Opened: November 17, 1921 as the Granada Theatre. It was built and partially owned by lawyer / exhibitor
Herbert L. Rothchild. Jack Partington oversaw the operation of the Granada as well as the two other Rothchild theatres, the Imperial and the California. Paramount Publix was a major investor with that
firm taking full control in 1925.
This pre-opening photo nicely shows off the very narrow facade. It's a detail from an ad for "Love Is An Awful Thing" at the
Granada that appeared in the October 21, 1922 issue of Exhibitors Herald. It's on Internet Archive. Thanks to Charmaine Zoe for spotting it for her Vintage Cinemas: California collection on Flickr that features of items discovered in various trade
magazines.
The
theatre's initial film was "Enchantment" with Marion Davies. The
prologue staged by J.A. Partington was titled "The Court of Abundance"
and recreated as one of its scenes the main fountain at the
Panama-Pacific Exposition. Oliver Wallace was on the "world's largest
Wurlitzer." Gino Severi was conducting the orchestra. Mayor James
Rolph, Jr. was on stage for a dedication. Jesse Lasky and Rudolph
Wurlitzer appeared for the festivities.
Architect: Alfred Henry Jacobs
The project was announced in this article in the October 27, 1919 San Francisco Call. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it via the California Digital Newspaper Collection. Art notes that the article mentions the California Theatre that Jacobs designed in 1917 but not the Theatre St. Francis on Geary St., a 1916 project he supposedly had some involvement with.
A copy of an architect's rendering from the Jack Tillmany collection. He
comments:
"The marquee reads The Granada Theatre. Happily, wiser minds
eliminated the word THE. Just a bit too pompous. The title shown is for a
Chaplin film titled 'A Hard World,' possibly a working title for one of
Chaplin's 1921 films."
Gary Parks adds:
"Note that in this rendering, a bit of ornamentation
continues along the wall of the ticket lobby, in past the ornamented
tower. In reality—as built—the ornament stopped where the side of the
tower stopped.
This mini-interview with Jacobs appeared as part of a big ad in the February 12, 1921 San Francisco Call. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it via the CDNC website. The ad was for "The Three Leading Photoplay Theatres" under Rothchild management: the Portola, the California and the Imperial.
Pipe Organ: It was a Wurlitzer 4/32, billed at the time by the company as the "largest orchestral organ in the world." The console was on a lift, the first known installation of an organ lift. Oliver Wallace was the organist for the opening with Rudolph Wurlitzer in attendance.
See "A Visit To Wurlitzer," a 25 minute 1921 vintage film on YouTube from Hollywood's Attic / Compton Lodge Studios. It's silent but, of course, has an added organ soundtrack. Many thanks to Dick Morris for locating this. The last five minutes are all about finishing the Granada organ and getting it shipped from the North Tonawanda, N.Y. plant. And, as Dick notes, much of the earlier footage may also be of this particular instrument getting built. He adds that the Granada's organ is now at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. These five shots are from the film:
Completing work on the console.
Inspecting a rank of pipes.
Getting one of the diaphones out of the factory.
Shipping in ten boxcars with signage on the sides noting the destination.
The parade of trucks up Market to the theatre.
Seating: 2,656. The November 18, 1921 issue of the Chronicle gave the capacity as 3,200.
The opening:
Illustrations from the November 17, 1921 San Francisco Call and Post. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating this and the articles below via the CNDC website.
An article from the November 17 S.F. Call and Post.
Another article from the November 17 S.F. Call and Post.
And if you wanted to know who was running the theatre, the Call had that as well. Also see a page of coverage of the opening in the November 18 San Francisco Call. Thanks, Art!
A full page ad appearing on page 25 in the November 17, 1921 Chronicle. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating it (and the articles below) on Newsbank. The same ad also ran in the Call.
The opening of the theatre was covered at great length in the Chronicle. Their November 17 coverage began on page 24 with "Granada Theater, World's Premiere Motion Picture Palace...." The adulation continued on page 26 with five stories and two photos. Page 27 had congratulatory ads. Page 28 had several more stories and a photo of the "Moorish frieze around the main auditorium." Page 29 was a full page ad for the opening film, "Enchantment." Page 30 was another full page of articles and ads with the lead story promising that the management would offer clean, wholesome films.
