Balboa Theatre
3630 Balboa Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94121
3630 Balboa Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94121
23 people
favorited this theater
The Balboa Theatre is undergoing a renaissance thanks to efforts by the co-founder of Landmark Theatres, Gary Meyer. Meyer has resurrected the Balboa Theatre, which was built in 1926, by leasing it from the Levin family who had run the neighborhood theater for almost 60 years. Showing quality second-run films at very reasonable prices, Meyer’s efforts have begun to build a buzz around town. He plans to renovate the theater and include revival and film festival screenings. The Balboa Theatre is one of the very last neighborhood theaters still operating in the city.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 41 comments)
1982 Photo
1982 Photo
1986 Photo
1986 Photo
This is a nice 2009 photo of the Balboa.
I wonder did any ROCKY movies play here.ROCKY BALBOA that is.
Here is a link to a new article about the Balboa theater and its annual birthday bash:
View link
As posted above the doors, maximum occupancy for the two auditoriums are as follows:
1: 307
2: 226
Total seating capacity: 533
I’ve posted information and photos from two recent visits:
3/13/2010
3/27/2010
Book Release and Film Show Event:
LEFT IN THE DARK: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres
Thursday, October 21, 7pm, $5 admission
“Impresarios†at the Balboa Theater with Julie Lindow, R.A. McBride, Gary Meyer and Melinda Stone!
A Night About the Moviegoing Experience
A fun evening for lovers of movies and theaters on Thursday night, October 21, 7pm at the Balboa. A program featuring authors who contributed to the beautiful new book about movie theaters, LEFT IN THE DARK: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres. The book’s editor, Julie Lindow, will introduce photographer R.A. McBride who will present an illustrated presentation about the theaters of San Francisco and launch an exhibit of her photos in the Balboa lobby. Melinda Stone and Gary Meyer will talk about their chapters in the book. Sing-a-longs, prizes and theater games will be part of the celebration that includes an entertaining program of rare shorts, cartoons and trailers about the moviegoing experience.
Admission is only $5.00
Dish Give-Away, Sing-Along, Bingo, Ten-O-Win!
Photography exhibit by R.A. McBride, Slide Show, Readings and Stories!
Short Films Program:
THOSE AWFUL HATS by D.W. Griffith
BOSKO’S PICTURE SHOW by Friz Freleng and Hugh Harman
TEN-O-WIN by Christian Bruno
MOVIE PESTS by Pete Smith
BACALL TO ARMS by Robert Clampett and Art Davis
MINNIE’S YOO HOO by Walt Disney
Rare Previews of Coming Attractions and Surprises
The program will be followed by a reception and book signing.
Balboa Theater
3630 Balboa Avenue
San Francisco, CA
415-221-8184
http://www.balboamovies.com/
LEFT IN THE DARK: PORTRAITS OF SAN FRANCISCO MOVIE THEATRES
Photographs by R.A. McBride
Edited by Julie Lindow
Literary essays by: Rebecca Solnit, Katherine Petrin, Melinda Stone, Eddie Muller, Liz Keim, D. Scot Miller, Gary Meyer with Laura Horak, Elisabeth Houseman with Joshua Grannell, Sergio de la Mora, Chi-hui Yang, and Sam Sharkey.
Available now at www.leftinthedark.info for $39.95.
The book is now available for purchase at bookstores and the Balboa Theatre.
Published by Charta Art Books, distributed by D.A.P. (Distributed Art Publishers).
10 x 8 cardstock cover, 59 photographs, 168 pages, 11 chapters
A good companion book ,‘LOST DETROIT, Stories behind the Motor City’s majestic ruins’. its new…and ‘Detroit’s Downtown Movie Palace’s’…out for a few years. Both are good books, and I will be adding this book to my library.
I worked at the Balboa during the ‘70s. I was working there when Star Wars opened; in fact I remember the black and silver poster being hung up in the lobby. I didn’t like sci-fi so I was. Damn, I wish I had it now! During my tenure we showed mostly soft core porn and Kung Fu movies. Great location, fine theatre, wonderful memories!
Gary Meyer has run the Balboa for 10 years and finally decided that he either had to sell it or take in a partner. It’s been known for years that he hadn’t made a dime off it but was operating it as a hobby, given his fulltime career as director of the Telluride film festival.
That partner is the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation, which also had taken over operating the Vogue Theater. Website: http://sfntf.org/
So, as of January 6, 2012, not only is the Balboa getting a new lease on life but a new outdoor paint job as well. Looks like the Balboa is saved for now.