Balboa Theatre

3630 Balboa Street,
San Francisco, CA 94121

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CinemaSF (Official)

Additional Info

Operated by: CinemaSF

Previously operated by: Cinema Grill Systems Circuit of Georgia, San Francisco Theaters Ltd.

Architects: James Reid, Merritt Reid

Firms: Reid Brothers

Functions: Movies (Classic), Movies (Independent), Movies (Revival), Movies (Second Run)

Styles: Art Deco, Spanish Colonial

Previous Names: New Balboa Theatre

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 415.221.8184

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News About This Theater

Balboa Theatre

The Balboa Theatre is one of the very last neighborhood theatres still operating in the city. It was built by Samuel H. Levin as part of his chain of neighborhood theatres known as San Francisco Theatres Inc. Opened as the New Balboa Theatre on February 27, 1926 with a seating capacity for 800. It was designed by brothers James & Merritt Reid, renowned architects who also designed the Cliff House, Fairmont Hotel, Spreckels Temple of Music in Golden Gate Park and many other theatres in the Bay area. The Balboa Theatre was remodeled after a 1940’s fire.

By the 1960’s, the Balboa Theatre had very long runs of blockbuster films, at popular prices, including 92 weeks in 1966 and 1967 for “The Sound of Music”, which followed the roadshow engagement at the United Artists Theatre on Market Street. After another fire in 1978, the theatre was twinned, reopening on April 21, 1978.

The theatre was run by the Levin family for almost 60 years until February 2001. At that time the Balboa Theatre, which was showing second-run films, underwent a renaissance thanks to the efforts by the co-owner of Landmark Theatres chain, Gary Meyer, who leased it from the Levin family. Meyer showed quality second-run films at very reasonable prices and his efforts built a buzz around town. He renovated the theatre and included revival and film festival screenings. He later switched to first-run films.

Meyer ran the theatre as a labor of love, but after a decade felt it was time for a change. The master lease was turned over to the San Francisco Neighborhood Theatre Foundation in late-2011 under a lease lasting through 2024. In February 2012 Meyer stepped down from being in charge. Both the Balboa Theatre and the Vogue Theatre are now part of the new CinemaSF organization, as the Vogue Theatre had already been rescued by the San Francisco Neighborhood Theatre Foundation.

The Balboa Theatre had 307 seats in auditorium 1 and 226 seats in auditorium 2. Both auditoriums have been equipped with Dolby 5.1 sound systems since 2012. By 2021 the seating capacity had been reduced to 375, with 222 in auditorium 1 and 153 in auditorium 2,

Contributed by Ross Melnick, Howard B. Haas

Recent comments (view all 44 comments)

rivest266
rivest266 on August 14, 2018 at 1:49 pm

reopened as a twin cinema on April 21st, 1978. Grand opening ad in the photo section.

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on August 30, 2018 at 12:52 pm

around this area there was shots fired at the balboa high school.

stevenj
stevenj on August 31, 2018 at 8:03 am

moviebuff82….Balboa High School is in the southern part of San Francisco in the Excelsior District 6-7 miles from the Balboa Theatre which is in the Outer Richmond District.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on November 4, 2018 at 2:10 pm

Hello from NYC-

when The Sound of Music moved to this theater after its roadshow at the United Artist and after Doctor Zhivago moved here after its roadshow run at the Orpheum were they the original roadshow prints? in NYC when a film went to neighborhood theaters following roadshow runs they were often tweaked.

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on August 19, 2019 at 3:04 pm

Did this theater show a 35mm print of OUATIH?

bufffilmbuff
bufffilmbuff on October 28, 2019 at 6:52 pm

Curious about the SOUND OF MUSIC run? Was this in 35mm and if so was the sound four track mag? I know as the release wound down Fox often still required stereo sound in order to show the film. Anyone have any idea?

stevenj
stevenj on October 29, 2019 at 9:00 am

From the intro above: “By the 1960’s, the Balboa Theatre had very long runs of blockbuster films, at popular prices, including 92 weeks in 1966 and 1967 for “The Sound of Music”, which followed the roadshow engagement at the United Artists Theatre on Market Street.”

The roadshow engagement of The Sound of Music played at the UA from March 18, 1965 until the week of Dec 19, 1966 (92 weeks) according to Michael Coates' list of SF roadshow/70mm engagements: Here. Is the above inferring it ran for another 92 weeks at the Balboa?

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on April 2, 2021 at 4:56 pm

Please update, total seats 375. Theatre 1 is 222 and theatre 2 is 153 based on Balboa Theatre reserved ticketing system

walterk
walterk on April 3, 2021 at 8:39 am

If all goes as planned, the Balboa will reopen on May 14 with a Godzillafest. Local article with more details can be read here.

thomdlt296
thomdlt296 on December 5, 2023 at 12:34 pm

I’m happy to see it’s still open. In 1978, while I was 10, paid $2 to see “Meteor” with Sean Connery. Then, stayed in the theater with my brother and a friend to watch “Halloween”. It was the scariest day in my life having to wait for the 18 Sloat bus at a cold foggy bus stop after having just watched “Halloween”.

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