The top half of page 31 discussed the wonders of the $100,000 Wurlitzer. The topic of page 32 was the stage and the marvelous acoustics along with a recap of other items. Page 33 discussed "Gorgeous Scenic Glories" for the public to admire. Page 34 touted the wonders of the stage and the air-washers. The end of the coverage on page 35 included more ads and a facade photo demonstrating the theatre's "Protean Symphony of Fret, Filigree and Frieze." But they weren't done. "San Francisco's Premier Film Palace Opens" was a page 13 story about the premiere in the November 18 issue. They noted that the theatre cost $2,000,000.
The new theatre was discussed in the February 4, 1922 Motion Picture News. It's on Internet Archive. On the opposite page was an ad from Frank Adam Electric Co., manufacturers of the theatre's dimmerboard. The full article includes more text and several photos. An excerpt:
Motion Picture News printed the lovely photo of the dimmerboard upside down. Here's the correct view. Thanks to Bob Foreman for finding the article. Visit his Vintage Theatre Catalogs site for a vast trove of theatre tech information. Also see a 1965 Chronicle photo of the board.
The Granada and California theatres were featured in "Two San Francisco Motion Picture Theatres," an article by Alfred Henry Jacobs appearing in the October 1922 issue of Architectural Forum scanned from the Princeton University collection. There's also a version scanned from a copy at the University of Michigan.
Thanks to Bob Foreman for finding the Architectural Forum article on
the HathiTrust site. In addition to the six pages reproduced here there were two full page plates: a Granada opening day facade view and a California Theatre proscenium view from the balcony.
On the great stage: The Granada was renowned for its stage presentations featuring the "flying stages" (also called "automatic stages") designed and installed by Jack Partington. The equipment was installed by Partington's firm Automatic Stage Appliance Co. Peter Clark came along and appropriated many of the ideas for his stage lifts and was later sued by Parkington. See the page on Partington's Flying Stages for more information on the equipment, introduced at the Granada in February 1925.
The story in Ben Hall's 1961 book "Best Remaining Seats" is that the Granada was the first movie palace to have an orchestra pit lift. But, alas, not true. Tally's Broadway Theatre in Los Angeles had a pit lift when it opened in 1910. See Bob Ristelhueber's post of the pages from Ben Hall's book dealing with the Granada on the BAHT Facebook page. And the prize for the first the first organ console on a lift goes to the California Theatre, opened in 1917, down the street at 787 Market.
Partington pays a visit to Hollywood. Thanks to Mary Mallory for finding this photo in the April 11, 1923 edition of the house organ "Paramount Pep." Mary notes that the barn in the background is the Lasky-DeMille Barn, now the home of Hollywood Heritage.
A February 13, 1926 article in Exhibitors Herald on the occasion of Partington's move to the Metropolitan Theatre in Los Angeles noted that at the Granada "...he had developed a new type of prologues and and stage presentations that have become a sensation. One of the outstanding features of his work there has been the invention and perfection of an automatic stage. The stage is built in three sections and by the use of invisible tracks and special machinery the sections can be lifted and lowered and shifted at every conceivable angle on the regular stage." Thanks to Bob Foreman for finding the article on Internet Archive. Partington was soon splitting his weeks supervising the productions at both the Metropolitan and the Granada.
Some history of the house:
The cover for the program for the week of January 29, 1922. It's on Calisphere from the Museum
of Performance and Design Performing Arts Library.
This
cover for the program at the Imperial, California and Granada was for
the week of October 28, 1922. At the
time, the three theatres were under the management of Herbert Rothchild. The program is on Calisphere from the Museum of Performance and Design Performing Arts
Library.
In July 1925 Rothchild cashed out and sold all his stock to Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. The operating entity was renamed San Francisco Entertainment, Inc.
The cover of the program for the week of September 11, 1926. Thanks to Glenn Koch for sharing this from his collection as a post on the Facebook page Vintage San Francisco.
