At CC’s link above the menu has a “How It Works” link (to order food) - you whip out your cellphone and text it to the kitchen for “a seamless uninterrupted viewing experience”. Except for the people sitting around you when their phone screen lights up and then the “ninjas” walk or scurry like rats past you to deliver the food. This may be the enjoyable movie going experience for some but this is the kind of theatre I would avoid.
Is AMC going to enforce this seating policy somehow? The last reserved seat film I saw was a 70mm Imax presentation of 2001 at the AMC Metreon in SF where it seemed people were just sitting wherever they wanted (compounded by the low auditorium lighting which kept the seat numbers in shadows and very hard to see). The only employees I saw were the guy taking the tickets out front and the snack bar employees.
From the SF Chronicle Datebook section on the Landmark Commission’s vote to recommend to the full SF Board of Supervisors that the interior be landmarked:
“After an impassioned public hearing that lasted for more than five hours and included hundreds of speakers on Wednesday, Feb. 1, the commission voted 6-0, with one recusal, to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that it pass a Castro Theatre landmark designation amendment initiated by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman “to include both exterior and interior character-defining features, and update the statement of significance to include LGBTQ historical associations.”
That recommendation, which the Board is scheduled to consider next month, would appear to throw a hurdle in the way of Another Planet’s latest plan for removing some seats and leveling the raised floor of the Castro District venue.
But the Berkeley-based promotion company said on Thursday that it was happy with the recommendation, which did not include language that specified the fixed orchestra-level seating should be protected."
Not sure if you need a Chronicle subscription to see this link to the full story:
I am linking the SF Planning Landmark Designation Amendment Recommendation below. It is lengthy and voluminous but filled with historical information, photos through the decades, reasons why SF Planning is recommending the amended landmark designation, original architectural drawings and the history associated with the Castro’s LGBTQ neighborhood plus more.
Difficult to understand what you mean in the first 2 sentences. The Landmarks Commission has once already delayed a decision on whether to landmark. The current seat are not original. If I recall correctly they have were replaced in the orchestra section in around 2001. The chandelier and proscenium are also not original. In any case the proposed new seating arrangement removes 6 rows of seats lowering the seating capacity (which may or may not be a good thing depending on what is programmed). This new arrangement seems like a compromise since suitable sight lines for films were a major issue with the previous terraced proposal so it may have a better chance. There are a lot of passionate people in SF who dedicate themselves to historical preservation and what has been saved (everything from the cable cars to Victorian (and other architecture) help make SF a special place and in some cases define neighborhoods. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I doubt the Nassars are interested in landmarking the interior. The 2 retail businesses at each side of the theatre are owned by the Nassers and the rent from both has helped offset the cost of lower attended film showings over the years. Pre covid I was seeing 3-6 films a month. Some were attended in large numbers, others not.
Another Planet’s latest seating proposal - a motorized raked floor. This is from their website with a video of how the floor would be transformed from (orchestra) seating to no seating. There is also a push coming from the Save The Castro conservancy to landmark the interior. The exterior is already landmarked.
“90-year-old Regal UA Berkeley theater to close after bankruptcy filing”
“The closure of the last movie theater in downtown Berkeley has been confirmed, leaving just one cinema left within city limits after the recent losses of the 10-screen Shattuck Cinemas and the 107-year-old California Theatre, which is reportedly slated to become a 15-story mixed-use apartment building.”
Here is a direct link to the SFGate article with photos in case the Chronicle’s link stops at their paywall. The recent onslaught of storms with heavy rain and high winds caused a lot of damage in the city and beyond.
Fanny Hill Meets Lady Chatterly is pictured in the photo to the right of your photo. Whenever I walked down Market St past the Hub the marque always brought a smile. Nowadays a Peets Coffee shop is in that approximate location which (if I stop for a cup) brings a buzz.
Could possibly become a cannabis friendly movie house according to this Hoodline article. Ivy Hill operates a cannibis shop inside the lobby of the theatre but plans are eventually to get movies going again.
Maurice Kanbar, who opened the Quad in 1972, died in San Francisco Aug 20, 2022.
“A longtime supporter of the arts, Kanbar - who founded the Quad, the first multiplex movie house in New York - has donated more than $10 million to endow the Kanbar Institute of Undergraduate Film and Television at New York University.”
According to this 2015 Hoodline article (researched through SF Chronicle archives and the SF Public Library History Center) the Haight Theater opened in 1910 with 1310 seats.
“In 2020, Netflix acquired the landmark Egyptian Theatre from the American Cinematheque; the movie palace will undergo a much-needed renovation in 2021 which will return it to its original 1922 grandeur. Once the renovations are complete, the AC, a non-profit cultural arts organization, will program the theatre on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays under a long-term agreement with Netflix, which will program Monday-Thursdays.
The Egyptian will continue to be the Hollywood home of the American Cinematheque."
