Comments from thomasgladysz

Showing 12 comments

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Clay Theatre on Aug 13, 2010 at 12:52 pm

An article on the Clay – View link

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about West Side Theatre on Apr 2, 2010 at 2:45 pm

This web page (http://louisebrookssociety.blogspot.com/2010/04/high-class-pictures.html) contains Newman, California newspaper ads for two theaters in the town of Newman. The Star (with Gus Johnson as proprietor) was operating by the mid-1920’s, and the Newman in 1937. I am not sure of the relationship of either of these theaters to the West Side.

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Colfax Theatre on Mar 2, 2010 at 5:28 pm

This blog entry, at View link adds some interesting information to the history of the theatre and its practices.

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Balboa Theatre on Feb 24, 2010 at 10:25 pm

Here is a link to a new article about the Balboa theater and its annual birthday bash:

View link

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Daly City Theatre on Feb 13, 2010 at 5:14 pm

This blog at View link contains a late 1930’s line drawing (likely based on a photo) of the Daly City Theatre. As is noted in the blog, this illustration ran at the top of the theatre’s newspaper advertisements in the late 1930’s. The newspaper ads I’ve seen from the late 1920’s don’t have this image.

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Journey Downtown on Jan 20, 2010 at 12:14 pm

A bit about the Clark Theatre is included in this blog at View link

Does anyone know anything further about it’s possible relation to the Strand Theatre, which preceded it in Vacaville?

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Oaks Theater on Dec 19, 2009 at 7:58 pm

As this page notes, the Oaks opened September 15, 1925. One of the very first films to screen at the theater after its opening was “The Street of Forgotten Men,” which showed at the theater from September 23-26, 1925. The film, which still exists, is remembered today as the first film in which silent film star Louise Brooks had a part.

The Oaks was a second run theater in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Other Louise Brooks films which screened there, after initially showing elsewhere in Berkeley, include

“The American Venus” (May 13, 1926 with “The Timber Wolf”)
“A Social Celebrity” (Sept. 3-4, 1926)
“It’s the Old Army Game” (Oct. 10-11, 1926)
“The Show-Off” (Mar. 3-4, 1927)
“Now We’re in the Air” (Jan. 22-23, 1928)
“The City Gone Wild” (Jan. 18-19, 1928 with “Rose of the Tenements”)
“A Girl in Every Port” (June 17-18, 1928)
“Beggars of Life” (Feb. 24-25, 1929)
“Canary Murder Case” (June 23-24, 1929)
“God’s Gift to Women” (July 22-24, 1931 with “Woman Hungry”) **
“When You’re in Love” (June 17, 1937 with “Tundra”)
“King of Gamblers” (Sept. 11-14, 1937 with “The Singing Marine”)

** As far as I am aware, “God’s Gift to Women,” made its East Bay debut at the Oaks.

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Former San Francisco theatre, now Church meeting the wrecking ball on Oct 22, 2009 at 10:57 pm

My summary article on the history of the one time theatre known as the Blue Church, “San Francisco movie theater falls to wrecking ball,” can be found at View link

As I noted in the comments section, it was one of four theater’s in the neighborhood!

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Boyes Theater on Oct 17, 2009 at 3:06 pm

I came across advertisements for the Boyes Hot Springs Theatre dating from the mid-to-late 1920’s in the local newspaper, the “Sonoma Index Tribune.” The theatre only advertised during the summer months. Could it be, as a resort, it only screened films during the summer?

The newspaper advertisements I came across also revealed that the theatre featured “dancing every night” with the Shapiro Orchestra. The picture show started at 8:15 pm.

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Rita Theatre on Oct 17, 2009 at 2:30 pm

I live just two blocks from this building. This article summarizes its history.

View link

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Paramount Theatre on Sep 10, 2009 at 11:42 pm

When a Louise Brooks film first played in San Francisco, it was at the Granada Theater on Market Street. “The Street of Forgotten Men” opened there on August 8, 1925 and played for a week.

The Granada Theater was part of Publix, a chain of movie theaters allied with Paramount – Famous Players Lasky. As a result, all but two of Brooks' 1920’s Paramount features opened in San Francisco at the Granada. No other San Francisco theater can claim to have locally debut as many films. The other films which opened there include

The American Venus (Jan. 9-15, 1926 with afternoon & evening appearances by Fay Lanphier)
A Social Celebrity (Apr. 24-30, 1926)
It’s the Old Army Game (May 29 â€" June 4, 1926)
Love Em and Leave Em (Jan. 8-14, 1927)
Evening Clothes (Mar. 19-25, 1927)
Rolled Stockings (Aug. 13-19, 1927)
City Gone Wild (Nov. 5-11, 1927)
Canary Murder Case (Feb. 8-14, 1929)

thomasgladysz
thomasgladysz commented about Clay Theatre on Sep 10, 2009 at 1:00 am

As far as I can tell, in the 1920’s, the Clay Theatre was known as the Regent.

According to both an August 15, 1926 newspaper listing which I have for “The American Venus” (starring the current Miss America and local celebrity Fay Lanphier), as well as a 1927 San Francisco phone book listing for movie theatres, the Regent was located at 2251 Fillmore. Curiously, that address is slightly different from the Clay’s current address, 2261 Fillmore.