The inside pages.
The rear of the September 11, 1926 program. Thanks, Glenn!
"The whole show on the screen." The front of the program from the week of May 23, 1929. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this item from his collection.
The inside of the program from the week of May 23, 1929.
The rear of the program from the week of May 23, 1929.
An ad appearing on January 16, 1930. "New York Nights" with Norma Talmadge was finishing its unspectacular run and "The Laughing Lady" was opening the next day. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the ad.
"So Big" in May 1932. It's an ad slick from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"Horse Feathers" in August 1932. It's an ad slick from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"Movie Crazy" in October 1932. It's an ad slick from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"A Farewell To Arms" in January 1933. It's an ad slick from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"The Sign of the Cross" in February 1933. It's an ad slick from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"42nd Street" in March 1933. It's an ad slick from the Jack Tillmany collection.
An ad that appeared in the September 22, 1933 issue of the Chronicle.
An ad that appeared in the September 22, 1933 issue of the Chronicle.
Fox West Coast was the operator between 1934 and 1947. ABC-Paramount was the operator thereafter. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz did their last performance of their vaudeville act at the Paramount in November 1950.
Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding this November 1953 ad for "The War of the Worlds." He comments: "San Francisco is indeed mentioned in the script as one of the sites of the Martian invasion, but I don't recall any actual footage. Obviously, the Paramount art department went to work on it and really did a creative, if somewhat over-imaginative job."
A December 17, 1953 ad for the 3-D feature "The Nebraskan."
Many thanks to Bob Furmanek for sharing the ad and the article in a fine post about "The Nebraskan" on the 3-D Film Archive Facebook page.
ABC Paramount gave the theatre a remodel in 1960. This article appeared in the October 3, 1960 issue of Boxoffice. You can see a larger view or download a pdf from their site. Jack Tillmany notes that the film on the marquee in the photo, "Man On a String," opened at the Paramount on June 10, 1960.
Closing: The last day of operation was April 20, 1965. Jack Tillmany paid the theatre a visit: "I dropped in on the final night. I was working at the Piedmont, so drove over to SF as early as I could get off. Probably 10-11 pm. The feature (Elvis Presley in 'Girl Happy') was in progress. I just walked in off the street. I don't remember if anybody was in the lobby. The usual sparse audience was spread around the auditorium watching the movie. Nothing else was going on, so I left."
The ad for the quiet closing in the April 20, 1965 Chronicle. The page is viewable on Newsbank. Thanks to Jack for locating it. He says: "Can
you believe, this tiny little ad is the only recognition of the
Paramount's passing in the ever-vigilant SF Chronicle?"
See several 1965 clippings down at the bottom of the page that Jack saved about the closure and demolition. The owners, the
Shorenstein Co., demolished the theatre later that year. A single story infill building was constructed on Market with the rest of the lot used for parking. Jack notes: "It's more than coincidence that the three surviving Market Street movie
palaces, the Orpheum, the Golden Gate, and the Warfield, all have
offices in the buildings upstairs, to provide added income to the site.
Those which are gone did not."
Status: 50 years
after the demolition the Shorenstein Co. was building housing on the
site.
Lobby views:
A lobby view from the 1940s that's in the Jack Tillmany collection. A smaller version appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A snackbar shot from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The main lobby as seen from the balcony level. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The 573rd Army Air Force Band in the lobby for an October 1944 War Bond Rally. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Another October 1944 view with the 573rd Army Air Force Band. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Note the guy in the back with the dark glasses. Probably a war-incurred eye injury, but still on the job, doing his bit!"
The main lobby as seen from the balcony level. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A look down the balcony promenade. Golden Gate Ave. is straight ahead. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Looking up toward the balcony promenade from the entrance on Golden Gate Ave. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing the 1922 photo from his collection. Scroll down the page for some 1932 photos of the boxoffice and marquee on the Golden Gate side of the building. The photo also appears with "Two San Francisco Motion Picture Theatres,"
an article by Alfred Henry Jacobs in the October 1922 issue
of Architectural Forum scanned from the Princeton University collection. It's on the HathiTrust site, a find by Bob Foreman.
