Grand Lake Theatre
3200 Grand Avenue,
Oakland,
CA
94610
3200 Grand Avenue,
Oakland,
CA
94610
48 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 86 comments
Hi Folks:
Thought I would mention that the theatre has newly installed carpet. It’s a great improvemnt over the old worn out carpet.
Mike
That is a good point. I hadn’t thought about it from a publicity standpoint.
But I still think it’s silly. I would find a different way to grab headlines if I were running the show.
Anyway Brian, I’m pretty sure the owner isn’t going to take my opinion into consideration.
Yeah, at that time they said they had discontinued that practice. I don’t see anything wrong with it. It’s his business, let him run it as he pleases. The theater’s gotten a lot of publicity as a result. The rest of my Grand Lake set is here: View link I’m rather proud of my interiors (although I’m not terribly fond of the paint finishes they used)
A photo of the Grand Lake without an inflammatory political message on the right side of the marquee. I wonder why the off day?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwchicago/2771991915/
The Grand Lake is in a very democratic part of town. A Republican probably wouldn’t be caught dead walking in the ‘hood. LOL.
I don’t get it. It says the national nightmare is almost over, yet the inaugeration is just a week away. Shouldn’t it say it’s just about to start??
This guy is worse than the old Soviet Union.
I don’t understand why he thinks it is good business to offend people on the marquee, unless he’s so rich that it doesn’t matter to him if the theatre makes money or not. There is a very good reason why conventional wisdom says not to discuss politics.
I know California is very liberal. But there are still enough Republicans out there. Most hard-core Republicans I know would turn around and walk back to their car if they saw that.
First of all, even though I don’t live in California, much less Oakland, that theatre’s another fantastic-looking theatre, inside and out.
Secondly, now that Bush and his Republican Administration will be out of office come late January 2009, I wonder if they’ll start playing more of the great, old classics in addition to the crappy stuff that gets played reglarly at these antiseptic-looking multiplex cinemas across the country. The old movie palaces that’re left should concentrate more on great older classic films.
They really need to relax. I don’t like Bush & Cheney either. But this is just silly.
Strangely, they are showing “W.” this weekend. Of course, the patrons will see it here only to mock it and heckle the movie. Should be interestin'..
I’m not a McCain fan. But they should cool it with those political messages on the marquee. It’s difficult enough trying to fill up an old movie palace without pissing off half the potential patrons in your community.
Just watched video posted above by HowardBHaas listing Allen Marchaan as the owner. Allen Marchaan is NOT the owner of the Grand Lake Theater – he pays rent every month. Look it up.
Well, now here is why I love going to see a movie. To read some jerk’s political views up on the marquee. So much for escapism.
Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre video including interview with owner & organist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p_Dt0RhE74
Held up pretty well, hasn’t it?
Here is a photo, circa late 20s or early 30s:
http://tinyurl.com/3xgkuo
With the new Alameda Theaters do to open sometime soon with it’s main huge theatre the Grand Lake is going to loose many customers. You watch as soon as the Alameda opens watch Allen re open up to the movie public his semi private auction art deco auction theatre in Alameda. The Grand Lake will have some competion for the first time since the Jack London Sq Theatre opened that Regal just remodled.
Yes National General became Mann Theatres after Ted Mann bought the National General Theatres which was Fox West Coast years earlier. The Grand Lake has always been fortunate to be in a very nice area with parking problems like most urban areas. Mann theatres never booked the Grand Lake properly after the decline of the roadshow films. They had a beautiful renovated theatre and played Disney films. They didn’t start booking the blockbuster films again until Allen took over the Grand Lake.brucec
brucec, Didn’t Mann Theatre operate it before Allen bought it?
