This downstairs ‘Grand Lake’ Theatre #1 new built from many years ago projection room booth reminds me of the three projector ‘Cinerama’ booths they had to build in the back of all the ‘Cinerama’ houses in 1953/54. The road show theatres had the middle one like this one and had to put two more 35mm projectors on a angle in the back corners of each theatre. I remember they must have had good soundproofing as you never heard the projectors running just like at the ‘Fox Grand Lake Theatre’ The downstairs projection rooms had a good direct view of the screen not much keystone effect curved or flat like from way hi up above the balcony were most theatres had their projection equipment. ‘Todd-AO’ had a special lens for some 70mm ‘Todd-AO’ theatres used when they projected down from way high up to correct for the curved screen distance keystone look. I wish the ‘Grand Lake’ had put in the D-150 curved screen system in the late 1960’s. ‘Fox West Coast Theatres’ had looked into It for the ‘Grand Lake’ but never did. Some of the side stage sections would have to be removed. I don’t think they liked buying It from ‘UA Theatres’ then renting the D-150 lens each time they ran a 70mm film and projected with the big D-150 screen size. Now we are stuck with a wide semi large flat screen at the GL.
Louis Sher was a showman. He hired my friend ‘Les Natali’ as a manager and they opened the ‘Presidio Theatre’ in San Francisco CA playing ‘Deep Throat’ and made a ton of money. The neighbors did not like It. That movie theatre is still open with MR Lee owning It. MR Sher produced and ran many adult theatres across the USA. ‘Les’ is still around the San Francisco area owning many bars and night clubs. He did manage ‘Charles Pierce’ for a time and did a big show at ‘Bimbos’ night club in SF in the 1970’s with Charles. You don’t find movie theatre operators around like ‘Louis Sher’ these days. Another good friend of mine was the late ‘Shan Sayles’ He also like ‘Louie’ produced adult films and owned many adult cinemas that ran 16mm loop films then VHS tapes. I have many of Shan’s neon theatre lights from his many theatres. One of my first photo jobs was in the early 1970s’s when Shan’s ‘Paris Theatre’ burnt down in LA and I had to go down and do photos of the damage for him. Very scary as a young kid to climb up the broken exit yellow caution tape stair case outside and shoot down on the burnt collapsed roof to the inside of this huge adult/art type theatre. I still have the LA Times front page photo and article the next day It read ‘Is Paris Burning’
If they ever re open as a theatre again It will need a ton of sound proofing inside as the rich old retire gang next door will always complain about the sound noise again like before. Their expensive hearing aids are turned too far up I think. Not too many loud street music people on University Ave in toney downtown Palo Alto to bother them like in Berkeley CA. Give them some free movie tickets next time to shut them up!
In this inside photo of the former ‘Fox West Coast Varsity Theatre’ you can see up in on the tall ceiling where one of the round air ac vents are located and at one time deco light fixtures once hung with multi color effect bulbs. All fixtures were stolen or tossed out during the many remodel jobs this cinema had over the years. Both on the side walls and up in the loge/balcony area every deco glass light is gone. Some private person In the area I bet has these classic deco ‘Varsity’ lamp lights in their private home. I have never seen them in any local antique store. I doubt the remodel worker construction
companies got rid of them in the dumpster. Same down the street most all of the original deco glass lights are now missing from he popular ‘Stanford Theatre’ The ones they have now have a cheap paper look to them.
I found out that many of the SF Bay Area movie theatres did not pay for the little neighborhood info movie listings that were in the big column sections of entertainment amusement or the local theatre page on most newspapers like the SF Chronicle, SF Examiner and Oakland Tribune. They did pay semi cheap per column inch rates for display advertising with extra large photo type ads in the daily or Wednesday or Friday editions. This has changed now If you wanted to put a small ad out or flyers for a film playing at your cinema, they will charge you for ever word listed and display art. I have many press book ads from the 1950’s & 60’s that had advertising matts camera ready you could order from ‘National Screen Service’ to cut and send to the newspapers in many sizes. Now most movie theatres and the studios don’t bother to place movie ads in the newspapers. Moviegoers just go on the computer sites to tell them what is playing and with prices for reserved seats .To costly for them now to pay for advertising. They make their money now from popcorn/drink sales. When you arrive you have to sit thru a bunch of tired ads and pay hi $ prices for food or drinks. No wonder many theatres are closed these days because they don’t bother to advertise what is on their screen in print. Yes many people still especially older moviegoers read local papers and weekly entertainment free event papers to find out what is going on each week.
