Opened: c.1910 as the Maio Biograph. The location is just east of the Warfield. The photo of the theatre's entrance appeared in an October 1911 issue
of Moving Picture World. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the article,
mostly about mercury arc rectifiers. The full piece can be seen at the bottom of the page. The first telephone directory listing appears to be May 1911, the first city directory listing was 1912.
Gary Parks comments: "According to Greg King, who operated this theatre for a time with Mike Thomas, this vaulted ticket lobby ceiling still exists, with a 1930s Deco ceiling still intact underneath it, and the present plain ceiling in turn beneath that, publicly visible today in the entry."
It's unknown what was on the site prior to the construction. See a discussion at the bottom of the page about the possibility that an earlier (but post-quake) theatre on the site had been run by Sol Lesser and then briefly by Sid and David Grauman. The pre-1906 Grauman's Unique Theatre had been on this block but was located a couple doors farther east.
Architect: William Curlett and Son designed the building
for owner James Phelan and tenant Charles F. Maio.
The original entrance design by William Curlett and Son.
The plans for the project are in the Gary Parks collection. Gary notes that while the plans have no date on them Gary Goss, the previous owner of the set, had penciled on the back "1910" and "alter for theatre." The plans themselves call it a "Building for..." and not a renovation.
The 1932 deco renovation that turned it into the New Circle Theatre was designed by Martin Rist. Gary also has the plans for that job. 21 images from the blueprints are at the bottom of the page.
Seating: 326 at the end of its film house days.
The "Maio-biograph" was among those listed in "Nickels To Pour Into Fund From Film Shows," an
article that Art Siegel located that was part of a full page in the
April 24, 1912 issue of the Examiner that was devoted to promoting
various Titanic benefit shows.
The Maio-biograph was included in this April 1912 list of film and vaudeville theatres that were contributing some of their proceeds to the Titanic Fund. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for including it in a Facebook thread about various San Francisco theatres on Ken's Movie Page.
The Maio is seen as "Moving Pictures" with a 978 address in this detail from
image 65 of the 1913 Sanborn fire insurance map. Note "Opal Pl.," the exit passage from the screen end of the theatre down to Taylor St. at the
bottom. In 1921-22 the Warfield would be built on those lots this side of the Maio. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the map in the Library of Congress collection.
The Maio was mentioned in "After the Quake and Fire," an article on page 401 of the July 15, 1916 issue of Moving Picture World. It's on Google Books. They noted: "Within a short time after the fire of 1906, several moving picture houses were erected on Market street in the vicinity of 7th. The Maio Biograph, conducted by Charles Maio, is one of the few that has continued under the same management since then. This is a five cent house with a seating capacity of 300 and a daily change of program."
In the 1916 city directory its listed as the Maio Theatre. The theatre was listed as the Maio Bio in a September 4, 1921 "Paramount Week" ad. It's viewable on Newsbank.
The theatre got a renovation due to the construction of the Warfield next door that began in 1920. The strangely shaped restroom area adjacent to the house left side of the front of the auditorium that's seen on the original plans was eliminated and that area became part of the Warfield project. New restrooms for the Maio were constructed off the lobby.
Aaron Goldberg took over the lease in September 1923, according to Jack Tillmany's research. He had plans plans to remodel and upgrade the site. In May 1924 it was announced in both the Chronicle and Examiner that it would re-open as the Central Theatre with Marion Davies in "Little Old New York." That film was in major sub-run status by that time, having recently been shown at the Haight, Castro and Royal. Jack notes that there's no further mention of the site as the Central so this may have been an intended name that never happened.
In the 1924 City Directory it's listed as the Circle Theatre. Jack adds: "Goldberg did not yet take out newspaper ads for his sites which relied on the walk-in trade and he handed out printed calendars to passersby and actual ticket buyers."
A December 1, 1929 ad for Goldberg Theatres. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating it. He notes: "Goldberg was also behind the Howard Theatre which opened and closed on Howard Street in the 1920s. He was a true grind house operator and seemed to thrive on them. Some of them made it, some of them didn't." The Ferry Theatre was another one of his that didn't make it.
