Also see: Golden Gate Theatre - interior views
A construction view from the Jack Tillmany collection appearing on the Open SF History Project website. The steel contractor is using that readerboard on the edge of the marquee to get a bit of publicity for his work.
Website: www.broadwaysf.com | BSF magazine Golden Gate history
Architect: G. Albert Lansburgh
A c.1915 photo of Mr. Lansburgh appearing with the 2014 Broadway SF Magazine article "The Golden Age of the Golden Gate Theatre."
Seating: 2,844 seats originally, now at 2,297. The seats were replaced in 2010.
Proscenium: 50' wide x 30' 4" high
Stage depth: 31' 6" at center -- smoke pocket to face of backwall columns.
Last available lineset: 29' 5" from smoke pocket
Wingspace DSR, DSL: 18' 9" either side
Wall to Wall upstage: 93'. The side walls are not perpendicular to the proscenium. The back wall is also slightly angled.
Smoke pocket to lip of apron: 3' 6"
Orchestra pit extension beyond apron: 13' 5"
Grid height: 63' 4"
Rigging: 57 sets 6" o/c, 57' long pipes, 5 lift lines, 980 lb. arbor capacity. Operates on flyfloor SL, 24' 6" above stage. It's all been rebuilt but the counterweight system was originally a Peter Clark installation. It's listed in a 1922 Motion Picture News ad by Clark as the Golden Gate and in a 1923 ad as Orpheum - San Francico.
Flyfloor height SR: 24' 6"
Dressing rooms: Star room at stage level, 22 small rooms on floors 2 through 6, 2 chorus rooms in the basement.
Power: 3 400 on SR flyfloor, 1 100 A USR, 2 100A DSR, 1 100A in basement -- all 3 phase.
F.O.H. circuits: 64 on rail, 1 box boom per side, each with 12 circuits
House followspots: 3 Lycian Superstar 2.5
Much of the stage data comes from the 1999 edition of "Stage Specs, a Technical Guide to Theatres," published by The League of American Theatres and Producers. Thanks to Mike Hume for making it available. For lots of data and thousands of fine photos of the theatres he's explored visit his Historic Theatre Photography site. Thanks to Bob Foreman for finding the Peter Clark ads. Visit his site Vintage Theatre Catalogs for a wealth of historic tech data.
A 1926 ad for Charleston Week at the theatre. It's from Tom Carey, librarian/archivist at the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. Thanks to Bob Talley for posting it on the BAHT Facebook page.
In 1927 Orpheum merged with the mostly east coast Keith - Albee circuit forming K-A-O, Keith-Albee-Orpheum. In October 1928 Joe Kennedy and David Sarnoff of RCA engineered the new conglomerate of RKO, standing for Radio-Keith-Orpheum. Poor Mr. Albee thought he had a future but was out of the picture as well as the name of the new company. Jack Tillmany notes that Friday November 1, 1929 was the first time the theatre was advertised as the RKO Golden Gate. The program that week was the Warner Bros./First National feature "Twin Beds" along with 5 acts of RKO vaudeville.
The circuit was in trouble in 1932. "Report is wildly current, but as yet not confirmed, that stage entertainment is going out of both the Fox Warfield and RKO Golden Gate.." That was the news in the November 12, 1932 issue of Motion Picture Herald. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding the article for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
"Double Harness" playing in 1933. Check out the RKO Vaudeville bill near the bottom to see that one of the acts was the "Gumm Sisters - Harmony De Luxe - with Frances." Thanks to TJ Fisher for locating this ad and many others for a post on the BAHT Facebook page that tracks Judy Garland's early San Francisco appearances. His comments:
"Those who paid 30¢ matinee / 40¢ evening ($6.75 / $9 in today's money) at the Golden Gate on August 2, 1933 were more likely attracted to the feature film or the stage show headliners than to the Gumm Sisters' act, 'Harmony De Luxe' featuring Frances. Little did they know they were in the presence of a great star, in San Francisco for perhaps the first time in person. The Gumms had been in vaudeville for several years and also filmed a few short subjects. After their turn at the Golden Gate, they performed at the Fox in March 1934 [with the film 'The Line-Up'] before renaming their act: they became the Garland Sisters.