The new 1953 duel 3D system must have looked great on the giant 3D silver screen at the ‘Orpheum’ before they installed the huge curved Cinerama screen. Thanks db for the photo image. Movie theatres really did a great job in the 1950’s with outside advertising around the box office area. You won’t find this today as many of the old ticket box office booths are gone. They used satin valances, 3 sheets mounted and cut out on cardboard to pull you into the theatre.
On the right side of this lobby photo you can see part of the stained glass. Almost looks like It belongs in a church type place. The ‘Grand Lake Theatre’ the church of movie presentation.
I think Theatre #3 the Egyptian decor space even has a small balcony section up some stairs in the back entrance. Great cinema to watch ‘Cleopatra’ or ‘Land Of The Pharaohs’ in CinemaScope with stereo surround sound. Just like you are at the Pyramids without all the sand.
Wow how striking the new look is. Love the colors must be great to see with all the lights on. Regal & AMC Theatres in the USA need to hire these InSight Systems company people and have them come over to do some remodel work at their many dull movie theatres in the USA! Thanks ‘film’ for the image. Very seldom will you find Green decor in a movie theatre or event auditorium.
I hope soon the owners of the ‘Grand Lake Theatre’ can put in new deco looking black light glow carpets. ‘Joy Carpets’ like I have in my 16mm home cinemas under the ‘Neon Lights’ collection has a great black light look, just like the old movie theatre days with a florescent glow in a variety of deco styles and glow colors. People spill so much on the old dull carpets in the lobby of the GL. These thick ‘Joy’ neon rugs have a great anti stain feature to them. Time to start a new carpet and seat restoration fund $ added on to each admission ticket sold at the ‘Grand Lake’. The owner did put in a new AC unit some time ago for hot Oakland days If and when they get any. If they have any extra cash in the fund left over they can put is a set of new side opening stage drapes also!
Sorry this is the Egyptian style in Theatre #3 at the Grand Lake. The Morish style auditorium is in Theatre #4. They are very small spaces but great stereo sound and a crisp picture.
Too bad they did not leave this style of refreshment counter in these days. The current ‘Stanford’ one is very dull and not that inviting. Just brown wood no sparkle in the Stanford Theatre lobby. Time to bring back the ‘Skouras Style’ stand with the deco metal and red/blue velvet. At least they have a true fresh popcorn machine now. Many of the ‘Fox West Coast Theatres’ in the 1950’s/60’s pre made their popcorn in ‘Culver City’ CA each week and sent It up to all the Fox movie theatres around the SF Bay area in tall big brown bags by truck. The cinemas just put the cold popcorn in a warmer type holder. They did have real ‘Carnation’ butter. When I worked at the Fox Oakland and Paramount theatres in Oakland CA in the mid 1960’s one of my jobs was to unload the big FWC trucks that held the bags of popcorn along with all the box/bag candy plus empty cold drink and popcorn cups. The ice cream and butter was delivered by the ‘Carnation’ people same with ‘Pepsi’ syrup they had their own drivers. Hot dogs also came by a private company. I wonder what year the Stanford Theatre put in a oil popcorn machine? The one they have now has some of the best tasting popcorn of any movie theatre around the area. They don’t take advantage of you price wise $.
20th Century Fox is back September 4/5/6 2026 at the Fox Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto CA showing on the giant wide ‘CinemaScope’ screen with ‘Bus Stop on 35mm film. It played 1st run in 1956 I bet in 4 track magnetic stereo surround sound.
