Larkin Theatre

San Francisco, CA

816 Larkin Street

, San Francisco, CA, United States

(map)

Status:	Open
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Movies (Adult)
Seats:	398
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

The Larkin opened in 1916, but didn't gain importance in San Francisco until the 1930's when, together with the Clay, it became a primary venue for foreign films.

By the 1950's it had become so popular that long runs such as "Diabolique" and "La Dolce Vita" tied up its single screen for weeks and sometimes months at a time.

By the late 1970's this was all over, it was renamed the Century, and became an adult venue, and as such continues to prosper today.

Contributed by tillmany

YOUR COMMENTS

Walter Reade theaters ran this & the nearby Music Hall theater until they went bankrupt in 1978. The Mitchell Brothers bought out the lease (to pre-empt Walnut Properties dba Pussycat Theaters from becoming competition to their nearby O'Farrell theater) and the Larkin showed porn from 1978-1979. Then the Mitchells turned it into a short lived revival house, then it became a gay porn theater. Now it is the New Century.

posted by scottfavareille on Jul 1, 2002 at 3:17pm

A while after it had opened in New York in August of 1947, Vittorio De Sica's film "Shoe Shine" played at the Larkin for eight weeks. That shattering neo-realist movie about the aftermath of World War II and life in a boys' prison was distributed at the time by Lopert Films, Inc.

posted by Gerald A. DeLuca on Jun 18, 2005 at 12:56am

I saw Bernardo Bertolucci's Before the Revolution for the umteenth time here in June, 1973.

posted by Gerald A. DeLuca on Jul 14, 2005 at 12:51am

My photograph of the CENTURY http://www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/206115395/

posted by Don Lewis on Aug 3, 2006 at 3:13pm

Is this theater still showing gay films, and is it a members only cinema?

posted by Oklahomo Cowboy on Mar 17, 2007 at 2:10pm

Old invitation to the Grand Opening of the San Francisco Century Theater (sister theater to the Hollywood Century Theater), July 29, 1979:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/miscSFCentury.jpg

posted by hollywood90038 on Mar 22, 2007 at 7:07am

Blurb in the LA Times, dated 3/3/78:

The Mitchell Brothers, Artie & Jim, will give the San Francisco Larkin Theater six months to fare well as a straight movie house, with foreign classics and short experimental films slated on the bill of fare. Otherwise, the former porno house will "go gay hardcore".

posted by ken mc on Jun 13, 2007 at 7:21pm

The name on this theaters website is New Century Theater which you can find by doing a Google search using that name. I don't see any type of movies listed for this theater. A better choice for the function above would be Live Performances.

posted by Lost Memory on Jun 27, 2008 at 12:11pm

From Boxoffice magazine, May 1950:

"The Titan" in its third week at the Larkin Theater, San Francisco, is being exploited by Quinten Lacey, exploiteer from United Artists.

posted by ken mc on Dec 13, 2008 at 10:38am

Here is another photo.

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 3, 2009 at 7:23pm

1974 Photo

posted by Lost Memory on Apr 26, 2009 at 7:43pm

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