"They appeared at the Curran in December and January 1935 [in 'The January Vaudeville Frolics], at the Warfield in March [with the film 'Life Begins at 40'], and at the Orpheum in May [with a Rube Wolf stage show and the film 'Eight Bells']. The Examiner reported that 12-year-old 'little Julia Garland is the star,' a 'bundle of vitality and vivacity' with 'the fullness of voice that comes with much older years.' 'Julia,' it was noted, was under contract In Hollywood.
"The Examiner had made a small mistake but would have much cause over the years to learn Frances Gumm's new name - Judy Garland. Her first feature film, 'Pigskin Parade,' opened in October 1936 at the Fox and later moved to the St. Francis. Her seventh had its local premiere at the Warfield in August 1939 and proved tremendously successful: 'The Wizard of Oz,' which catapulted her into real stardom, remains beloved around the world. Judy will never be forgotten, least of all in San Francisco."
One stage show in 1944 was the "Earl Carroll Vanities of 1944" with girls and comics from the show appearing in person. The show got a story on page eleven in the June 8, 1944 Chronicle. It can be viewed on Newsbank.
With the consent decrees of the late 1940s, RKO Theatres was spun off as
a separate company. In 1967 that entity merged with
Stanley-Warner Theatres, a company that managed the former Warner
Brothers houses. The resulting combine was called RKO-Stanley Warner.
RKO Theatres, Inc. was still used as the name for the entity controlling
part of the circuit as late as 1978.
An Examiner ad from May 5, 1949. Thanks to William David French Jr. for posting the ad on the BAHT Facebook page.
Cinerama comes to the Golden Gate:
Beacon Enterprises, already operating the Orpheum as a Cinerama house, leases the Golden Gate from RKO. This article appeared in the Examiner's issue of May 19, 1965. Thanks to Roland Lataille for locating it for the Golden Gate page on his site InCinerama.com. Note that mention in the article of it being an "all purpose house" and that "a regular wide screen will be maintained" for when they were not running Cinerama productions. A new booth was constructed at the back of the main floor.
The theatre ran 70mm "Cinerama" presentations from July 1, 1965 to November 1969 with the theatre advertised as the Golden Gate Cinerama. Ads starting in 1965 said it was "A Beacon Theatre - Coast to Coast." Later that became Trans-Beacon. The circuit was headed by Sheldon Smerling. At various times, in addition to other theatres, they had about ten Cinerama operations including venues in Montreal, Cincinnati, Columbus, Boston, Detroit, Fresno and the McVickers in Chicago. The latter was a joint venture with William Forman. Since December 1963 Forman's Pacific Theatres had also been the owner of Cinerama, Inc.
"The Hallelujah Trail" opened July 1, 1965 for a 13 week run. Hype: "Now Cinerama Sends Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Jim Hutton, Pamela
Tiffin And YOU Roaring With Laughter And Adventure Down The Hallelujah
Trail." This July 1 ad is from the theatre's InCinerama page.
"Battle of the Bulge" opened December 22, 1965 for a 14 week run. Hype: “The Super Action Show In Super Cinerama”
"Cinerama's Russian Adventure" opened March 31, 1966, a west coast premiere, for a 7 week run. Hype:
“With the plunk of a balalaika you’re in Russia…a world in itself. With
a whirl of a ballerina…you’re in the Bolshoi Ballet. With the zoom of a
helicopter…you’re over the North Pole. With the excitement of
Cinerama…you’re part of the most wondrous show of all." There were 35mm bookings after this engagement closed.
Time to twin the theatre. This August 10, 1966 article is one located by Roland Lataille for his InCinerama page about the Golden Gate. Their mention of "several months ago when the theatre converted to Cinerama" refers to the beginning of the "Khartoum" engagement after several months of running 35mm releases.
A December 20, 1966 article about the twinning that was located in the Examiner by Roland Lataille. The first attraction upstairs was "Is Paris Burning?," opening December 21, 1966. Jack Tillmany says: "A worthwhile film, but no 'Longest Day' and definitely not roadshow status, so it was more or less a dud in that format."
No
interior photos have surfaced showing the auditorium during the
theatre's Cinerama days, either before of after the twinning. Jack Tillmany comments: "My recollection is that the Golden Gate's 'Cinerama' screen was a deeply curved one, outside of, in front of, the original proscenium, but nothing like the Orpheum installation. Previously, their CinemaScope was within the confines of the proscenium, and quite satisfactory, but noticeably tilted backwards because of the angle of the upstairs projection booth, which was a good reason for moving the projection booth downstairs later on."