After a 1932 renovation it was the New Circle, with a reopening on October 12. It became the Newsreel on December 14, 1939.
The April-May 1949 calendar for the Silver Palace (Hub), the Newsreel (Crest,) the Regal and the Peerless. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The August-September 1949 calendar for the Silver Palace, the Newsreel/Crest, the Regal and the Peerless. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Fox West Coast acquired the house and gave it an upgrade in 1949. It reopened as the Cinema on December 3. Work included installing one of the circuit's famous Skouras-style boxoffices. As late as fall 1949, when it was still the Newsreel, the box office was still off to the side, with a turnstile.
It was renamed the Crest on July 23, 1958. Mike Thomas took it over from Mann Theatres in 1978 and it became the Egyptian Theatre on June 28. Thanks to Mike for these comments:
"The theatre was attached to the Warfield sub-lease agreement I made with Mann Theatres, a two-for-one arrangement that suited Ted Mann greatly, since he had no interest anymore in running expensive downtown theatres. The Warfield was saved from being a financial debacle when I sold my sublease to Bill Graham for live concerts, but I continued to run the Crest for several years, with first-run ('Quintet,' 'Ms.45,' etc.) but eventually had to fall back on repertory bills similar to the Strand's.
"Our union projectionist payroll contract was a very steep expense for the little place, and we could never grow a substantial enough audience. I wouldn’t consider capitulating to outright exploitation or porn, so I gave up and sub-sub-leased to Mervyn Farmer, a union projectionist who could reduce those costs by doing shifts himself. He was able to economically ride out its remaining years with week-long runs of action films until it became the Crazy Horse. The name changes to Egyptian and then Electric never helped attract newcomers, and I wish I’d just left it the Crest, honestly."
The theatre became the Electric on November 18, 1981 while it was under Mervyn Farmer's management. Mike Keegan comments: "The incarnation of this building as the Electric is the most admirable of the back half of the 20th Century - as per Mike Thomas, it was a cinema dedicated to Midnight Movies, 24/7."
Closing: The theatre closed as a film house on February 15, 1994.
Status: It rose from the dead to become the Crazy Horse strip club on July 26, 1994. It closed with the city-wide Coronavirus shutdown on March 17, 2020.
Interior views:
The original proscenium design for the house by William Curlett and Son. See nine more views from the original blueprints at the bottom of the page.
The 1932 design for the proscenium by Martin Rist. It's an image from the blueprints in the Gary Parks collection. See ten more views from those prints at the bottom of the page.
A rare 1951 interior view of the theatre during its days as the Cinema. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo from his collection. He comments: "A wall-to-wall wide screen would soon stretch out over the tops of the front exits, one of the first of the smaller Market St. venues to attempt CinemaScope."
More exterior views:
A
1913 view east on Market from the Glenn Koch collection. That's the
Maio Biograph on the left. On
the right with the dome is the Empress, much later to become the St. Francis. The first Pantages is just beyond it.
Thanks, Glenn!
In
the distance on the left, hardly visible, is a roof sign for the
theatre that would later be known as the Esquire saying "House of
Movies." The electrical array across Market is the "Portola Bell," put
up for the 1913 edition of the fall Portola Festival. A bit to the right
is the Ferry Building with lights saying "1915," in honor of the Pan
Pacific International Exposition that would be happening that year.
Also see a closer view of the Portola Bell (with a bit of the Portola Theatre marquee) from Glenn's collection.
A detail showing the Maio from the 1913 photo. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for extracting it.
The edge of the marquee of the Maio is on the far left in this July 15, 1914 image by an unknown photographer. On the right in a storefront just beyond the Washington Market marquee is the Empire Theatre. Beyond are the Empress/St. Francis and the Pantages.
Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the photo in the Open SF History Project collection. The site notes that this was an automobile parade organized by the Panama-Pacific International Exposition Company with an advertised 25,000 automobiles on parade from the Ferry Building to the Exposition grounds, at that time under construction.
