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Home » Theater Guide » Location » United States » California » San Francisco » El Rey Theatre

El Rey Theatre

San Francisco, CA
1970 Ocean Avenue
, San Francisco, CA, United States
(map)
Status: Closed
Screens: Single Screen
Style: Art Deco
Function: Church
Seats: 1831
Chain: Unknown
Architect: Timothy L. Pflueger
Firm: Unknown
Add a photo for this theater!
The first film to play at the El Rey was "The Smiling Lieutenant", starring Maurice Chevalier. The theater opened in 1931 and closed in 1977.

Designed by Timothy Pfleuger, who is best known for his work on the Paramount in Oakland, the El Rey still stands to this day as a church.
Contributed by Juan-Miguel Gallegos

YOUR COMMENTS

 
A wonderful 1940s photo (and further information) of the El Rey can be found on the following website:
http://www.outsidelands.org/el_rey.html
posted by Bryan Krefft on Oct 24, 2003 at 12:11pm
The El Rey Theatre is located at 1970 Ocean Ave. and it seated 1831 people.
posted by William on Nov 12, 2003 at 7:03pm
I visited this theater back in the mid-70's. At the time United Artists booked the place with B movies week in and week out. On
their big screen was a recent exploitation picture called THE DEVILS RAIN
starring Ernest Borgnine. I recall seeing only about ten patrons
sitting in that big, beautiful house.
posted by LarryS on Jan 28, 2004 at 8:57pm
El Rey's status should probably list "Closed," rather than "Open."
posted by gsmurph on Jul 1, 2004 at 3:45am
There is a 40's photo of the El Rey here:
http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAA-8687.jpg
posted by Lost Memory on Jan 8, 2005 at 5:16pm
The El Rey, located on Ocean avenue, was a beautiful theatre. The mitchell brothers rented it out and showed their premiere screening of "Autobiography of a Flea" complete with champagne and blotter acid. Before it became the Church of the Pentecost, Margo St. James of Coyote, had a week long film festival about prostitution worldwide. Magnificent films were shown there. Patronage was terrible. The interior layout of the theatre is exactly the same as the Alameda Theatre, as both were built by Timothy Pfluger, but the artwork was entirely different. If you are ever in the area, the congregation is very friendly and will let you walk around. Still a beautiful theatre!
posted by robertcampbell on Apr 15, 2005 at 8:29am
1942, from the SF Public Library:

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAA-8688.jpg

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAA-8689.jpg

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAA-8690.jpg

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAA-8692.jpg
posted by ken mc on Dec 21, 2005 at 4:07pm
Interior and exterior photos on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/8nhfnq
posted by ken mc on Jan 10, 2009 at 11:07am
There were retail spaces in this building on both sides of the entrance to the theater. In 1969 The Gap opened its first store in the easternmost retail space just to the right of the theater entrance at the corner of Ocean Ave and Fairfield Way. A picture is here:
http://www.gapinc.com/public/About/about.shtml
You can see a portion the theater's tower in the background.

Back in the early seventies, a friend and I saw a "Planet of the Apes" marathon there.
posted by MTP on Apr 25, 2009 at 8:06pm
1970 Photo

1980 Photo

posted by Lost Memory on Apr 26, 2009 at 4:36pm
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