After the twinning, the first presentation downstairs, as the article notes, was "Arrivederci, Baby." The first roadshow was "Grand Prix," playing "in Cinerama" beginning January 25, 1967 for a 39 week run. Hype: "Cinerama Sweeps You Into A Drama Of Speed And Spectacle."
"Gone With The Wind" in 70mm at the theatre in October 1967, with Olivia de Havilland in person for the opening. Thanks to Bill Gabel for the finding the ad for a post on Cinema Treasures. See the page about the 70mm pan-and-scan reissue on the American Widescreen Museum site.
"2001: A Space Odyssey" opened June 19, 1968 for a 73 week run downstairs "In Cinerama." Hype: “An Epic Drama Of Adventure And Exploration!” It moved to the Penthouse on November 11, 1969 "in Super 70mm" for another 15 weeks. The total run was 88 weeks. Thanks to Roland Lataille for the ad. It appears on his In Cinerama page about the theatre.
Other films, of course, ran downstairs in both 35 and 70mm while
Trans-Beacon had the theatre but "2001" was the last advertised as being
"in Cinerama."
"Patton," filmed in the D-150 process, opened a reserved seat run at the Golden Gate Cinerama on March 4, 1970. Thanks to Don Campton for locating this April 15 ad that appeared in the Chronicle.
RKO is back as the operator. It's a June 24, 1970 article Roland Lataille found in the Examiner. The houses were then advertised as the RKO Golden Gate 1 and 2.
In addition to being entangled with Trans-Beacon as president of Cinerama, Inc, William Forman was also involved with RKO-Stanley Warner Theatres. In 1968 Forman's Pacific Theatres had acquired the houses in Southern California and Texas that RKO-SW operated. In mid-1970 Forman's Eastern Theatres division picked up 133
theatres that were the remains of the RKO and Stanley Warner circuits, then owned by the
Glen Alden Corporation. The transaction was reported in a page 3 story
in the August 17, 1970 Boxoffice.
The issue is on the site Yumpu. Presumably the Golden Gate was one of
the 133. The article noted that there weren't expected to be any changes
in the RKO-SW management team. The RKO Theatres, Inc. division continued to operate the Golden Gate for several more years. Years later Forman made a much bigger play in northern California with his purchase of the Blumenfeld circuit.
"Last Times Tonite at 8:00." Thanks to Roland Lataille for locating this April 3, 1973 ad. It was the last day RKO operated the theatre. Jack Tillmany comments:
"Because of the success of 'Fiddler on the Roof' (57 weeks, November 1971-December 1972), the Golden Gate overbid on 'Man of La Mancha,' anticipating similar success. But it bombed! And UA refused to let them out of their contract, despite the fact they were losing money every week. So the only way they could get rid of it was to LITERALLY shut down the theatre. And that's exactly what they did. So this was the last day of operation."
An April 4, 1973 newspaper item located by Roland Lataille:
"A veteran theaterman, speaking of the Golden Gate Theater closing last night, says people are so fearful of walking on Market Street late at night that the same movie playing in a neighborhood house will do 60 percent more business."
A July 22 item Roland located:
And the downstairs house did indeed reopen in August 1973. It's unknown who was running it. Thanks to Roland Lataille for locating this August 8 ad.
Closing: It closed for good as a film house in 1975. A church used the building until 1976.
The theatre as the Golden Gate Academy of Performing Arts:
A Chronicle article appearing February 12, 1977. It's unknown how long this school lasted. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the two articles.
Thanks to Roland Lataille for locating this November 17, 1979 Examiner article. It's on the Golden Gate page on his site InCinerama.com. The first show in the house was "A Chorus Line," opening December 27, 1979, followed by “The Music Man" with Dick Van Dyke, “My Fair Lady” with Rex Harrison and “Camelot" with in Richard Burton.
SHN sold the office building portion of the structure to WeWork in 2009. Greg Holland was the CEO of SHN. Carole Shorenstein Hays was a partner in the venture that operated the Golden Gate, Orpheum and Curran. Later she exited with the Curran to run by herself. At the time she remained a partner but didn't have an active leadership role. SF Gate had an August 2014 article about Shorenstein-Hays leaving the board of SHN.