New Toronto is a neighborhood of Toronto. It is in the SW corner of Toronto. Easily found on Google maps by the Canadian zip code (since the Apple maps here have not been working for weeks). There is also an Old Toronto neighborhood. Normally the locations of theaters at the top of the overview is listed by city though, then neighborhoods, districts, boroughs etc.
Preliminary plans submitted for renovation of Century 21. From the Hoodline aticle linked below:
“At this point, it’s unclear what the old theater will be reused as, but there are several options on the table. Despite not yet having a specific use, the developer and owner, Federal Realty Investment Trust, plans to renovate the building in a flexible way so that it can cater to several different types of businesses. According to a preliminary proposal obtained by the Mercury News, “the design team will include provisions to accommodate the ability to support office, kitchen, cafeteria, gym, and small data center.” It could also become a restaurant or a performing arts center.”
Thanks for the link MOOse1111. Lots of photos of the theatre inside and out are included in the Page and Turnbull proposal (a local architectural firm with experience in notable old buildings) as well as the plans for a second floor lobby concession bar and HVAC air filtration system. I would have happily provided a direct link to the plans but your link will only allow for a downloaded file.
It is unfortunate that the sloped orchestra level will be partitioned and leveled for standees at concerts and temporary seating for other events. Wondering what that will do to sight lines for films or stage events when seated (except for those seated in the front row of each section)?
I googled Page and Turnbull and what came up first is the link below to EverGreen Co. which has been retained by Page and Turnbull “to conduct historic finishes investigations of painted finishes within the Castro”.
Walking by the Castro today I noticed that the marquee has not been restored - yet. The very faded and peeling paint are still there. The neon on the vertical blade though appears to have been repaired after a naked man climbed it last August and damaged it.
At CC’s link above the menu has a “How It Works” link (to order food) - you whip out your cellphone and text it to the kitchen for “a seamless uninterrupted viewing experience”. Except for the people sitting around you when their phone screen lights up and then the “ninjas” walk or scurry like rats past you to deliver the food. This may be the enjoyable movie going experience for some but this is the kind of theatre I would avoid.
Is AMC going to enforce this seating policy somehow? The last reserved seat film I saw was a 70mm Imax presentation of 2001 at the AMC Metreon in SF where it seemed people were just sitting wherever they wanted (compounded by the low auditorium lighting which kept the seat numbers in shadows and very hard to see). The only employees I saw were the guy taking the tickets out front and the snack bar employees.
From the SF Chronicle Datebook section on the Landmark Commission’s vote to recommend to the full SF Board of Supervisors that the interior be landmarked:
“After an impassioned public hearing that lasted for more than five hours and included hundreds of speakers on Wednesday, Feb. 1, the commission voted 6-0, with one recusal, to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that it pass a Castro Theatre landmark designation amendment initiated by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman “to include both exterior and interior character-defining features, and update the statement of significance to include LGBTQ historical associations.”
That recommendation, which the Board is scheduled to consider next month, would appear to throw a hurdle in the way of Another Planet’s latest plan for removing some seats and leveling the raised floor of the Castro District venue.
But the Berkeley-based promotion company said on Thursday that it was happy with the recommendation, which did not include language that specified the fixed orchestra-level seating should be protected."
Not sure if you need a Chronicle subscription to see this link to the full story:
Datebook
I am linking the SF Planning Landmark Designation Amendment Recommendation below. It is lengthy and voluminous but filled with historical information, photos through the decades, reasons why SF Planning is recommending the amended landmark designation, original architectural drawings and the history associated with the Castro’s LGBTQ neighborhood plus more.
SF Planning
Difficult to understand what you mean in the first 2 sentences. The Landmarks Commission has once already delayed a decision on whether to landmark. The current seat are not original. If I recall correctly they have were replaced in the orchestra section in around 2001. The chandelier and proscenium are also not original. In any case the proposed new seating arrangement removes 6 rows of seats lowering the seating capacity (which may or may not be a good thing depending on what is programmed). This new arrangement seems like a compromise since suitable sight lines for films were a major issue with the previous terraced proposal so it may have a better chance. There are a lot of passionate people in SF who dedicate themselves to historical preservation and what has been saved (everything from the cable cars to Victorian (and other architecture) help make SF a special place and in some cases define neighborhoods. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I doubt the Nassars are interested in landmarking the interior. The 2 retail businesses at each side of the theatre are owned by the Nassers and the rent from both has helped offset the cost of lower attended film showings over the years. Pre covid I was seeing 3-6 films a month. Some were attended in large numbers, others not.
From a Dec 5, 2022 article:
“A fight over seats could define the future of an iconic San Francisco movie theater”
NPR article
Another Planet’s latest seating proposal - a motorized raked floor. This is from their website with a video of how the floor would be transformed from (orchestra) seating to no seating. There is also a push coming from the Save The Castro conservancy to landmark the interior. The exterior is already landmarked.
