Alexandria Theatre

Enough already. Is this beautiful theatre for sale? Who is selling it.
How much is it? I really want to know for we can get this theatre up and running again. I made a special trip from San Diego to San Francisco to see this beautiful theatre, and thru the crack in the door , I can still see the beauty within. Also some kids were hanging out behind the theatre, drinking. I planned to convert it back to it’s original beauty and play old classics there, with occasional jazz and live concerts. I am also an Architectural Designer and have many contractors and Interior Designer’s at my disposal. Please someone let me know what’s going on up there.

Thank you

Here is another 1986 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ma7po3

The Alexandria in 1996 & 1997:
View link
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Here’s another 2008 photo (cc-by license).

Still standing! Got out and had a good look around the exterior over the weekend. Was able to see into the lobby area where lights are left on. It’s a mess in there, but no signs of a demolition at this point. Why is this not a historic building? The place is a gem!

The United Artists in downtown SF never had a curved scrren for it’s roadshow 70mm movies. I saw The Bible a D150 film at the UA on a flat large 70mm screen. Same at the Alexandria it had a 70mm screen that had a small curve to it, not the Todd-Ao full wrap around curve. To bad the Alexandria showed most of the Todd-Ao prints on a almost flat screen.Can you imagine seeing the movie Cleopatra on a big curved screen inside the Alexandria. I had to see it run flat when it played at this great SF roadshow house. Right theatre to show this film in, you felt like you were on the Nile.

When Mike Todd died the TODD-AO big curved screen went with him. Like the Alex in SF they did not have the big curved Todd-Ao screen that the Coronet had up the street. Seems it had a small curve? They had in the adds TODD-AO but it was mainly flat. The Coronet removed the great curved Todd-Ao curved screen after Oklahoma and Around the World. Heard the My Fair Lady 70mm people didn’t want the curve look at the Coronet. To bad the curved curtains stayed up till it closed but a smaller scope screen was put in. Maybe they will do at the Sf Alexandria what is being done at the Cinema 21 (Marina) put in a store on the bottom with a theatre upstairs?

AWESOME PHOTO DAN. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you ANTKNEE for verifying that info.

I grew up on the Presidio,( 1976-81 ) and used to sneak through a hole in the fence that put you on 15th ave. and Lake, rather than go all the way around to the Lincoln/25th ave. entrance. Through the summers of 1976-‘77 my buddies and I saw many films at the Coliseum, the Coronet, and the Alexandria. The Alexandria was a particular favorite place because of the Atari Gand prix game in the lobby. I remember seeing the Sorcerer, A bridge to far, a double feature of both the Godfather and the GodfatherII !, and more that I can’t recall at the moment. The last film I saw there was The adventures of Yellow dog in 1994. A few years ago I was walking in the richmond, and was devastated to see the coliseum just after they finished a phase, the building was gutted, no insides, no roof just the outside walls, I just stopped and stared, just seeing it like that …and just like now as I’m typing this,it made me cry. It made me remember not only the films I saw there, but also the buddies and girlfriends I went there with. Remember the line in the classic film Vertigo that the tycoon said to James Stewart’s character “ The things that mean San Francisco to me are quickly disappearing ” I guess this happens to all of us who live long enough.

This is the theater I really miss because it reminded me so much of the Granada Theater in Reno, NV. I loved the main auditorium so much! I thought it was beautiful. I would make special Saturday trips just to be here no matter what was playing – the 38 Geary was always fast and constant so getting to and fro was no problem. The place smelled like freshly popped popcorn (the new multiplexes DON’T).
I saw ALIEN 3, DARK CITY, THE CORE, HANNIBAL, DANTE’S PEAK…all great Saturday afternoons spent here. I would never jump theaters – I would go right down to the box office and pay for another film. That’s how much I loved this place.
Greatly missed.

i’m just hoping someone some day can reopen the Alexandria again as a movie theater, thats what it’s ment to be. I worked there for 6yrs and was there the day it closed and i really do hope to one day see the doors reopen. Thats one thing really missing from this City and thats our neighborhood theaters, they are all vanishing and i find that truely sad.