Laurel Theatre

My sister and I lived down the street and used to go to every Saturday matinee when we were kids. We also used to play miniature golf at the little place across the street, and spent our allowance at Jax (sp?) dime store that was also on Laurel, I believe. Some of my best memories are of afternoons at the movies there. I wonder how many of you commenting might have known me! We moved away when I was 12, but we both went to White Oaks and Central schools. Good memories!

Frederick W. Quandt’s application to AIA includes references to “San Mateo Theater” and “Harvey Amusement”. This would be the Manor Theater. During WWII, Quandt designed the relocation centers. The file contains pictures of some of his structures, including the Stockton theater and several SF buildlings.
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An article about the Laurel Theatre appeared in Boxoffice Magazine’s issue of July 2, 1949, and a photo of the theater’s lounge was featured on the cover of that issue’s Modern Theatre section.

Information about the Laurel’s architect, Frederick W. Quandt, is scant on the Internet, but Therese Poletti and Tom Paiva’s book “Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger” contains the interesting revelation that Pflueger’s maternal grandfather was named Frederick Quandt. I’ve been unable to confirm a connection, but it seems possible that architects Frederick W. Quandt and Timothy Pflueger were cousins.

Quandt designed more theaters then the two currently listed at Cinema Treasures (the Stockton Theatre was the other), but I’ve tracked down only two others, and can’t confirm that either of these projects was completed. A June, 1938, report in Architect & Engineer said that Quandt had drawn plans for a theater to be constructed at Sonora, California, by Harvey Amusement.

An article in the Eugene (Oregon) Register-Guard of February 8, 1946, said that theater operator A. West Johnson had gone to San Francisco to consult with architect Frederick Quandt on the final plans for a new theater he would build at Broadway and Charnelton Street in Eugene. Construction was to begin as soon as materials became available.

There’s also a possibility that Quandt designed the Manor Theatre in San Mateo, built in 1941 for Westland Theatres, a company associated with Harvey Amusement. Other houses designed for Harvey or Westland during the 1930s and 1940s might be Quandt designs, but I’ve been unable to find any confirmation for any of them.

If anybody has additional information about Frederick Quandt please share it.

It was demolished and replaced by apartments.

My favorite memory: Seeing “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” with my younger brother in the afternoon, then hauling my mom and dad down to see it with us in the evening! Then a milkshake at the Teddy Bear Fountain next door. The 1950s, of course. I also spent many a great time at the miniature golf course across the street. Those were the days!

3 Godfathers with John Wayne and Harry Carey Jr. was released in December of 1948.

Michael. e-mail me direct , Raylene would love to hear from you Peter passed away 4 years ago heartattack

Larry e-mail direct mom passed away in 2003 of Cancer .

larry goldsmith? my moms friend? Ferol…didn’t you Manage the Fox Skyline….e-mail me if you get this!

The Laurel (and the Carlos about a mile away) were my homes away from home while growing up in San Carlos in the 50’s and 60’s. I spent nearly every Saturday afternoon at one theater or the other. The “kiddie matinees” were quite popular. This was a top notch place on the Peninsula that showed a lot of top notch films. At one point I remember they had Korla Pandit (turbaned and bejewelled) playing organ concerts at intermission (don’t think the theater had an organ – he must have brought his own). The seats were large and comfortable.

i was there the day that they demolished the theater and i shed a single tear when the sign came crashing down, just like an indian. my friends and i are going to protest and get that sign back up there where it belongs. BRING BACK THE SIGN!

The Laurel was not a single floor theatre, it had stadium style seating, with one of the original opera style theatre curtains on the peninsula (besides the Palm). It was a beautiful theatre, and did show porn. I worked there briefly and the owners at the time started to refuse to pay us workers, so while the picketers were outside the theatre protesting the porn, we were letting everyone in for free that was over 18! The Laurel even had a wooden marquee on the El Camino Real to display what was playing. That practice was abandoned in the late 70’s when it went Porn. Pretty Peaches and Amanda By Night didn’t look good on the El Camino. The lease was too expensive and porno left the Laurel, but continued to show double bills until its closure. It was closed for a long time. Sad to see it go, I understand that it was turned into what is called the “Laurel Condos” and the marquee that was supposed to be saved, is gone.

This did operate as a porn theater in 1979-1980. One of the features playing there was “Sweet Savage”, which had Aldo Ray in it. (Ray did not do any sex scenes in the film.)