"5 cents Motion Pictures." It's a detail from the 1914 photo. Thanks, Art!
An October 11, 1920 photo of early work on the site of the Warfield that reveals the side of the Maio Bio. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. Note the Maio's triangular restroom area (with the "Federal" billboard) protruding from the rest of the building near the screen end of the theatre. It was to be eliminated so that area could be used for the Warfield project.
A Warfield construction view that appeared in the November 1921 issue of Exhibitors Trade Review. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the item from his collection. He comments: "And, of course, there's the poor little Maio next door trying to maintain business as usual..."
He also calls our attention to the banner for "4 Horsemen," playing at the Curran. This would have been the theatre on Ellis St. that had opened as the Cort. The current Curran on Geary St. didn't open until 1922.
A November 1928 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection showing the theatre as the Circle.
The big action is next door at the Warfield. Jack comments: "'Al Jolson In Person!' 'All Talking Features.' This one's really interesting
for a lot of reasons! Jolson's name in neon, for example, a very early
use of neon! 'Napoleon's Barber' was one of Fox's earliest attempts at
an all-talking feature, running only 4 reels, 32 minutes; 'The Bath
Between' was a Fox comedy short, running 2 reels, 22 minutes; so the
entire film program ran less than an hour, but the novelty of talking
pictures made up for all the shortcomings and problems associated with
the transition; both of them were recorded on Movietone Sound on Film,
and are considered today to be lost films. And of course, there's the
best image of the former Maio as the Circle Theatre that I've ever
found!"
The
February 17, 1934 Preparedness Day parade. At the Circle
it was the February 1933 release "Hallelujah I'm a Bum" with Al Jolson
and Madge Evans along with a comedy short and a Silly Symphony cartoon.
The Warfield had the words "Great" and "Follies" on the marquee and was
running "Fashions of 1934" with William Powell and Bette Davis. Leo
Carillo headlined the stage show. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for locating this, as well as nine other
photos of the parade, for a post for the San Francisco Remembered Facebook group. They're all from the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library collection.
An August 1937 look at the theatre alongside the Warfield. It's a detail from a wider view in the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments that here we see the Crest in its 1932-39 New Circle Theatre era. It became the Newsreel in 1939. "The Good Earth" is at the Warfield. At the St. Francis on the left it's "Wee Willie Winkie."
Gary Parks notes: "I have to smile at seeing the New Circle marquee, and how its west side must have hardly been looked at, except by people waiting to go in to the Warfield. One can see the Warfield fared little better, with 'The Good Earth' in neon letters, with two rows of metal blanks occupying the lower two rows."
An April 24, 1938 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. Note a bit of the New Circle's marquee at the right. Gary Parks comments: "I can see a wonderful Deco painted frieze along the top of the entrance walls of the New Circle. I'll bet that's still there, over the dropped ceiling. Greg King told me about a lot of Deco artwork still being up there, between the present ceiling and the original Maio Bio ceiling"
An August 1945 shot of the theatre showing VJ footage from a film in the Prelinger Archives. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for spotting it for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
An early January 1947 photo from Jack Tillmany showing the theatre as the Newsreel running "Bombers Moon" and "1946 Sports in Review." Jack comments: "'Bombers Moon' is an August 1943 WWII adventure that retained it popularity among grind house audiences for the next several years, and typical of what the Newsreel would offer until it was upgraded to Cinema status in December 1949."
A September 1949 view down at a big line for the Warfield. At the time, its next door neighbor was called the Newsreel Theatre. That's Turk St. running along the top edge of the photo. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection at the San Francisco Public Library. The event at the Warfield was the premiere of "The Red Danube."
A September 1949 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. Despite the name it's no longer a newsreel house. Note that at this time the boxoffice was still off to the side, with a turnstile.
The last week of September 1951 with Newsreel now rebranded as the Cinema. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo. Gary Parks comments: "This shot is now memorialized in photo mural form in one of the elevator lobbies of 1075 Market St. on the site of Grauman's Imperial."
