The Northpoint, was a great theatre! Single floor, spacious, and comfortable, it had the best sound system of it’s kind anywhere. Major pictures played there. I saw the first screening of “Alien” there, as well as A Star is Born with Barbara Streisand. My memorable experience was when “The Last Temptation of Christ” played there, people were picketing. Huge lobby with a candy counter. nice restrooms. Huge auditorium with a neat standing area in the back which was well lit. The screen was huge and you got a good view no matter where you sat. I understand that the seats went to the Grand Lake and are on the main floor. When you stood outside and looked up the street, you would see the Pagoda Palace Marquee, lit up in green. San Francisco has lost a lot of theatres, and the Northpoint, was one of the great movie experiences.
This theatre was a gem. I went to it several times when it was the Pussycat, prior to that, it was called the Art Cinema which showed black and white nudies. The ticket booth was on the right with a turnstile and when you walked in there were the doors to the main floor auditorium, which had a couple of hundred seats. To the left was a staircase that led down to the basement. There was a lounge area, with a couple of couches and a coffee table. The restrooms were also there. There was no snack bar, just machines. The theatre was very clean and very well kept, considering the sex that used to go on in there. A lot of the hookers from the Travelers Hotel on 11th would go there with their dates. To the right of the main entrance was a staircase that led up to the loge and balcony sections. The loge had about a hundred seats, same with the balcony. It was small and very cozy! All the seats were comfortable. However there were no murals anywhere, just bare walls. The screen, was just a screen, very similar to the Strand in San Francisco, but no masking or curtains. The vertical marquee was very impressive when lit up, it made Broadway look like a real downtown. Sad that it is gone.
The Northpoint, was a great theatre! Single floor, spacious, and comfortable, it had the best sound system of it’s kind anywhere. Major pictures played there. I saw the first screening of “Alien” there, as well as A Star is Born with Barbara Streisand. My memorable experience was when “The Last Temptation of Christ” played there, people were picketing. Huge lobby with a candy counter. nice restrooms. Huge auditorium with a neat standing area in the back which was well lit. The screen was huge and you got a good view no matter where you sat. I understand that the seats went to the Grand Lake and are on the main floor. When you stood outside and looked up the street, you would see the Pagoda Palace Marquee, lit up in green. San Francisco has lost a lot of theatres, and the Northpoint, was one of the great movie experiences.
This theatre was a gem. I went to it several times when it was the Pussycat, prior to that, it was called the Art Cinema which showed black and white nudies. The ticket booth was on the right with a turnstile and when you walked in there were the doors to the main floor auditorium, which had a couple of hundred seats. To the left was a staircase that led down to the basement. There was a lounge area, with a couple of couches and a coffee table. The restrooms were also there. There was no snack bar, just machines. The theatre was very clean and very well kept, considering the sex that used to go on in there. A lot of the hookers from the Travelers Hotel on 11th would go there with their dates. To the right of the main entrance was a staircase that led up to the loge and balcony sections. The loge had about a hundred seats, same with the balcony. It was small and very cozy! All the seats were comfortable. However there were no murals anywhere, just bare walls. The screen, was just a screen, very similar to the Strand in San Francisco, but no masking or curtains. The vertical marquee was very impressive when lit up, it made Broadway look like a real downtown. Sad that it is gone.