. The big wrecking ball will come any day now. I took some pictures and will continue to document the demolition an hopefully will be able to post them somewhere for all to see.
FYI> I was able to get inside the CORONET about a month ago. (Legally!) I took about 50pictures on that day. The owner also let us "scavenger hunt", as there was still lots of usable items inside.
We managed to recycle many items from the projection booth and concession area, including two working ice cream freezers, which have all been put to good use at the nearby BALBOA theater in San Francisco. -JC-

I cant believe the theatre is gone!, I was the Asst. Manager there in 1971, my first management job, I was being groomed by Al Levin, I thought many of days I would never make it the Man was tough, But he was a good Manager. The Theatre was kept up in great shape. i remember, I was starting at the Tale end og Funny Lady. The theatre was still grossing 15,000 a week when it moved tho The Alexandria
I was on and off there for over 15 years. I was promoted to Manager and moved to San Bruno UA TANFORAN 4, but i always was Al's Favorite when a block buster came Like STAR WARS they would have me run the Theatre with Al Levin, I would never forget the 24 opening night with lines doubling around the corner, who would have thought
it was going to be that big,,George Lucas liked the Coronet but he mixed all of his sound and did his print test at the Northpoint were I ended up after Larry Levin came in the picture,this man knew nothing about theatre operations, big dissapointment when Jim Gallagher retired, Bob Naify, Marshall Naify. and Arnold Childhouse made a mistake by hiring this idiot. But I watched this man distroy and empire of Gallager's hard work, It was sad no monies were spent to maintain the theatres, and the started to show the wear under his management. But the Coronet was the flagship and was booked well even if there any product out there. I remember we Played Singing in the Rain for 4 weeks to FULL HOUSES, I remember when the janitors were on strike we had to clean the theatre and mop before we went home I remember when no contract was reached with Henry Meyers and the projectionest Union and we became the booth operators and Managers and Janitors, Working for the Naifys was a pleasure. So you didnt mind doing those jobs.Yes the days of having Claire at the Alexandria answering all the phones for the Alex, Col, Coronet Metro, Vogue, stonestown.Balboa, SHE USED TO SAY GOOD AFTERNOON/EVENING "SAN FRANCISCO THEATRES" which theatre please what an art for that when all of the theatres had a hit she worked 15 hours a day seven days a week in this cubby hole upstairs at the Alexandria with a peg board phone system from the 1930's, Bud Tapper used to complain he had to pay her out of his budget. Al Bud and I used to meet next to the Coronet at Z's Buffet and they would get hammered between shows, Those were the days>>!!

Hello JC or anyone else:

Did you notice whether anyone can take a theater chair/seat which would otherwise be dumped and destroyed?

This is historically sad, and would love to salvage and refurbish a Coronet Theater seat, and pass on the movie experiences to my kids.

Would appreciate an answer/solution very much!

Steve 2: When I was inside the CORONET back in May almost all of the seats were still there. However, after being inside the dark, damp, closed-up building with no electricity or ventilation for over two years they appeared to have become hoplessley covered with a thick grey mold.(I have pictures of this) I'm not sure even steam cleaning could remove mold this bad, and the fabric underneath is probably ruined anyway. What a shame, because the CORONET had good seats. I'm not sure why they couldn't find anyone to buy or just take them away before they'd become so deteriorated. What I observed yesterday (Jul 3) was a small front-loader pushing piles of seats and other debris out of one of the holes in the side of the building and then dumping everything into a big debris box. I'm not sure the workmen would let you near enough to retreive anything since it's inside an active 'hard-hat' work area. But it might not hurt to ask if you went by there. They've been pretty tolerant of me & my camera. Back in MAY we were able to find a couple of rows of seats way up in the back of the balcony that weren't too badly molded-up. Those were removed and divided up among a couple of former CORONET employees who asked me to salvage them. I haven't spoken to them since so I don't know if they were able to remove all the mold or what they looked like when they were finished 'restoring' them.

nice story John T , but you didn't arrive until '75 . Do you know if any thing has been salvaged from inside the building . i 'm especially interested in the small chimes that were found in the room behind the marquee.

The Coronet is no more. Went buy the other day and they have started punching holes in the walls, to make way for the senior center. Also the sign is allmost all the way down just the "Cor" is still up. Bummer, I guess that this theatre was to new for the moratorium.