In August 2017 the theatre closed for a year-long renovation. It's discussed in "A New Era for the SHN Golden Gate Theatre," an August 2018 article on the SHN Magazine site. Thanks to Matt Weimer for spotting it.
Sam Whiting covered the renovation with a September 5, 2018 story for the Chronicle: "Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco nears 100 with makeover." Thanks to John Hansen for spotting the article. The SHN Magazine had a September 6 story about the project: "Newly Remodeled SHN Golden Gate Theatre Officially Reopens..." Thanks to J.T. Welsh for spotting the article.
Project architect was ELS Architecture and Urban Design with Diana Hayton leading the team. The theatre's reopening was September 11, 2018 with the musical "On Your Feet!" Work
included installing electronic readerboards on the marquee, upgrading
and expanding restrooms, restoration of decorative painting in the
auditorium and lobbies, rehabbing seats, designing a new carpet,
installing new custom light fixtures, a new cooling system, and upgrading much of the
building's infrastructure.
After a period of lawsuits alleging that Shorenstein-Hays violated a non-compete agreement with certain bookings at the Curran, she relinquished her stock in SHN in 2019. The Nederlander operation running the Golden Gate and Orpheum was promptly renamed BSF -- Broadway San Francisco.
In 2021 the Ambassador Theatre Group took over the Nederlander interests in operating the Orpheum and Golden Gate as well as the Fisher in Detroit. Greg Evans had the news with "Ambassador Theatre Group Acquires...," his March 22 story for Deadline. Also see "S.F's historic Golden Gate and Orpheum theaters to be acquired by British company," a March 22 Chronicle story by Joshua Kosman.
Regarding ownership of the building, TJ Fisher commented in 2021: "Public
records show that the principal current owners of both the Golden Gate
and the Orpheum are 'Shorenstein Hays-Nederlander Trust.' No change in
the past several years. WeWork also has an ownership interest in the
Golden Gate."
More exterior views:
This great shot of two of G. Albert Lansburgh's creations comes from the November 1922 issue of Architect & Engineer. At the Golden Gate note the added readerboard above the marquee, work done in May or June.
A lovely c.1922 postcard looking up Taylor St. (at the left) at the two newly completed theatre buildings. Note the early signage above the marquee on the Golden Gate. The marquee of the Crest can be seen a couple doors down beyond the Warfield. At the time it was called the Circle. Thanks to Marliese Thomas Gabrielson for the card on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
Half of the Golden Gate is there, hiding behind that building in the lower left at Golden Gate Ave. and Market. Note the signage up around the base of the dome. Thanks to Bill Gabel for this c.1922 view looking east on Market toward the Warfield. He's got it on the Cinema Treasures page for the Warfield.
A lovely look at the first marquee. It appears on a State of The Ozarks page about the Weaver Bros., here seen at the top of the bill.
A c.1922 view of the new building from the Jack Tillmany collection. A mangled version of it from the News-Call Bulletin collection appears on the the San Francisco Public Library website. You can also find the photo as part of Mark Ellinger's Up From The Deep survey of Mid-Market Architecture.
A 1920s photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. A version from the San Francisco Public Library was posted on the Facebook page Lost San Francisco where they noted: "The corner where the officer is seated had a well-known newspaper stand and an Owl Drug Store. This corner was among the busiest in the city at the time with the 4 streets coming together, plus the theater traffic."
When the Orpheum circuit opened their new theatre in Memphis in 1928, the Golden Gate got a page in the program. Among other nice things, they note the Keith-Albee Orphem circuit owned the building and "practically all" the land underneath it. The program is on the Historic Memphis website. Note that it's an older photo with no vertical signs.
Looking south on Golden Gate Ave. from Jones toward Market in 1926. There's the house left side of the Golden Gate on our left and the rear entrance of the Granada (later renamed the Paramount) on the right. The film at the Granada that week was "Say It Again" with Richard Dix. It opened June 12. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this version of the image. It can also be seen on the San Francisco Public Library website and with Mark Ellinger's Up From The Deep article on The Tenderloin.
An undated 20s photo promoting an appearance of Power's Dancing Elephants at the Golden Gate. The photo appeared in the News Call-Bulletin in 1955. It's in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
The theatre running "The Painted Angel." The December 1929 release with Billie Dove and Edmund Lowe played the Golden Gate in March 1930. Note we've gone all RKO with the marquee and verticals. It's a photo from the collection of the UC Bancroft Library, on Calisphere.