The auditorium:
The view down from the top of the balcony in 1922. This original look was fairly austere. It got plusher with later remodelings. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. A smaller version of the photo appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A 1922 look to the rear of the house. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. There's a smaller version appearing on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A 1922 side wall view. The photo appears with "Two San Francisco Motion Picture Theatres," a six page article by Alfred Henry Jacobs in the October 1922 issue of Architectural Forum. Thanks to Bob Foreman for finding the article on the HathiTrust site.
"World Supremacy!" We get a proscenium view and a shot of the organ console in this 1923 Wurlitzer ad in Exhibitors Trade Review that featured the "justly celebrated" Granada. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding it for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
A detail from the 1923 Wurlitzer ad.
Elaine Gilmore at the console. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Elaine Gilmore at the console. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Bandleader Paul Ash and his "Merry, Mad Musical Gang" showing off the use of one of the stage lifts in front of "yards of shiny 'dream cloth' drapes." It's an undated photo that appears in Ben Hall's book "Best Remaining Seats." Note the guide tracks for the organ lift above the console. There's a seriously cropped version of the photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection. See Bob Ristelhueber's post of the pages from Hall's book dealing with the Granada on the BAHT Facebook page.
A 1930 sidewall view, taken after a bit of redecoration. Note that they've draped the front of the balcony, covering the holes for spotlights. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 1930 proscenium view from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A detail of the curtain from the Ronald W. Mahan collection. Thanks to Ron for sharing this.
A detail of the curtain from the Ronald W. Mahan collection. Thanks to Ron for sharing this.
The stage getting used for an October 1944 War Bond rally. Check out that great house traveler. The photo comes from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Gary Parks comments: "Organ man Ed Stout took slides of the interior in the 60s, when he was involved with getting the organ going again there. He told me that they hooked-up the cove lighting around the top of the auditorium ceiling, which hadn't been lit in decades. He said that soon, the auditorium began to fill with smoke, billowing down from the ceiling coves. There was so much dust on the lamps. So they turned off the lights, and cleaned the lamps so the coves could glow again during the theatre's last years/months. The original chandeliers were still there as well."
Another October 1944 photo taken during the War Bond Rally. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Gary Parks comments: "Organ man Ed Stout took slides of the interior in the 60s, when he was involved with getting the organ going again there. He told me that they hooked-up the cove lighting around the top of the auditorium ceiling, which hadn't been lit in decades. He said that soon, the auditorium began to fill with smoke, billowing down from the ceiling coves. There was so much dust on the lamps. So they turned off the lights, and cleaned the lamps so the coves could glow again during the theatre's last years/months. The original chandeliers were still there as well."
Another October 1944 photo taken during the War Bond Rally. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Backstage:
A shot of the dimmerboard appearing on page 53 of the 1923 Ward Leonard publication "Theatre Lighting: Past and Present" that's on Internet Archive. The 62 page booklet includes
interesting photos of vintage equipment as well as shots of many
theatres and their dimmer installations. The caption was "Granada Theatre. San Francisco. One of the recent installations of Ward Leonard Dimmers on the coast. 370 Kw lighting load, controlled by the dimmer equipment shown in the... picture." See the full page.
The same photo had appeared in the February 4, 1922 issue of Motion Picture
News. The caption there was: "Here is the big Major Pre-Selective Control
Board. Note the Ward-Leonard Dimmers above Major Board." See the full article, where they had the photo upside down. Thanks to Bob Foreman for locating both of these items. See what other research he's done lately on his terrific Vintage Theatre Catalogs site.
Stagehand Jim Finley gets ready to turn off the lights at the Paramount for the last time in April 1965. The photo by Stan Creighton for the Chronicle appears with a September 12, 2015 SF Gate story by Peter Hartlaub "Our SF: The city's movie palaces make an unexpected comeback."
Stagehand Jim Finley gets ready to turn off the lights at the Paramount for the last time in April 1965. The photo by Stan Creighton for the Chronicle appears with a September 12, 2015 SF Gate story by Peter Hartlaub "Our SF: The city's movie palaces make an unexpected comeback."