‘Bus Stop’ on 35mm film in ‘CinemaScope’ returns to the Stanford Theatre September 4/5/6 2026. Marilyn Monroe would have been 100 this year! I hope they can repair their 4 track magnetic stereo surround sound system by September 2026 and this print comes in stereo?
I wonder If these are the projectors that were in the candy counter projection room building at the outdoor Starview DI or are they from the indoor Burl Theatre in the same town Boulder Creek CA. They seem to be aimed down slope. The Drive In projectors would have been aimed up a little to the hi outdoor screen? Maybe Epperlyg can tell us If he sees this note?
Looks like this was from about 1952 just before all the indoor and outdoor theatres put in the wider CinemaScope screens. I don’t know If the Starview DI even bothered to re do It’s big square screen as It closed around 1957.
The old owners and managers told me many years ago the kids in town carved up the seats many times. Must have been a rough teen crowd in the 1950’s. Mountain young juvenile gangs I guess. They should have hired some security to keep order. The owners finally gave up with all the seat repairs and sold the theatre building and It was turned into a pizza place with offices. ‘Bob’ the current building owner has a few organic grocery stores around the area. Time to turn the place back into showing classic movies and keep the pizza people downstairs to sell food and drinks. Wish I had the cash to buy the old Burl Theatre back!
Let us hope when Sony/Drafthouse takes over next year at the Dome they correct the problem on the lower right and left of the large curved screen when showing 70mm. Pacific had a bad problem with the image curving up on the bottom corners and the masking tilted up. If they get the correct lens this won’t happen.
As usual ‘Regal Theatres’ has no idea about leaking screen lights. The credits are all ruined by way too bright side wall lights that came on when the film is still going on. Many people like to stay and watch the credits without the light glare. I bet the pre show ads are all shown the same way. Thanks Nichols for the images.
This downstairs ‘Grand Lake’ Theatre #1 new built from many years ago projection room booth reminds me of the three projector ‘Cinerama’ booths they had to build in the back of all the ‘Cinerama’ houses in 1953/54. The road show theatres had the middle one like this one and had to put two more 35mm projectors on a angle in the back corners of each theatre. I remember they must have had good soundproofing as you never heard the projectors running just like at the ‘Fox Grand Lake Theatre’ The downstairs projection rooms had a good direct view of the screen not much keystone effect curved or flat like from way hi up above the balcony were most theatres had their projection equipment. ‘Todd-AO’ had a special lens for some 70mm ‘Todd-AO’ theatres used when they projected down from way high up to correct for the curved screen distance keystone look. I wish the ‘Grand Lake’ had put in the D-150 curved screen system in the late 1960’s. ‘Fox West Coast Theatres’ had looked into It for the ‘Grand Lake’ but never did. Some of the side stage sections would have to be removed. I don’t think they liked buying It from ‘UA Theatres’ then renting the D-150 lens each time they ran a 70mm film and projected with the big D-150 screen size. Now we are stuck with a wide semi large flat screen at the GL.
Louis Sher was a showman. He hired my friend ‘Les Natali’ as a manager and they opened the ‘Presidio Theatre’ in San Francisco CA playing ‘Deep Throat’ and made a ton of money. The neighbors did not like It. That movie theatre is still open with MR Lee owning It. MR Sher produced and ran many adult theatres across the USA. ‘Les’ is still around the San Francisco area owning many bars and night clubs. He did manage ‘Charles Pierce’ for a time and did a big show at ‘Bimbos’ night club in SF in the 1970’s with Charles. You don’t find movie theatre operators around like ‘Louis Sher’ these days. Another good friend of mine was the late ‘Shan Sayles’ He also like ‘Louie’ produced adult films and owned many adult cinemas that ran 16mm loop films then VHS tapes. I have many of Shan’s neon theatre lights from his many theatres. One of my first photo jobs was in the early 1970s’s when Shan’s ‘Paris Theatre’ burnt down in LA and I had to go down and do photos of the damage for him. Very scary as a young kid to climb up the broken exit yellow caution tape stair case outside and shoot down on the burnt collapsed roof to the inside of this huge adult/art type theatre. I still have the LA Times front page photo and article the next day It read ‘Is Paris Burning’
If they ever re open as a theatre again It will need a ton of sound proofing inside as the rich old retire gang next door will always complain about the sound noise again like before. Their expensive hearing aids are turned too far up I think. Not too many loud street music people on University Ave in toney downtown Palo Alto to bother them like in Berkeley CA. Give them some free movie tickets next time to shut them up!