A May 23, 1930 photo from the San Francisco Public Library collection that appears on a Found SF page about the theatre.
A December 1935 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection with the theatre running "Sylvia Scarlett" with Katherine Hepburn. Jack notes that admission was 30, 35 and 40 cents. The photo appears on page 27 of Jack's Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres Of San Francisco." The page is included in the preview of the book on Google Books. Gary Parks comments:
"A wonderful mixed bag of former signage here: We have the lightbulb horizontal letters which originally (at the time of the theatre's opening) filled what are now blank spaces around the base of the theatre's dome. We have a pair of vertical signs which appear, by their design, to date from possibly opening date-to-mid 1920s (ultra sign geeks may notice that the bottoms are like that of the vertical of the Chicago Theatre). Then we see RKO add-ons at their tops. Finally, the High Deco 'lightning zig-zag' profile of the 1930s RKO marquee. Later, all this would be removed in favor of the very late c.30s marquee and twin streamlined RKO GOLDEN GATE verticals which remain today, sans the RKO letters, and (sadly, despite their recent repainting), neon."
A February 1937 photo showing off the new vertical signs and marquee treatment. The "Big Double Stage Show" at the time featured Ethel Waters and her Sepia Revue along with RKO vaudeville acts. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes that the prices were 30 cents until 1 pm, 35 cents until 5 and 40 cents in the evenings.
A detail from the Ethel Waters photo. Jack comments: "The film on the program was 'We're On the Jury,' a 1937 RKO mystery comedy with Helen Broderick and Victor Moore. They're pictured on the artwork to the left of the box office, under the word 'Screen.'"
The 1937 photo made an appearance in this ad for QRS Neon Corporation that appeared in the May 29, 1937 issue of Boxoffice. The firm had its offices in the Golden Gate Theatre building. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing the ad from his collection.
A March 31, 1937 look up 6th Street from Mission toward the theatre. The lighter building to the right of the Golden Gate is the Warfield. It's a Charles Ruiz collection photo appearing on a Found SF page on the theatre.
A 1937 photo posted on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered by James Von Seebach. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for spotting it. It can also be seen on a Found SF page about the theatre. "The Soldier and the Lady" played the theatre in April.
A detail from the 1937 "The Soldier and the Lady" photo showing Will King's RKO Grill in the theatre's last storefront along Taylor St. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the image. He comments: "The Chateau Restaurant, just beyond, turned out to be a future movie theatre site."
"Service De Luxe" playing in December 1938 along with Cliff Edwards onstage. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "About the only reason anybody today might be interested in 'Service De Luxe,' is that it's the film that introduced Vincent Prince to the moviegoing public."
Thanks to Matt Spero for this 1941 "Citizen Kane" shot that he found in a thrift shop. Look along Taylor (on the right) for a view of the signage of "The Famous RKO Grill." Jack Tillmany comments:
"For the record: 'Citizen Kane' was originally scheduled to open at the Golden Gate in May 1941, but opened at the Geary instead, where it ran into July, at 'advanced prices.' In August 1941, It finally made it to the Golden Gate, at 'popular prices,' where it ran into September 1941."
Gary Meyer calls our attention to the stage portion of the program, Professor Lamberti, and refers us to "Trade Secrets," a 2010 post on David Bordwell's site Observations on Film Art that asks "How’d you like to sit through a live opening act before Citizen Kane?" More observations from Mr. Bordwell:
"Variety tells us that in San Francisco’s Golden Gate theatre in early September 1941, 'Kane' did brisk business at popular prices. It was accompanied by the vaudeville act of one Prof. Lamberti. The local Hearst newspapers, while refusing to advertise Kane for the unsurprising reason that Hearst thought the movie was about him, did advertise Prof. Lamberti’s act at the house. He was worth paying attention to. He never made snide fun of Marion Davies.
"But who was Prof. Lamberti? A magician, a musician, a real prof? We check Variety for 22 March 1950 and learn from his obituary that 'Professor' Lamberti was a comedian who played on stage and in nightclubs. According to the obit: Lamberti’s best known act was playing the xylophone, while shapely gal did a striptease back of him and he was apparently unaware of the goings on. This provided the delusion that successive encores on the semi-classic tunes such as 'Listen to the Mocking Bird' were prompted by the audience’s music appreciation, rather than the bumps and grinds of the peeler. Howl finish had the comic get hep and seltzer squirt the gal off stage.
