Marina Theatre

Built on the site of the Panama International Exhibition. The Marina Theatre opened September 21, 1928, as a second run movie house. The theatre’s exterior was an elegant Moorish creation. Seating was provided for 1,050 on a stadium plan. In February 1952, the theatre was extensively remodeled to the plans of architect Vincent G. Raney, with little of the original design remaining on the exterior or interior.

On December 23, 1965 the Marina Theatre was renamed Cinema 21 and changed from second run films to showcase first run movies. Here were the exclusive runs of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf”, “Rosemary’s Baby” and the reserved seat roadshow attraction of “Hello Dolly” in the 1960’s. As multiplexes rose in San Francisco, first run films were no longer exclusive to the Cinema 21 and the theatre closed September 20, 2001. The Cinema 21 was the last theatre in San Francisco to retain its original organ (The current Wurlitzer organ in the Castro Theatre was installed there in 1982, replacing the original Conn organ).

Frank Lee, who reopened the Presidio Theatre across the street, made arrangements to reopen the newly renamed Marina Theatre. Ground floor has become a pharmacy. On its former balcony level, a 264 seat stadium seated large auditorium, and a 86 seat screening room have been created. The Marina Theatre reopened May 2, 2008 with “Ironman” showing in the large screen.

Recent comments (view all 33 comments)

terrywade on June 24, 2008 at 8:06 pm

Jim**Thanks for the up date. I will go visit the Marina Theatre again and check out some of my suggestions I made to the Lee’s. Glad they made the adjustments. Now when the Walgreens downstairs goes bust the Lee’s can take over the whole building and put in a grand BIG Marina Theatre under the two they run upstairs.

kencmcintyre on April 23, 2009 at 1:13 pm

Here is a 1986 photo:
http://snipurl.com/gk5sf

Scott Neff on October 19, 2011 at 2:24 pm

I believe it is also a single screen — not a twin.

loosecharm on November 4, 2011 at 11:26 am

Scott, the Marina is a twin screen theater.
Lee

paulnelson on February 23, 2014 at 6:43 pm

Interesting news about this theatre. Good it still exists anyway. Time marches on. Few new theatres have elaborate curtains over the screens that are used anymore. Presentation is not considered. Example of a newer theatre that installed a new elegant waterfall curtain is the Majestic Bay Theatre in Seattle. Stadium seating, handmade crystal lighting and elegant presentation. Carpeting under the seats would be the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. An elaborate 1920’s movie palace restored in the 1980’s. Check them out. Just saying. LOL.

Koistinen on November 6, 2016 at 4:14 am

Exterior and lobby photos from July 2015.

rivest266 on August 8, 2018 at 5:06 pm

This reopened as Cinema 21 on December 23rd, 1965. Grand opening ad posted.

rivest266 on August 19, 2018 at 9:24 am

Reopened May 2nd, 2008. Small grand opening ad posted.

thomdlt296 on December 15, 2023 at 12:46 pm

Cinema 21 trivia. “Star Wars” 1977 played here after its run at the Coronet in late 1977.

DevanDrake99 on December 4, 2024 at 8:56 pm

Fun fact about this theater. An early private test screening of Return of the Jedi was held at this theater in 1982. As George Lucas and the crew members were watching the film, they couldn’t hear many of the sound effects they had mixed, and the background noise in the theater muffled the majority of the film’s sound, which played through Cinema 21’s normal commercial sound system.

That’s how Lucas decided to establish the THX Sound System. The theater eventually got renovated and installed the THX-certified equipment needed until 2001 when the theater closed as Cinema 21.