AnotherPlanet
From SFGate - Jan 22, 2023:
“90-year-old Regal UA Berkeley theater to close after bankruptcy filing”
“The closure of the last movie theater in downtown Berkeley has been confirmed, leaving just one cinema left within city limits after the recent losses of the 10-screen Shattuck Cinemas and the 107-year-old California Theatre, which is reportedly slated to become a 15-story mixed-use apartment building.”
Regal’s website shows no bookings past March 2.
UA7
Here is a direct link to the SFGate article with photos in case the Chronicle’s link stops at their paywall. The recent onslaught of storms with heavy rain and high winds caused a lot of damage in the city and beyond.
Alexandria
Looking east on Taraval St from near 21st Ave. Parkside blade partially hidden on the right by a telephone pole.
Fanny Hill Meets Lady Chatterly is pictured in the photo to the right of your photo. Whenever I walked down Market St past the Hub the marque always brought a smile. Nowadays a Peets Coffee shop is in that approximate location which (if I stop for a cup) brings a buzz.
Reopening was in July but shuttering again for upgrades to heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Reopening in early 2023.
SFGate-Stanford
Could possibly become a cannabis friendly movie house according to this Hoodline article. Ivy Hill operates a cannibis shop inside the lobby of the theatre but plans are eventually to get movies going again.
Parkway
Maurice Kanbar, who opened the Quad in 1972, died in San Francisco Aug 20, 2022.
“A longtime supporter of the arts, Kanbar - who founded the Quad, the first multiplex movie house in New York - has donated more than $10 million to endow the Kanbar Institute of Undergraduate Film and Television at New York University.”
SFGate article on Kanbar:
Maurice Kanbar
According to this 2015 Hoodline article (researched through SF Chronicle archives and the SF Public Library History Center) the Haight Theater opened in 1910 with 1310 seats.
Haight Theater
I’ve added a photo taken in 1982 of a 1921 poster uncovered during a renovation of a nearby hotel.
^^^Heavens to Mergatroyd^^^
Mikeoaklandpark…this is from the American Cinematheque website:
Egyptian
“In 2020, Netflix acquired the landmark Egyptian Theatre from the American Cinematheque; the movie palace will undergo a much-needed renovation in 2021 which will return it to its original 1922 grandeur. Once the renovations are complete, the AC, a non-profit cultural arts organization, will program the theatre on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays under a long-term agreement with Netflix, which will program Monday-Thursdays.
The Egyptian will continue to be the Hollywood home of the American Cinematheque."
According to the Landmark website for this theatre, today is the closing day.
Shattuck Cinemas
A proposal to build “approximately 15 stories” of new housing behind the theater’s facade cleared an early hurdle this month.
An article in Berkeleyside Here
New Toronto is a neighborhood of Toronto. It is in the SW corner of Toronto. Easily found on Google maps by the Canadian zip code (since the Apple maps here have not been working for weeks). There is also an Old Toronto neighborhood. Normally the locations of theaters at the top of the overview is listed by city though, then neighborhoods, districts, boroughs etc.
Preliminary plans submitted for renovation of Century 21. From the Hoodline aticle linked below:
“At this point, it’s unclear what the old theater will be reused as, but there are several options on the table. Despite not yet having a specific use, the developer and owner, Federal Realty Investment Trust, plans to renovate the building in a flexible way so that it can cater to several different types of businesses. According to a preliminary proposal obtained by the Mercury News, “the design team will include provisions to accommodate the ability to support office, kitchen, cafeteria, gym, and small data center.” It could also become a restaurant or a performing arts center.”
Hoodline
Hoodline article from March 17 has some of the architectural plans for orchestra level seating removal that are larger and viewable at this link:
Hoodline
Thanks for the link MOOse1111. Lots of photos of the theatre inside and out are included in the Page and Turnbull proposal (a local architectural firm with experience in notable old buildings) as well as the plans for a second floor lobby concession bar and HVAC air filtration system. I would have happily provided a direct link to the plans but your link will only allow for a downloaded file.
It is unfortunate that the sloped orchestra level will be partitioned and leveled for standees at concerts and temporary seating for other events. Wondering what that will do to sight lines for films or stage events when seated (except for those seated in the front row of each section)?
I googled Page and Turnbull and what came up first is the link below to EverGreen Co. which has been retained by Page and Turnbull “to conduct historic finishes investigations of painted finishes within the Castro”.
EverGreen Co
mOOse1111…the marquee looks the same today as the photo I posted on July 2, 2021 (“Happy 99th Birthday”) in the photo pages.
Walking by the Castro today I noticed that the marquee has not been restored - yet. The very faded and peeling paint are still there. The neon on the vertical blade though appears to have been repaired after a naked man climbed it last August and damaged it.
SF Chronicle Datebook article on the closing of the Embarcadero Cinemas after 26 years in SF.
Embarcadero