A look at the boxoffice and surrounding open-air ticket lobby area taken sometime around November 1941. It's from page 28 of the Jack Tillmany book "Theatres Of San Francisco." In the display case: "Father Takes a Wife" with Gloria Swanson and Adolphe Menjou. The doorman is ready to take your ticket. The page with the photo is included in the book's preview on Google Books.
Thanks to John A. Harris for finding this 1942 shot of the theatre running "The Navy Comes Through." Jack Tillmany notes that the film's world premiere was at the Golden Gate on October 27 with all seats reserved. It was a sell-out performance -- a very big deal with stars of the film appearing in person.
A December 6, 1945 Chronicle photo appearing on the Chronicle Facebook page. Dizzy Thomas also had it on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered where she commented: "Lionel Hampton Band and Revue was appearing. Left hand traffic from 6th Street was held up by Taylor Street line." Thanks to Ernie Manzo, Jr. for sharing the photo on the BAHT Facebook page. It had appeared with Bob Bragman's 2017 SF Gate article "Rare unseen downtown San Francisco photos show city life in the 1930s and 1940s."
The theatre in early 1949 as viewed through a tour bus window. The Life magazine photo is by John Dominus. Thanks to John A. Harris for finding the photo for a post on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
Jack Tillmany calls our attention to the redone center section of the marquee. The side sections would be next. He adds: "Joan of Arc played four weeks, so just standing out front watching them remodel the marquee would have been lots more entertaining than trying to stay awake during the tedious pseudo-religious talkfest inside."
"So Dear To My Heart" running in February 1949. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing the photo and ticket stubs from his collection. Note that they've gone back to a milk glass letter look for the two side readerboard sections, but this time with a sleeker looking font than they used in the 1930s.
A 1950 entrance view by Art Frisch of the Chronicle. The photo appears in Peter Hartlaub's September 12, 2015 SF Gate article "Our SF: The city's movie palaces make an unexpected comeback." His caption: "Crowds line up for the opening of the movie 'Stromboli' at the Golden Gate Theater - February 1950." The photo also appears with another Hartlaub story the same day called "Time Machine: 10 historic screenings we'd like to visit."
A little problem up top in March 1951. It's a News-Call Bulletin photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
A 1951 view with the theatre running "On Dangerous Ground," a December release, along with "Young Scarface." Note the interesting banners going up 4 stories on the center of the facade for "I Want You." Thanks to JohnBrian Picot for posting the shot from Classic Flix page on San Francisco Remembered.
A "Big Twin-Hit Thrill Show!" with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Cat People." It's a February 1952 photo (plus a few ticket stubs) from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Note the interesting ornament: a guy dangling from one of the upper windows. It's a September 1952 News-Call Bulletin photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection but they give us no data about how the story turned out.
A detail from the 1957 shot. Art notes that at the time of the photo the Golden Gate was running "The Incredible Shrinking Man." Note the three smoke vents on the roof of the theatre's stage. The Warfield Theatre is beyond. The St. Francis is across the street, at the time running "The Ten Commandments." That's the roof of the Paramount Theatre in the lower center.
Oh, no. It's the "2 Greatest Terrors of Hell and Space." The April 1957 photo is from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A detail from the June 1962 photo for a closer look at the marquee and the banners advertising the event as the "RKO Theaters 75th Diamond Anniversary Show." That 75th anniversary wasn't for RKO, but actually commemmorated the opening of the first Orpheum in the circuit, on O'Farrell St. in 1887. Jack comments:
"Did anyone in 1962 realize or care that there were no RKO Theatres around in 1887? Probably not. I was out of town at the time. Technically, it should have been RKO's 33rd Anniversary, but that was no big deal, then or now. So let's call it 'dramatic license.'"
A look at the marquee and one of the verticals from some 1966 footage in the Getty Images collection. Steven Otto notes that it's "Is Paris Burning?" on the marquee, a film that opened December 21. In the distance on the left it's the Regal Theatre. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for the screenshot. It's one of 10 from the footage he posted on the BAHT Facebook page. Jack Tillmany confirms that it is indeed footage taken the last week in December, based on the titles seen at the Warfield and Crest.