In this inside photo of the former ‘Fox West Coast Varsity Theatre’ you can see up in on the tall ceiling where one of the round air ac vents are located and at one time deco light fixtures once hung with multi color effect bulbs. All fixtures were stolen or tossed out during the many remodel jobs this cinema had over the years. Both on the side walls and up in the loge/balcony area every deco glass light is gone. Some private person In the area I bet has these classic deco ‘Varsity’ lamp lights in their private home. I have never seen them in any local antique store. I doubt the remodel worker construction companies got rid of them in the dumpster. Same down the street most all of the original deco glass lights are now missing from he popular ‘Stanford Theatre’ The ones they have now have a cheap paper look to them.
I found out that many of the SF Bay Area movie theatres did not pay for the little neighborhood info movie listings that were in the big column sections of entertainment amusement or the local theatre page on most newspapers like the SF Chronicle, SF Examiner and Oakland Tribune. They did pay semi cheap per column inch rates for display advertising with extra large photo type ads in the daily or Wednesday or Friday editions. This has changed now If you wanted to put a small ad out or flyers for a film playing at your cinema, they will charge you for ever word listed and display art. I have many press book ads from the 1950’s & 60’s that had advertising matts camera ready you could order from ‘National Screen Service’ to cut and send to the newspapers in many sizes. Now most movie theatres and the studios don’t bother to place movie ads in the newspapers. Moviegoers just go on the computer sites to tell them what is playing and with prices for reserved seats .To costly for them now to pay for advertising. They make their money now from popcorn/drink sales. When you arrive you have to sit thru a bunch of tired ads and pay hi $ prices for food or drinks. No wonder many theatres are closed these days because they don’t bother to advertise what is on their screen in print. Yes many people still especially older moviegoers read local papers and weekly entertainment free event papers to find out what is going on each week.
Sorry meant to say It did NOT fill the whole wide screen.
The new 1953 duel 3D system must have looked great on the giant 3D silver screen at the ‘Orpheum’ before they installed the huge curved Cinerama screen. Thanks db for the photo image. Movie theatres really did a great job in the 1950’s with outside advertising around the box office area. You won’t find this today as many of the old ticket box office booths are gone. They used satin valances, 3 sheets mounted and cut out on cardboard to pull you into the theatre.
On the right side of this lobby photo you can see part of the stained glass. Almost looks like It belongs in a church type place. The ‘Grand Lake Theatre’ the church of movie presentation.
I think Theatre #3 the Egyptian decor space even has a small balcony section up some stairs in the back entrance. Great cinema to watch ‘Cleopatra’ or ‘Land Of The Pharaohs’ in CinemaScope with stereo surround sound. Just like you are at the Pyramids without all the sand.
Wow how striking the new look is. Love the colors must be great to see with all the lights on. Regal & AMC Theatres in the USA need to hire these InSight Systems company people and have them come over to do some remodel work at their many dull movie theatres in the USA! Thanks ‘film’ for the image. Very seldom will you find Green decor in a movie theatre or event auditorium.
I hope soon the owners of the ‘Grand Lake Theatre’ can put in new deco looking black light glow carpets. ‘Joy Carpets’ like I have in my 16mm home cinemas under the ‘Neon Lights’ collection has a great black light look, just like the old movie theatre days with a florescent glow in a variety of deco styles and glow colors. People spill so much on the old dull carpets in the lobby of the GL. These thick ‘Joy’ neon rugs have a great anti stain feature to them. Time to start a new carpet and seat restoration fund $ added on to each admission ticket sold at the ‘Grand Lake’. The owner did put in a new AC unit some time ago for hot Oakland days If and when they get any. If they have any extra cash in the fund left over they can put is a set of new side opening stage drapes also!