In the booth:
In the booth for the last show in April 1965. It's a photo by Stan Creighton for the Chronicle that appeared with Peter Hartlaub's 2015 SF Gate story.
Demolition photos:
A view across the house left organ grille toward the proscenium as the organ is being removed prior to the theatre's demolition. It's a 1965 Dennis Hedberg photo appearing as part of a post by Mark Arnold on the Theatre Organ Group Facebook page.
The house right organ grille during the organ removal. It's a 1965 Dennis Hedberg photo appearing on the Theatre Organ Group Facebook page. Thanks to Carlo Chaney for spotting the post.
A view across the house left organ grille toward the proscenium as the organ is being removed prior to the theatre's demolition. It's a 1965 Dennis Hedberg photo appearing as part of a post by Mark Arnold on the Theatre Organ Group Facebook page.
The house right organ grille during the organ removal. It's a 1965 Dennis Hedberg photo appearing on the Theatre Organ Group Facebook page. Thanks to Carlo Chaney for spotting the post.
More exterior views:
Steel starting to go up in 1921. We're looking at the stage end of the building. The slanted members would form the sounding board above the proscenium. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this photo from his collection.
Construction is farther along in this photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. In the center of the image we see the curve of the front of the orchestra pit with the straight line of the front of the stage beyond. Thanks, Jack!
This is the ad that the pre-opening image at the top of the page was taken from. It appeared in the October 21, 1922 issue of Exhibitors Herald-World to promote the booking of "Love Is An Awful Thing" at the Granada. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding it for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
The pre-opening photo was in the January 27, 1922 issue of San Francisco Business. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for the post on the BAHT Facebook page. There's also a version of the photo from the Jack Tillmany collection on the San Francisco Public Library website.
The 1921 pre-opening photo as a postcard. Note the empty display cases. For postcard use they retouched the marquee to remove a line of copy about the opening date and mostly cropped out a ladder that was up against the right side of the marquee. Thanks to Kevin Walsh for this one, a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
Gary Parks comments: "The photo shows the appearance of the facade before much of the ornamentation was removed in the 30s. Of particular note is the stenciled pattern on the smooth wall surface, surrounding the window."
The pre-opening photo was used in this ad for the Frank Adam Electric Co., manufacturers of the theatre's dimmerboard, that appeared in the February 4, 1922 issue of Motion Picture News. Thanks to Bob Foreman for finding it.
The photo appeared again in the Frank Adam ad that appeared in the February 17, 1923 issue of Motion Picture News. Also featured are the Chicago and McVickers theatres. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding the ad for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
November 17, 1921. It's a opening day photo in the Jack Tillmany collection. The photo is also in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library. Mark Ellinger, in his Up From The Deep article on Mid-Market architecture, comments on the photo:
"The Boyd Hotel and part of the Hibernia Bank Building are visible on the far left; in the background to the right is the steel skeleton of the Golden Gate Theater, under construction at Golden Gate and Taylor. The large, three-story building at the corner of Jones and Market is Prager’s Department Store. Designed by Alfred Henry Jacobs, this opulent movie palace opened in 1921 under the Publix banner as the Granada Theater. It had a four manual, thirty-two rank Wurlitzer organ and boasted an operating staff of 122 people. After becoming a part of the Fox chain for awhile, the theater was returned to the Publix fold and on 31 January 1931, after extensive remodeling, was reopened as the Paramount."
A closer look at the opening day crowd. It's a plate appearing with "Two San Francisco Motion Picture Theatres," an article about the Granada and California theatres by Alfred Henry Jacobs that appeared in the October 1922 issue of Architectural Forum. It's on the site HathiTrust scanned from a copy at the Princeton University collection. The full article is up near the top of this page. Thanks to Bob Foreman for locating it.
A 1922 view from one of the photo albums collected by Hamilton Henry Dobbin. "The Glorious Fool" opened February 26. The album is now in the collection of the California State Library as their item # 001382114. The marquee is advertising "The Glorious Fool" with Helene Chadwick, Richard Dix and Vera Lewis.
