Richelieu Cinema
1075 Geary Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94109
1075 Geary Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94109
1 person
favorited this theater
The Richelieu Cinema opened in March 1963 in the space formerly used as the Richelieu Casino, on the Geary Street side of the Richelieu Hotel on the Southeast corner of Geary Street and Van Ness Avenue.
Over the years its policy was mostly foreign and revival programming, employing a rear-view projection system in which the projector is located behind the screen, and the image is thrown upon the screen by the use of a mirror.
It closed in June 1981.
Contributed by
Tillmany
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
I believe I visited this cinema only once, on July 22, 1978, to see Barbara Stanwyk in “Sorry, Wrong Number.” The place reminded me of the film programs at Theatre 80 St. Marks in Manhattan, which I believe also employed rear-projection.
I once saved the show at the Richlieu.
The operator made several false starts on The Red Shoes. There was no sound. I jumped up and entered the booth through the door beside the screen. “I work at KQED,” I said by way of a credential.
I asked for a can of dust-off. He produced it and I squirted a puff into the Bell and Howell sound head. I grabbed a scrap of paper, passed it through the head and heard a rewarding “bloop” from the speaker.
“Carry on,” I said, returning annonymously to my seat.
(I guess I should have billed you for that, Jack.)
This theater was an experience to say the least!
Can’t remember what we saw – but we enjoyed ourselves.
Rear Projection was not as clear as regular shot booths but
nevertheless – the movie house was a treat to visit.
Jack Tillmany is modest in not telling us that he was the genius behind both the Gateway and Richelieu cinemas, where I spent a minimum of two nights a week through much of the 1970s. He had a revival policy, then unusual, and I got a quick education in film noir and foreign films. A showing of the historic “Birth of A Nation” resulted in vandals storming the theater and cutting up the screen. Luckily I had seen the film the night before.
I used to stay at the Richelieu Hotel with my parents when I was a teenager in the late 1960’s. I recall going to the movies on several occasions at the Richelieu. The two movies I recall having seen were “Greetings,” and a Czech film about auto thefts – the name I don’t recall. I also remember a version of Tolstoy’s “Ressurection” playing but was not allowed to attend (by my parents) because of the racy subject matter. -P Jenkins
I just visited San Francisco and stayed at the Opal Hotel formerly the Richelieu. The space occupied by the Richelieu Cinema is boarded up. Foster’s Cafeteria on the NE corner of Van Ness and Geary is long gone and the Jack Tar Hotel, later the Cathedral Hill Hotel is closed and awaiting redevelopment (as a hospital??). Tommy’s Joint is still on the SW corner and I am happy to say the Opal Hotel (formerly the Richelieu) on the southeast corner is still a decent enough place to stay.
The brief description here doesn’t really do the sad story of the Richelieu justice. As davidkaye mentioned, when the Richelieu showed The Birth of a Nation, a group of particularly obnoxious protestors came in and completely destroyed the theater. The theater was repaired but was never ever able to recoup the costs of the repairs and folded shortly thereafter.
My wife and I went to SJSC in mid-1960’s. Great time for foreign films and theaters. There was a Russian (or Eastern European) film we remember. Mid-1960’s. About an old couple. We saw at Richelieu in The City. Can you remember the film and title? May have had “sun” in the title. Is the Richelieu' owner still around?
I was friends with Piers Freeman, who was a employee there in the 70’s. Saw many a movie there. Miss it very much.
Jack Tillmany’s program of revival and classic movies at the sibling theaters Gateway and Richelieu was a hallmark of San Francisco in the 1970s. If memory serves, Jack was one of the theater owner/exhibitors who convinced the studios to cut new prints of old classics, leading to a rebirth in appreciation of Hollywood’s Golden Age by mainstream viewers.
The Richelieu met its slow demise when some protesters (allegedly students from UC Berkeley) smashed the glass projection screen during short run of the AFI restored BIRTH OF A NATION. I saw it two days earlier. To recoup the money for the repair ($10,000? $20,000? I know it was a lot), Jack introduced a series of more recent classics which were very popular. It was unusual to see classic Connery James Bond adventures on the big screen, along with many others. Gateway “member” cards got you big savings on tickets and refreshments, and on closing night at the Gateway cardholders were allowed in as family and friends. It was a sad night, but a great opportunity to applaud Tillmany.
The Richelieu screened the less popular, more obscure selections that would be lost at the Gateway. Hence, this little theater was a portal to seeing old movies you otherwise would never see on TV, in the days before home video.
BTW, does anyone remember getting some homemade sweets from Findley’s Fabulous Fudge at 1035 Geary before a show? I know, theaters kept afloat on refreshment sales, but Findley’s was soooooo good.