This auditorium space in Theatre #4 has a Morish type theme to it.The curtain work nicely.
Sorry this is the Egyptian style in Theatre #3 at the Grand Lake. The Morish style auditorium is in Theatre #4. They are very small spaces but great stereo sound and a crisp picture.
Too bad they did not leave this style of refreshment counter in these days. The current ‘Stanford’ one is very dull and not that inviting. Just brown wood no sparkle in the Stanford Theatre lobby. Time to bring back the ‘Skouras Style’ stand with the deco metal and red/blue velvet. At least they have a true fresh popcorn machine now. Many of the ‘Fox West Coast Theatres’ in the 1950’s/60’s pre made their popcorn in ‘Culver City’ CA each week and sent It up to all the Fox movie theatres around the SF Bay area in tall big brown bags by truck. The cinemas just put the cold popcorn in a warmer type holder. They did have real ‘Carnation’ butter. When I worked at the Fox Oakland and Paramount theatres in Oakland CA in the mid 1960’s one of my jobs was to unload the big FWC trucks that held the bags of popcorn along with all the box/bag candy plus empty cold drink and popcorn cups. The ice cream and butter was delivered by the ‘Carnation’ people same with ‘Pepsi’ syrup they had their own drivers. Hot dogs also came by a private company. I wonder what year the Stanford Theatre put in a oil popcorn machine? The one they have now has some of the best tasting popcorn of any movie theatre around the area. They don’t take advantage of you price wise $.
20th Century Fox is back September 4/5/6 2026 at the Fox Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto CA showing on the giant wide ‘CinemaScope’ screen with ‘Bus Stop on 35mm film. It played 1st run in 1956 I bet in 4 track magnetic stereo surround sound.
‘Bus Stop’ on 35mm film in ‘CinemaScope’ returns to the Stanford Theatre September 4/5/6 2026. Marilyn Monroe would have been 100 this year! I hope they can repair their 4 track magnetic stereo surround sound system by September 2026 and this print comes in stereo?
I wonder If these are the projectors that were in the candy counter projection room building at the outdoor Starview DI or are they from the indoor Burl Theatre in the same town Boulder Creek CA. They seem to be aimed down slope. The Drive In projectors would have been aimed up a little to the hi outdoor screen? Maybe Epperlyg can tell us If he sees this note?
Looks like this was from about 1952 just before all the indoor and outdoor theatres put in the wider CinemaScope screens. I don’t know If the Starview DI even bothered to re do It’s big square screen as It closed around 1957.
I think this paper clip from my movie theatre newspaper collection was from 1958. So many theatres were showing CinemaScope then even the Drive In’s.
The old owners and managers told me many years ago the kids in town carved up the seats many times. Must have been a rough teen crowd in the 1950’s. Mountain young juvenile gangs I guess. They should have hired some security to keep order. The owners finally gave up with all the seat repairs and sold the theatre building and It was turned into a pizza place with offices. ‘Bob’ the current building owner has a few organic grocery stores around the area. Time to turn the place back into showing classic movies and keep the pizza people downstairs to sell food and drinks. Wish I had the cash to buy the old Burl Theatre back!
Let us hope when Sony/Drafthouse takes over next year at the Dome they correct the problem on the lower right and left of the large curved screen when showing 70mm. Pacific had a bad problem with the image curving up on the bottom corners and the masking tilted up. If they get the correct lens this won’t happen.
Thanks FILM for the nice image. You won’t find any dull movie circuit in the USA with such nice color decor and lights these days plus curtains.
I guess thy did not run the 70mm version.
As usual ‘Regal Theatres’ has no idea about leaking screen lights. The credits are all ruined by way too bright side wall lights that came on when the film is still going on. Many people like to stay and watch the credits without the light glare. I bet the pre show ads are all shown the same way. Thanks Nichols for the images.
Hope they show the new 70mm IMAX film OD this week.