The east end of the marquee during the 1922 engagement of "The Glorious Fool." Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theaters found the trade magazine photo and put it on that site's page for the Granada -- in Los Angeles. Thanks to Jacinto Guevara for spotting it there.
"The Boyd Hotel and part of the Hibernia Bank Building are visible on the far left; in the background to the right is the steel skeleton of the Golden Gate Theater, under construction at Golden Gate and Taylor. The large, three-story building at the corner of Jones and Market is Prager’s Department Store. Designed by Alfred Henry Jacobs, this opulent movie palace opened in 1921 under the Publix banner as the Granada Theater. It had a four manual, thirty-two rank Wurlitzer organ and boasted an operating staff of 122 people. After becoming a part of the Fox chain for awhile, the theater was returned to the Publix fold and on 31 January 1931, after extensive remodeling, was reopened as the Paramount."
A closer look at the opening day crowd. It's a plate appearing with "Two San Francisco Motion Picture Theatres," an article about the Granada and California theatres by Alfred Henry Jacobs that appeared in the October 1922 issue of Architectural Forum. It's on the site HathiTrust scanned from a copy at the Princeton University collection. The full article is up near the top of this page. Thanks to Bob Foreman for locating it.
A 1922 view from one of the photo albums collected by Hamilton Henry Dobbin. "The Glorious Fool" opened February 26. The album is now in the collection of the California State Library as their item # 001382114. The marquee is advertising "The Glorious Fool" with Helene Chadwick, Richard Dix and Vera Lewis.
The east end of the marquee during the 1922 engagement of "The Glorious Fool." Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theaters found the trade magazine photo and put it on that site's page for the Granada -- in Los Angeles. Thanks to Jacinto Guevara for spotting it there.
A San Francisco Public Library photo that they date as 1922.
A 1922 parapet detail. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The entrance doors in 1922. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 1922 parapet detail. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The entrance doors in 1922. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A February 1922 entrance shot taken during the run of "Moran of the Lady Letty" with Rudolf Valentino. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A unique billboard shot from a trade magazine: The Imperial, Portola and Granada all sporting 24-sheet billboards, side by side, in March 1922. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the item from his collection.
The big show at the Granada is "While Satan Sleeps," a western with Jack Holt that played the Granada in August 1922. This fine view also gives us a view of the newly opened Warfield and Golden Gate theatres down at Taylor St. The photo, from the San Francisco Public Library, was featured on a 2014 Historypin post discussing the need to add more information to the photos in the SFPL collection.
A version of the photo is also on Calisphere from the Museum of Performance and Design Performing Arts Library. And there's another in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
An August 1922 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. They're running "When Satan Sleeps." Note the theatre's initial use of two verticals and beyond we get a bit of the dome of the Golden Gate Theatre.
A smaller version of the photo appears on the San Francisco Public Library website where they note that their copy comes from the H.C. Tibbitts collection. The photo also appears with Mark Ellinger's Up From The Deep survey of the architecture of the Mid-Market. Wilfredo Pasqual commented on the photo in a now-vanished post on the Facebook page San Francisco Rememberted:
"The facade's giant window was ornamented in green wrought iron and tinged with gold. Under its arch was the golden bust of Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes enshrined in an elaborate halo. The rest of the theater’s façade was decorated with Moorish hexagon tiles in gold, rose and turquoise, each enameled glass inlaid with fruits and plants native to California – golden poppies, trillium leaves, oranges, lemons, pears, and plums.
"Up where the sky pierced seven rising arches, Vasco de Balboa’s lone figure stood under the pinnacle’s central arch, frozen in history when the explorer saw the Pacific Ocean in 1513 from a summit on the Isthmus of Panama. Thousands flocked to this movie palace on opening day and saw a golden throne in the foyer’s octagonal rotunda. Overhead, a cast iron lamp illuminated the vaulted ceiling. The rotunda led to two grand staircases with tapestries on the wall. One depicted the siege of Troy, the other the birth of Rome, the twin brothers Remus and Romulus suckling a she-wolf.