A fine February 1952 look at the Warfield and Cinema marquees with "Loew's" splashed across the Warfield. It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo that appears on the Warfield's Cinema Tour page. The photo also makes an appearance on page 33 of Jack's book "Theatres of San Francisco" where he comments that the Crest may hold the record for operating under the most different names. The Skouras-style boxoffice was part of the late 1949 renovations when the house became the Cinema.
A 1956 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes: "'Unashamed' ('Filmed in a Calif. Nudist Camp') was in its 10th week at the Cinema. The Silver Rail two doors down was a bar, not a movie theatre.
What a terrific photo! It's a 1957 look at the Warfield running "Designing Woman" with Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck. The Crest, here renamed the Cinema, got "Lucretia Borgia." Scott Cog has the photo on Flickr, a scan of a slide his parents took. The marquee we're standing under is that of the St. Francis, 965 Market St.
The Warfield running "Never So Few," a film that opened in the first week of January 1960. And we get a peek at the Crest beyond. It's a photo by street photographer Joseph Selle. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sending it along. For more about the strange career of this photographer and his business Fox Movie Flash, see the page on the website of Andrew Eskind about the collection of his photos. Jack also recommends checking out a Chronicle article on Selle.
A 1961 photo by Joseph Selle looking east on Market. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the contribution. Note the new readerboard they've got sicking out perpendicular to the building. It's a big 3 unit show.
Jack comments: "'Wasp Woman' opened at the Fox (with an even WORSE atrocity, 'Beast from Haunted Cave'), the last week of February 1960. By the first week of April, this delightful duo was playing 2nd and 3rd on the triple bill at the Geneva Drive-In under 'Guns of the Timberland,' which sorta puts them in their place! The TRIPLE bill of 'The Spider' (1958), 'The Wasp Woman' (1959) and 'Not of this Earth' (1957) played the Crest in October 1961.
"Although, to the uninitiated eye, the 3-Unit programs at most of these Market Street grind houses, seem to be rather haphazardly selected, such was not the case. In the 1940s/1950s, there was almost always a Western, a War drama, and a Mystery, just as you see here. In the case of the Crest, as the 1960s wore on, all-horror programs, as you see in the 'Wasp Woman' photo, were also quite popular."
A shot by Joseph Selle. We've got a "Big 3 Unit Show" at the Crest and "Two Big Hits" at the Warfield. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo. He comments: "Since the sailors are wearing their summer whites, (unusual in SF), October 1961 might be the right date for this photo also. That's Indian Summer in SF. Selle took VERY few pictures in this location; these are the only ones, in fact, in that exact spot, it's likely the Sailors and the 'Wasp Woman' were taken the same day, just facing opposite directions to get the best sunlight."
A look at colorful Market St. in the Summer of 1962 -- before all the marquees got chopped off. Beyond the Warfield we get a look at the Crest, here as a triple feature grind house. Across the street it's the St. Francis, 965 Market, running "Advise and Consent." Thanks to Rob Adams for the fine photo on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
A 1966 view east with the Crest, on the far left, playing "Dear John," a March release. The St. Francis, on the right, is running "Mister Budwing" and "Murder She Said," a bill that opened September 28. The Pix, Esquire and Telenews are down there in the distance. Thanks to Maria Iclea Kava for posting the photo on San Francisco Remembered and Bob Ristelhueber for sharing it on the BAHT Facebook page.
A look at the marquees from some 1966 footage in the Getty Images collection. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for the screenshot. It's one of 10 from the footage he posted on the BAHT Facebook page. Jack Tillmany notes that "Gambit" at the Warfield and "Return of the 7" plus "The War Lord" at the Crest puts this footage in the last week of December.
A May 1967 photo by Tom Gray from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 1967 look at the Crest from the Jack Tillmany collection. The house was frequently used as a moveover venue by Fox West Coast and, later, National General. There's also a smaller version of the photo in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library.
Thanks to Ken M. Clare for his 1971 photo. It was a post on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
Blaxploitation takes over Market St. It's a November 1972 photo by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 1973 photo featured in a July 2014 Peter Hartlaub article on SF Gate "Screens like old times: movie spectacles of the past." The article dated this as a photo taken in March but Eric Schaefer did the research and notes that this "Go Ape For a Day" program played on June 12.