JimC - Did you ever post those photos anywhere? The last time I was at the theater I noticed all the "Buy war bonds" messages embedded in the stonework at the entrance and thought I should come back and take photos. But then I thought oh someone will have all this documented but now I can find very few photos. :-( I'll miss this gentle giant where I saw THE GODFATHER, STAR WARS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS and many other big spectacle films. I remember it was one of the last theaters that allowed smoking in the balcony but you had to pay an extra dollar.

jyoung- I have not yet posted photos. I've been taking pix almost every day. Not many more days left. There was only 1 1/2 walls left standing when I went by Tuesday of this week. I will post photo info here once I have them all organized and posted somewhere. -JimC-

**** the Institute on Aging.

Thanks JimC - will look forward to your post.

Thanks Life's too short for the laugh.

Please ,gulp, sigh, change the status for this true definition of Cinema Treasure to demolished.


Here's an article with some photos, no disrespect meant to those waiting for Jim C's photos.

http://thefrontsteps.com/2007/07/27/adios-coronet/

Tough month for losing great San Francisco iconic memories, Pete Wilson, Bill Walsh and The Coronet Theater.

I'll just be thankful for the experiences of sold out great motion picture events in that palace. I'll never forget the original Star Wars, Close Encounters, Love Story and The Godfather I&II opening Saturday nights!!!!

If you had seen the big large curved Todd-Ao screen this theatre had in the mid 50's with 6 track mag sound I will never forget the day my parents took me to see Around The World In 80 Days. The flashback is so vivid I can remember our seats on the right side of the theatre. The UA Coronet is now just a pile of dirt but the memories will be with me. UA/Regal must be proud of all the theatres they have sold for the land money and destroyed. They are even selling off many of their cheap tiny multiplex cinemas to get the most money they can. They are not in the movie business but quick money land people.

To JimC, Thanks again for your detailed response my wanting to scavenge a few seats. Such as tragic waste to a great building.

Btw, looks like The Castro Theater will be the only surviving large vintage single screen movie "palace" in SF. Does anyone else notice that theater has an odoriferous smell?

Alas, Coronet's status should be changed to "Closed/Demolished." Went by there on the way to an event and there was a big hole where it once stood.

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back here & post some pictures. The link below will take you to a series of pictures of what was left of the interior of The Coronet in April 2007, just before major interior demolition began. I had 2 day access to the theater to take pictures & salvage what I could for use at another location. There was NO electricity so we had to go around wearing LED "miner's head-lamps" and carrying big flashights. These are probably the last pictures of the inerior before the building came down. I'll try & post demolition pictures later this week.

Here's the link:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/13826823@N08/BCCw69

Ta Da! - Here's the long ago promised set of Coronet demolition pictures, taken between July-Aug Y2k7:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/13826823@N08/wjzWYv

ALSO> I've added a couple of extra pictures to the previous "pre-demolition" photo page, including two frame blow-ups from a 35mm trailer announing the start of Coronet's run of "FUNNY GIRL" in 1968.
(Found in the basement of another old theater, and now in my personal 35mm film collection)

I was saddened to see in one of the preceeding slideshows, one of the kingly figures from the auditorium walls still in the theatre, damaged. This would indicate to me that these figures were not cared for, and during the oh-so-necessary-nowadays process of asbestos removal before demolition of the Coronet's shell, they were probably all peeled of and discarded, except for this one battered figure. I hope I am wrong. I have a hunch the asbestos people cared as much for these figures as the guys gutting the Coliseum Theatre did about the eight huge chandeliers in that theatre. My friend offered them good money for them, but they were allowed to crash to the floor anyway, except one, which my friend got because he was on the site that instant. It wound-up in an antique gallery on Melrose in L.A., selling for beaucoup bucks.

Will never forget all the grand movie memories of that palace. Especially the big 70mm movie events of the 70's.

Thanks for taking - and posting - those photos, Jim; devastating but representative of a necessary document...

Gary P: Actually, "The King" looks a bit worse in the photo than it did in person. We were able to save it and I gave it to a good friend of mine who also was the Coronet's former projectionst. He ran most of the big 70mm and STAR WARS shows in the 70's that many people here have written about and was still working there when the theater closed. And yes, the other figures and many other items were totally smashed or damaged beyond repair by the asbestos abatement crews. I don't fault them too much, they were just doing their job.

Getting permission and access to go on my "Coronet Scavenger Hunt" took several months to arrange. I tried to get in there before the asbestos crews, but by the time I got permission and keys to the theater it was too late.