"Inside the auditorium, the world’s largest gooseneck steel truss supported the balcony. Spanning 108 feet and weighing ninety tons, it braced the boxed seats occupied by industry giants, among them Jesse Lasky, Sid Grauman, Marcus Loew, Rudolph Wurlitzer, William Hearst, and Michael de Young. Theirs were the most expensive seats at ninety cents each, commanding a full view of the auditorium: the ceiling’s central dome, its light changing from fiery sunrise to purple dusk; the walls lavished with bold relief, every column, pilaster and parapet carved with scrolls, swags, urns and coat of arms – in rose and old gold."
A billboard for "The Bonded Woman" at the Granada, an August 1922 release. John Snyder had the photo on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
A somewhat doctored photo that appeared on page 53 of the 1923 Ward Leonard publication "Theatre Lighting: Past and Present" that's on Internet Archive. Thanks to Bob Foreman, of Vintage Theatre Catalogs fame, for spotting the Granada. The 62 page booklet includes interesting photos of vintage equipment as well as shots of many theatres and their dimmer installations.
A 1923 view looking east that appeared in the publication S.F. Business. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding it for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
A look at the theatre's entrance in a photo taken at the opening of "Light's Out." It's from the February 9, 1924 issue of Exhibitors Herald. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding this for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
A 1925 view east on Market from the Jack Tillmany collection. The theatre is running "In the Name of Love," a film that opened September 19. Look in the upper center and you can see "Granada Theatre" across the top of the stagehouse. The building on the left, not part of the theatre, still survives. The photo appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
We get a fine look at the marquee in this May 15, 1926 item from Motion Picture News. The ballyhoo was for a Universal release "Skinner's Dress Suit." Thanks to Bob Ristelheuber for finding the story for a post on the BAHT Facebook page. The item also appears in Charmaine Zoe's Vintage Cinemas:California album on Flickr.
We're 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 on the right. The film this week is "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. There are some 1932 photos of the Golden Gate Ave. entrance a bit lower on this page.
An August 1927 view with the "It Girl," Clara Bow, appearing in "Hula." It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo. A smaller version is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
"Greater Movie Season." A night view of the signage taken during the run of "Hula." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. There's a small version of it on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A detail from the previous photo.
A look west in August 1927 toward the Granada and the Pompeii/Regal theatres. The Jack Tillmany collection photo is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A detail from the previous 1927 photo.
Jack comments: "Apparently, for whatever reason, the dual verticals didn't work out and by 1927 they had taken them down and replaced them with this single one on the right side of the building, which would be replaced by the 1929 one we know from the Excelsior/Granada on Mission Street (if, indeed that's the case), and then in 1930 by the Paramount sign that remained until 1965. Interesting also, that at the same time, the Pantages updated its original 1926 vertical to that short lived 1929 deco one, only to have it replaced later that same year by the Orpheum one which lasted until Market St. was beautified."
Gary Parks adds: "This vertical is not the one that wound up on the former Excelsior, though. Not unless it was very drastically reworked."
A photo from the Jack Tillmany collection taken the first week of January 1930. He comments: "Silent Screen icon Norma Talmadge is starring in her first, and second to last, talking picture. Ms. Talmadge had been a top ranking diva of the silent screen for over 20 years, an amazing record for those days, was pushing 40, and wisely opted to retire after this one, and her next and last one, 'DuBarry, Woman of Passion,' failed to spark at the box office. Virtually forgotten today, she's primarily remembered today for 'accidentally' stepping into the wet cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1927. You KNOW the rest of THAT story."
A 1930 view west from Market and Jones, just after the renaming of the theatre. The photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A detail from the previous photo revealing that "Sarah and Son" with Ruth Chatterton was playing at the Paramount. It opened March 27, 1930. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo. He notes that down the street on the left one can see the the marquees and vertical signs for the Egyptian Theatre, 1069 Market (later known as the Guild) and the Imperial, 1077 Market. Here's it's sporting deco signage as the Premier, soon it would be called the United Artists.