Mike Thomas took over the operation of the Warfield and Crest on a sub-lease from Mann Theatres in 1978 and renamed this one the Egyptian in June. This July 1978 photo shows it running a double bill of "Saturday Night Fever" and "American Hot Wax." Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for the post on the BAHT Facebook page. The photo comes from the book "Splendid Survivors."
"Carrie" and "Halloween" at the Egyptian. It's a Tom Gray photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The next name up for the theatre would be the Electric.
A March 1982 photo with the theatre renamed the Electric. Mike Thomas had "sub-sub-leased" it to Mervyn Farmer who renamed it the Electric in November 1981. Blackstone
is doing a show at the Warfield. It's a Tom Gray photo in Jack Tillmany's collection.
A January 1990 photo taken by Gary Parks. The theatre was in a brief period as a porno film house before becoming a strip club.
The theatre as the Crazy Horse. It's a Mark Ellinger photo that appears with his terrific Up From The Deep article on the architecture of the Mid-Market area. That's the edge of the Warfield marquee on the left.
Another Mark Ellinger photo from his Up From the Deep article. Thanks, Mark!
The Warfield and the poor Crest. Photo: Bill Counter - 2015
A title block from one of the sheets. Gary comments: "It’s interesting to note that the plans state that the building was for
James Phelan. This isn’t the only theatre he invested a building in.
He built the Victory in San Jose, also designed by William Curlett, as
one half of the partnership Curlett & McCaw." 
Still open for business as the Crazy Horse. Note the space on the right. We're looking through to Turk St. There's been lots of demolition for new construction to the east and around the rear of the theatre. The new tower will occupy the whole block except for the Warfield Building and the former Crest Theatre. Photo: Gary Parks - August 2018
The east side of the theatre and the Warfield beyond. Note the dome of the Golden Gate Theatre popping up in the center of the photo. It's Taylor St. behind the construction fencing on the right. Photo: Gary Parks - August 2018
A closer look at the side of the Crest. Photo: Gary Parks - August 2018
The rear of the top of the Crest's sheet metal facade that was added when the theatre became the Newsreel. Photo: Gary Parks - August 2018
The view from Turk St. Photo: Gary Parks - August 2018
The rear of the Crest. Photo: Gary Parks - August 2018
The facades of the Warfield and the former Crest in May 2021. Photo: Bill Counter
The article from an October 1911 issue
of Moving Picture World:
Unfortunately there's no information to let us know which projection booth is pictured. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article.
A better look at the booth photo from the article. Is it the Maio booth? Unknown at this point.
Images from the plans for the original building from the Gary Parks collection:
On the top there are details of the the ticket lobby and roof as well as facade and proscenium elevations. Below we get a section through the house, looking at the house left wall.
A closer look at the portion of the section drawing showing the ticket lobby. Gary comments: "The arched and vaulted ceiling pictured here still exists intact, above a
later, 1930s Deco ceiling, and the plain dropped ceiling below that."
A closer look at several of the details. In the lower left some of the marquee elements are detailed. In the upper right it's the ticket lobby's coffered ceiling. The coffered part was perhaps not executed as in the 1916 photo at the top of the page those areas appear as just flat plaster. Above that upper left drawing note: "Present Steel Truss."
A detail of the marquee from the previous image.
A closer look at the facade elevation.
The house left wall near the screen. The door on the left gooes to the ladies room. The one in the center was for the men.
A floorplan. Gary comments: "Sadly, the part of the floorplan that included the original
lobby is torn away. At least we have the elevations and ceiling
drawings."
A closer look at the area near the screen. Those are the restrooms at the top of the drawing. The ladies got a lounge with a large round light fixture. The facilities for the men are those to the right, closer to the screen. In the upper left of the image is a detail of the ventilation shaft serving both restrooms. Also note an exhaust vent in front of the screen. Behind the screen is the room for concession storage and popping the popcorn.