A 1967 shot taken after the house was twinned, evidently sometime in August, September or October. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes that it's "Grand Prix" downstairs and "Hawaii" upstairs in the Penthouse. "Grand Prix," in 70mm "Cinerama," had opened January 25 for a 39 week run. "Hawaii," presumably in 35mm, had previously had its reserved seat run at the Coronet beginning October 19, 1966.
A 1968 photo by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection. "2001" was playing in the Golden Gate Cinerama with a reissue of "Ben-Hur" upstairs in the Penthouse.
"Patton" opened a reserved seat engagement on March 4, 1970. It's a photo by Clay Geerdes. Thanks to David Miller for posting the shot on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered. And thanks to Kevin Walsh for spotting the post.
A 1970 "Tora! Tora! Tora" shot by an unknown photographer. The film was a September release. Note the name change to the RKO Golden Gate 1 & 2. The photo is in the Jack Tillmany collection.
Running "Man of La Mancha" in 70mm with reserved seats downstairs and the upstairs as a triple feature grind house. It's an April 3, 1973 Chronicle photo by Don Lau that appeared on the SF Chronicle Vault Facebook page. Thanks to Lily Castello for sharing it on the BAHT Facebook page.
A detail from the American Classic Images collection photo. Thanks to Bill Gabel for posting this detail on Cinema Treasures. It's also on the In Cinerama page.
"Bug," a June 1975 release, and "SSSSSSS" at the Golden Gate 1 and "The McCulloughs" and "Sheba Baby" at the Golden Gate 2. It's a photo by Steven Otto. He notes: "I understand that the Golden Gate was exempted from the zoning restrictions that removed the vertical signs from Market St. theatres because it was not actually situated on Market St." Steven posted the photo on the BAHT Facebook page.
The theatre in use as the Golden Gate Academy of Performing Arts. It's a June 1977 photo by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection.
The theatre with its new "earth-toned" decor getting ready to reopen in December 1979 with "A Chorus Line." It's a photo by Tom Gray from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Gary Parks comments: "Brown! But—I’d forgotten how the horizontal bands on the verticals and the marquee were painted red. I do remember that from when I saw it in the early 80s. Red always fades the fastest, so it faded to nothing and flaked off, leaving exposed bands of galvanized metal, the tan letters faded to off-white, and the shiny dark chocolate turned to dull, pigeon-speckled milk chocolate brown. Interesting the poster cases had not been put up yet, and the stud lighting edging the marquee soffit—which was a small improvement, and is still there—hadn’t been installed yet."
Faye Dunaway appearing in "Master Class" in 1997. Thanks to Ray Morse for sharing his photo as a post for the San Francisco Remembered Facebook group.
A look at the stripped-down entrance. "Blithe Spirit" was at the theatre in January 2015. Photo: Bill Counter - 2015
Thanks to Jinx Kidd for this shot of the theatre during the 2015 engagement of "Porgy and Bess." At the time, Jinx was the head electrician at the theatre. The photo was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
Thanks to Jinx Kidd for this view during the 2015 run of "Pippin." The photo was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
Some terracotta ornament along Golden Gate Ave. Photo: Bill Counter - 2015
Thanks to Jinx Kidd for this 2016 shot of some vintage art on the exit stairs. The photo was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for his September 4, 2016 "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" photo. It was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
The theatre in February 2018. Thanks to architectural photographer Hunter Kerhart for his photo. Keep up with Hunter's recent explorations: on Facebook | HunterKerhart.com | on Flickr
The redone verticals and electronic readerboards. Nope, the verticals don't light up. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for his December 2018 photo on the BAHT Facebook page.
Thanks to Michael D. Jackson for this 2019 photo, part of a post on the Facebook page Theatre Architecture.
An ad for the film's opening at the Golden Gate.
More Information: 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.
See the Cinema Treasures page on the Golden Gate. Also on the site see Michael Coate's "Remembering Cinerama part 3: San Francisco." See Mr. Coate's list of "2001" roadshow engagements on the site In70mm.
Roland Lataille's site In Cinerama has a page about the theatre.
The Golden Gate is featured with a full page in the program for the opening of the Memphis Orpheum in 1928. Ir's on the Historic Memphis website.
The San Francisco Public Library has many photos of the theatre in their collection. The Broadway Theatre League's Internet Broadway Database has a page on the Golden Gate.
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