The good news is that I was able to recycle a number of items left behind by UA/Regal for re-use at the nearby Balboa Theater. These include two working ice cream freezers, a large mirror from the lobby which is now in one of The Balboa's rest rooms, a number of large trash bins and other assorted theater-stuff. I was also able to salvage some parts from what was left of the concession stand and projection room, etc and they are now in storage for use as spare parts at The Balboa.

The saddest part to me were the seats. I don't know why they were abandoned by UA/Regal. They were good (expensive) seats and most of them were in excellent-to-very good condition when the theater closed. But after being in the damp, dark theater for over two years they'd become totally destroyed by mold & pigeon droppings. The pigeons got in through holes in the ceiling left behind after some air conditioning units and ventilation fans had been removed from the roof shortly after the theater closed. There were also some rats in there, but I didn't bother them and they didn't bother me! :)

Believe it or not, the Coronet had an EVEN BIGGER screen at the time of the FIRST THREE 70 mm Todd-AO films, The Miracle of Todd-AO, Oklahoma!, and Around the World in 80 Days. I saw them all at the Coronet, 80 Days Repeatedly. For those three films, the deeply curved screen filled the ENTIRE AREA behind the curved curtains, with no masks on the sides, top, or bottom (the usual black masks, when fully open, were hidden behind the very small trimmer curtains). The image on the film running through the projector was 2.2:1, but it became more like 2:1 on the screen, when viewed from head-on, because the curve took up some of the width, as intended. It was only for these three films that the film ran at 30 frames per second (instead of the usual 24 fps), to smooth out the action, and allow for extraordinarily bright ("Sparkling," one critic said) image without the flicker that bright projection sometimes causes (the Critical Flicker Frequency --the frequency in frames per second at which persistence of vision fails -- is a function of brightness). They actually used two Todd-AO cameras simultaneously to shoot these films, one running at 30 fps and one at 24 fps for the inevitably disappointing 35 mm print downs for lesser theaters. In the 70 mm versions, all of the factors that increase arousal in the cerebral cortex were maximized -- brightness, largeness, loudness and complexity of the sound (6 channel stereo, with great dynamics, and, in the case of 80 Days, a 114 piece orchestra). Consequently, the audience was "up." It was near hypnotic! 80 Days ran well into its second year at the Coronet, forcing the chain to equip the inferior Alexandria down the street for 70 mm for South Pacific. At the Coronet, 80 Days began with a small 35 mm image of Edward R. Murrow introducing the film then the curtains, black masks, and image dramatically widened out to the full Todd-AO size, with the black masks disappearing behind the trimmer curtains.

When other 70 mm processes that didn't use Todd-AO's optical correction for the deeply curved screen started to be used, the Coronet tore down its big curved screen, and installed a more nearly flat, and smaller, one behind the same large curved curtains. Although it was still larger than most screens (at least from the front set of rows that extended right down to the screen, because there was no orchestra pit, and no stage to get in the way, it lacked the sense of total, engulfing involvement that the earlier screen provided. Had the owners of the newly arriving 70 mm processes (Super Technirama 70, Panavision 70, Camera 65, etc.) been able to get together on sharing an optical correction, the Coronet might have been able to hang on to the big screen, making everything from Ben-Hur to Star Wars more spectacular but this was a competition as misguided as HDDVD vs. BlueRay. or Beta vs VHS, or SACD vs. DVD-A .... everyone lost.

Now the Coronet is rubble. When we heard this, my friends and I sank momentarily into misanthropy.

Thanks for posting those JimC. I have some photos too (off the demolition) but yours are better.
Very sad. I believe "Space Cowboys" was the last film I recall seeing there.

The saddest thing about this theatre is San Francisco sat idly by and let this happen. Baghdad by the Bay has been replaced by commercialism by the bay. As far as a sense of history San Francisco officially sucks.

A screen bigger than it's 1959 Ben Hur presentation? Goose bumps!

Here is the Coronet when it was still standing.

If you google search exactly
Boxoffice May 6, 1950
enter page 111
American Seating ad with photo of seating area of Coronet.

A couple more shots of the late Coronet - from 1996 & 1997:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34152329@N06/3473522681/in/set-72157617054310351/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34152329@N06/3474331378/in/set-72157617054310351/

1986 Day Photo

1986 Night Photo

Here is another 1986 photo.

Another 1986 night photo is here.