One indication that there was some sort of building on the site prior to the Maio construction by Curlett is the note "present gas outlet" in the ladies lounge. That whole triangular restroom area was eliminated in 1920 or 1921 so that area could be used for the Warfield when it was built next door. New restrooms were constructed in the Maio's lobby.
An elevation of the proscenium. It says curtain but there's no space behind this arch for one.
Images from the plans for the 1932 remodel from the Gary Parks collection:
The architect's name, Martin Rist, as seen on one of the sheets. Gary comments: "So now we are in 1932 looking at plans for the New Circle, date stamped Approved
on the back of the drawings. The
upper facade was to remain unchanged, but from the marquee down, and in
through the doors, all was to be Budget High Deco in style."
A few revisions. Gary comments: "I know these first few drawings aren’t the sexiest, but I wanted to
show how they are noted that the marquee redesign as first drawn had to
undergo changes, and be approved by the Art Commission! Sounds more
like the San Francisco of today than that of 1932!"
A closer look at the note about the marquee.
A facade elevation. Gary comments: "Note that the Sheet Metal Moderne (just invented a new architectural style name) facade still on the building was added later—I would guess when it became the Newsreel, but I don’t want to assume that’s the fact. Regardless, the sheet metal facade was not part of the 1932 plans, only an all-new interior and marquee."
A marquee detail. Gary comments: "Notice the pencil markings. Someone did not like Art Deco
frou-frou sticking up in the middle of the marquee front. Could this
have been someone from the Art Commission? I my opinion, they didn’t
know what they were doing, as the center element is much-needed,
visually, in my opinion. One wonders if all those tight squiggles of
neon on the marquee’s corners actually were executed, and if so—how did
they animate? We also have to consider that the marquee of the Warfield
was right next door, to the left."
On the top it's lobby wall and proscenium elevations. In the center a section looking toward the house left wall. At the bottom it's a floorplan showing air distribution ducting.
A detail of the ticket lobby and terrazzo design. Gary comments: "I wanted to include this detail because it shows the
terrazzo angling and scrolling outward from the box office, past the
property line, and out onto the regular sidewalk surface, effectively
interrupting it, so that those with downcast eyes would hear it call 'Hey! You! Why not come in and enjoy a movie?'"
Details of the elevations for lobby walls and a section through the ticket lobby, lobby and booth.
A detail from the elevation showing the ornament in the lobby and rear of the auditorium house left.
The side wall near the screen.
The proscenium. Thanks, Gary!
More information: Check out Jack Stevenson's "Land of a Thousand Balconies" for tales of Mike Thomas, Greg King and the theatres on Market St. Thanks to Gary Meyer for spotting it on Google Books. See the Cinema Treasures page about the Crest, which they list as the Crazy Horse.
Jack Tillmany's Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres of San Francisco" can be previewed on Google Books. It's available from Amazon or your local bookseller. Jack raises questions about several unresolved data points.
Jack raises question of whether there had been an earlier nickelodeon on the site operated by Sol Lesser. In 1909 Sol had a company called The Nickelodium Co. (no, not a typo). They were listed in the 1909 city directory with a 237 Church address. That company morphed into the Golden Gate Film Exchange that set up offices at 964 Market in September 1909. Jack reports that there was a listing for a "Lesser Nickelodeon Co." at 980 Market in the telephone directory that was issued October 1, 1909.
The Lessers are mentioned in "The Lessers Arrive,"
a section of an article on page 400 of the July 15, 1916 issue of
Moving Picture World. It's on Google Books. The article notes that after being on Market, the Golden Gate Film Exchange moved to 44 Golden Gate Ave. and then to 166 Golden Gate Ave.
The second mystery data point involves the Graumans. Jack notes that there was a listing for 980 Market as "Grauman's" in the telephone directory issued June 1, 1910. In 1909 the Sid and David (his father) were still managing the National Theatre in the Fillmore. As early as January 1911 they were managing the Empress, the house later known as St. Francis Theatre. In December 1912 they opened the Imperial.
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