Opened: Perhaps late 1911 as the New Bell Theatre. A 1912 trade magazine item appearing with this photo noted that it opened "about the first of last November." It was on the east side of the street between Fair Ave. and 29th St. and was owned and operated by a Mr. P. Young. Thanks to Charmaine Zoe for posting the photo on Flickr. She didn't post the article it came with
but that's just as well as the address given was
wrong.
Seating: 400
Jack Tillmany notes: "The reason it was called the New Bell was because there had been an
earlier Bell on the other side of the street at 3366 Mission in 1909 and 1910 which this one
apparently replaced." See a May 1, 1909 S.F. Bulletin ad. The Bell at 3366 Mission got its last city directory listing in the 1911 edition.
This theatre evidently was also called the New Theatre and the Electric Theatre, sometimes in the city directories with a 3259 address, sometimes with a 3261 address. In the directories for at least four years there were listings for both addresses, with different names.
A section of a 1914 Sanborn map showing the block. Thanks to Art Siegel for tracking it down.
A detail showing the theatre with a 3261 address. Note they they don't list a lot with a 3259 address. It looks like we have narrow stores with residential above in the building to the north with 3251-3257 addresses. On the 1950 Sanborn map, and in the city's property report for the parcel, the lot we see here with the theatre is listed with both 3259 and 3261 addresses. Thanks, Art!
The listings in the city directories from 1911 onward would lead you to believe there were side by side theatres at 3259 and 3261:
1911 - Electric @ 3261
1912 - New Bell @ 3259, New Theatre @ 3261
1913 - New Bell @ 3259, New Theatre @ 3261
1914 - New Bell @ 3259, Electric @ 3261
1915 - New Bell @3259, no listing @ 3261
1916 - New Bell @3259, no listing @ 3261
1917 - no listings for 3259 or 3261 under "moving picture theatres"
1920 - no listings for 3259 or 3261 under "moving picture theatres"
1917 - no listings for 3259 or 3261 under "moving picture theatres"
1920 - no listings for 3259 or 3261 under "moving picture theatres"
1924 - Electric @ 3261
Closing: Evidently around 1924.
Status: It's been seriously remodeled but presumably the building on the site is the one that was once used as the theatre. The 1950 Sanborn map shows a building similar to that seen on the 1914 map.
Looking north on Mission. The squat building in the center of the image is using the addresses of 3259 and 3259A. The property also has a legal address of 3261. Photo: Google Maps - 2019
Other Bells: Just to keep it interesting, in addition to the Bell Theatre at 3366 Mission there was also a Bell Theatre at 540 Columbus Ave., a venue also known as the Bijou, that ran from about 1908 until 1915. There was once a Bell Nickeldrome at 1913 Fillmore. And the Excelsior opened in 1911 at 4734 Mission and later was known as the Bell Theatre.
Cinema Treasures has a New Bell page but they give it a wrong address of 298 Mission St. That address was derived from the trade magazine article that carried the 1912 photo.
Cinema Treasures has a New Bell page but they give it a wrong address of 298 Mission St. That address was derived from the trade magazine article that carried the 1912 photo.
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