Music Hall Theatre
931 Larkin Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94109
931 Larkin Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94109
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Walter Reade Theatres
Architects: Gale Santocono
Functions: Church
Nearby Theaters
The Music Hall Theatre opened on April 19, 1962 with Peter Sellers in “Only Two Can Play”. For about twenty years, it rode the crest of the wave of foreign film popularity, often with long lines of patrons patiently waiting outside, in order to be eventually granted admission to whatever was the trendy British, French, or Italian film of the moment.
But all good things must come to an end, and by the mid-1980’s the Music Hall’s days as a film theater were over. Live shows were attempted and then it became a gay disco named Music Hall, but ultimately failed, as the neighborhood around it also deteriorated as well. It is now a church.
Contributed by
Tillmany
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
This was run by Walter Reade Theaters in the late 1960’s-late 1970’s (along with the Clay, Larkin, Bridge, and Stage Door). When Walter Reade Theaters went bankrupt in 1978, the Mitchell Brothers acquired this theater and the Larkin. The Larkin went to showing porn films for a year, then the Mitchells operated it briefly as a revival house before it switched to showing gay porn. The Music Hall was used by the Mitchells as an attempt to operate a live music venue which failed.
The major reason why the Mitchells acquired these two theaters was to keep the Pussycat Theater chain from moving into the area. (Pussycat wanted one of these theaters to compete against the Mitchell’s flagship O'Farrell theater nearby.)
I saw a Bettrolucci film there (Spider Stretegem), the “Last Valley” with Caine and Sharrif, and Albert Finney in “Gum Shoe in the early 70’s.
The theatre had one strange looking cashier. She looked like she had a shrunken head. I always felt sorry for her.
There was a great fish and chips place a half a block away that I would “bootleg” food into the theatre from.
The selection of movies appealed to a rather limited audience and the parking was miserable iin the area.
The theatre wasn’t very impressive and the staff indifferent and there selection of movies limited the audience
I saw the first run of CHINATOWN in 1974 at this theater. It was still quite classy and very clean. It was intimate and I remember the popcorn was very good.
“New Indoor Theatre for San Francisco” was the headline of a brief item about this theater in the September 18, 1961, issue of Boxoffice Magazine. It was to be built for the San Francisco Fine Arts Theatre Corporation, and was intended as a moveover house. The architect was San Francisco theater designer Gale Santocono.
A later article in Boxoffice, December 25, 1961, revealed that the Fine Arts Theatre Corporation was operated by Herb Rosener. Rosener was for many years one of the leading exhibitors and distributors of foreign films in the U.S. He operated at least a dozen art houses in major west coast cities, as well as in Salt Lake City, Kansas City, and Cleveland.
When I was stationed at Oakland Army Base in 1965-67, I’d often shoot over to SF for a couple of pints of British ale… to wash down my fish n' chips from Old Chelsea F&C… then catch what ever was playing at the Music Hall. Nice place, while it lasted.
In the early 80’s an attempt to operate the Music Hall as a upscale gay disco failed miserably. It was still called the Music Hall and lasted for less than a year. We went once and never went back. The seats were removed from the main floor and replaced with a dance floor. The rear upstairs was changed into a bar, small lounge and coat check area. They charged almost $20.00 to get in there (outrageous at the time) but you could buy a six month membership for $100.00. Sound system was terrible.
April 19th, 1962 grand opening ad posted.