I take it that Allen wants to keep the Grand Lake because I know he closed the Oaks and Park and didn’t renew the lease on the Orinda. I saw the beautiful Auctions at the Bay in Alameda where he poured a great deal of money if only the Grand Lake was kept up like that. I repeat the Grand Lake was in great shape when National General gave up the house to Allen because a major renovation was done in 1966-67. I know that Allen has poured a great deal of money into the Grand Lake over the years and has done very well.New competition from Jack London and Emeryville has cut into the profits of the Grand Lake and money needs to put back into the Grand Lake to compete becuase I have noticed a decline the last few years.Maybe Allen needs to repostion the Grand Lake more as a specialty theatre and classics instead of competing with the megaplex theatres. Maybe a mix of both mainstream, specialty and classics. I saw my first film at the Grand Lake in 1959 which was “Ben Hur” and my last film “Harry Potter” so I have attended this theatre for almost five decades. I really want to see the Grand Lake remain successful with Allen. The theatre really needs new carpets and a touch up in a few places. The above comment concerning Landmark, I have seen them do a wonderful job with historic theatres and have seen rundown theatres they run such as the Rialto in South Pasadena which just closed. I only made the remark concerning Landmark, if Allen was lossing interest in the Grand Lake which I hope he is not.brucec
“Allen either needs to put some money back into the theatre or give it to Landmark to run as a specialty house.”
What a joke. Landmark runs some of the most run down theatres. The notion that they would invest money on to the site is very hard for me to believe. We should all hope that Allen hols on tho this theatre for a very long time.
To All; Allen, is a great movie theatre operater! you all should know that aging palaces are not cheap to keep up. he does maintain
this theatre . as far as the comments about lighting up the tower marquee, the PG&E to light this is exuberant! not to mention if the neon has to be replaced from running all the time . So to all of the negative comments that are said , I want to say Allen is a Great theatre owner! and he does pay attention to the up keep of his theatres. It takes a lot of concession sales to run any theatre. not to mention what the film companies take from you! Allen keep up the good work! my friend!
Terry I agree the Grand Lake could use a little touch up. It also is starting to look a little shabby on the outside.Allen either needs to put some money back into the theatre or give it to Landmark to run as a specialty house. I think the Grand Lake would do well with specialty films like they run at the Piedmont.Allen seems to be loosing interest in the Grand Lake I hope this is not true.brucec
Bruce thanks for your note. I don’t think seeing Sound of Music at the Roxie in Oakland after it had played in SF for many months on the Roxie small screen in 35mm was Roadshow. Same at the Grand Lake, they didn’t show in full 70mm nor most times they didn’t give programs for sale. You may have thought you were at at a Roadshow presentation, but if you saw the same film in Hollywood or SF a few months before it looked great. Did the Grand Lake have reserved seats? I don’t remember. What bothered me with the Roxie in Oakland they put in the advertisement 70mm or Todd-Ao many times they just took the logo from the reel roadshow and just used it. Most people that didn’t go to SF prob didn’t know the 35mm rip off. Wow if the Grand Lake had put in a big curved sceen how great this theatres projection roadshow look for the people of Oakland. 35mm or 70mm at least the Grand Lake is still open, but I think Its roadshow days are gone. I saw Dreamgirls at the big theatre downstairs and the right surrounds did'nt come on. I asked the projectionist Steffon about it, he told me they need to fix it. Next time you go to the Grand Lake check to see if the right surrounds are on. The place needs new rugs in the lobby very bad.
Terry I attended the Grand Lake during the roadshow era I always thought the quality was first rate. Natinal General did a major renovation prior to the opening of “Camelot” and did a first rate job. I always preferred the Grand Lake over the Roxie during the roadshow era. Oakland always had to wait at least 6 months to a year after San Francisco in getting films like “The Sound Of Music” and “Dr Zhivago”.These movies would play the Roxie and the Grand Lake for several months. It was the studios that dictated how the roadshow films were booked. San Francisco always opened with Exclusive Northern California Engagement when opening films like “Ben Hur”, “My Fair Lady”,“Cleopatra”,“Lawrence of Arabia”,“West Side Story”,“Those Magnificient Men in there Flying Machines”,“How The West Was Won”, “The Sand Pebbles”,“Gone With The Wind”,“Dr Zhivago”,“The Sound of Music”,“ Its a Mad Mad Mad World”,“Funny Girl”,“Oliver” and “Patton” to name a few. I always thought the roadshow reserved seat presentations were the best I have ever seen. These movies would only open in a Deluxe theatres such as the Pantages in Hollywood, Rivoli in New York,Warner in DC,United Artists in San Francisco,Saxon in Boston,Boyd in Philidelphi,Palace in Chicago,United Artists in Detroit and other key cities across the nation. Many of these films would only open in 15-30 theates across the nation and then the studios would slowly roll them out depending on business, to other cities. The last successful roadshow reserved seat movie was “Fiddler on the Roof” in the early 1970’s.brucec