Spartan Theatre
150 Mason Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94102
150 Mason Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94102
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Does anybody remember if the Spartan and Tom Kat were one and the same theatre?
I was once told by an oldtimer that the Spartan Theatre originally opened as a newsreel theatre. Attendance at the Spartan was always brisk during the after work rush hour. A quite long, curved lobby jogged into a standee area. To the left of the standee was a wide auditorium with four isles that seperated three sections of upholstered theatre chairs. Black walls were decorated with blacklight male nudes, and Art Moderne lighting fixtures dressed up a black ceiling. A rather large stage apron hosted live male strip revues between features. “Private dances” could be had behind the screen…for a price.
Speaking of SF porno, the Chronicle website reports that Jim Mitchell died of a heart attack on Thursday. I didn’t see this in the LA Times yesterday, so this is a bit of news.
Before the Spartan was a gay theatre, it played straight X-rated films there in the 70s.
I recall seeing one called the Nurses there and recently found a tape of it in Sacramento.
It may have been a regular theatre at one time.
I will go buy some time and see it’s current status and let you all know.
George Senda
Concord, Ca
The Spartan Theatre was a very interesting place. It played gay movies. When you walked in there was a restroom to the left and a little cozy lobby. You walked into the auditorium which was a fairly good sized auditorium, about 300 seats, with a quite large movie screen and stage. On the left of the stage there was a doorway, with restrooms and next to that, a huge room with cubicles the size of horse stalls with huge leather curtains blocking each one. It was gutted by a fire, and when the fire hit the counter with the poppers enclosed, it caused a massive explosion that shook the buildings around like a earthquake.
A storefront theater.