Gary Parks notes the track work on Market and comments: "I think the reason this photo was taken was to make a record of the cobblestone (or brick?) replacement around the Muni/Market St. Railway tracks in the center of the street and photo." Jack adds that if the photo were taken only a few weeks earlier there would still have been a vertical sign on the building saying "Granada."
"Red Headed Woman" with Jean Harlow in June 1932. A great shot showing off the use of changeable neon letters. It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo on the Open SF History Project website.
The west display cases during the run of "Red Headed Woman." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The entrance doors decorated for "Red Headed Woman." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Those lobby displays are about as deco as you can get, dontcha think? Hot film! Defines Pre-Code!"
The marquee on the Golden Gate Ave. side of the building in August 1932 during the run of "Devil and the Deep" with Gary Cooper. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. Also see a photo of the promenade leading in from this entrance.
Jack comments: "Interesting how they duplicated the new Market Street marquee, complete with neon letters, only a smaller version. The California did the same thing on Fourth St., and, of course, we know about the Fox on Hayes Street. I wonder how long before they shut it down?"
The display cases left of the Golden Gate Ave. entrance. It's an August 1932 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The boxoffice and displays on the right side of the entrance in August 1932. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A closer look at the auxiliary boxoffice on Golden Gate Ave. in August 1932. It was only used when business required it. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes that the entrance adjacent to this boxoffice led directly to the balcony level thus eliminating some of the foot traffic through the Market St. lobby.
A photo from the Jack Tillmany collection taken the first week of January 1930. He comments: "Silent Screen icon Norma Talmadge is starring in her first, and second to last, talking picture. Ms. Talmadge had been a top ranking diva of the silent screen for over 20 years, an amazing record for those days, was pushing 40, and wisely opted to retire after this one, and her next and last one, 'DuBarry, Woman of Passion,' failed to spark at the box office. Virtually forgotten today, she's primarily remembered today for 'accidentally' stepping into the wet cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1927. You KNOW the rest of THAT story."
The west display cases during "New York Nights." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The
west display cases during the run of "The Laughing Lady," a December
1929 release with Ruth Chatterton that opened at the Granada on January 17. She made an appearance at the theatre opening day. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany
collection.
Jack comments: "'New York Nights' was just ending its unsuccessful run,
and 'The Laughing Lady' was already being promoted as the next
attraction, but you can see some photos of Norma Talmadge & Gilbert
Roland still being displayed. You can also see some promotional material
for Harry Green in 'The Kibitzer' which was coming up after that. That's
one that definitely separates the sheep from the goats among early
talkie enthusiasts. 'The Laughing Lady' is quite good, however, but
unfortunately locked up do to legal problems, so somewhat hard (but not
impossible) to find."
The entrance doors decorated for "The Laughing Lady." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 1930 view west from Market and Jones, just after the renaming of the theatre. The photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A detail from the previous photo revealing that "Sarah and Son" with Ruth Chatterton was playing at the Paramount. It opened March 27, 1930. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo. He notes that down the street on the left one can see the the marquees and vertical signs for the Egyptian Theatre, 1069 Market (later known as the Guild) and the Imperial, 1077 Market. Here's it's sporting deco signage as the Premier, soon it would be called the United Artists.
Gary Parks notes the track work on Market and comments: "I think the reason this photo was taken was to make a record of the cobblestone (or brick?) replacement around the Muni/Market St. Railway tracks in the center of the street and photo." Jack adds that if the photo were taken only a few weeks earlier there would still have been a vertical sign on the building saying "Granada."
"Red Headed Woman" with Jean Harlow in June 1932. A great shot showing off the use of changeable neon letters. It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo on the Open SF History Project website.
The west display cases during the run of "Red Headed Woman." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The entrance doors decorated for "Red Headed Woman." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Those lobby displays are about as deco as you can get, dontcha think? Hot film! Defines Pre-Code!"
The marquee on the Golden Gate Ave. side of the building in August 1932 during the run of "Devil and the Deep" with Gary Cooper. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. Also see a photo of the promenade leading in from this entrance.
Jack comments: "Interesting how they duplicated the new Market Street marquee, complete with neon letters, only a smaller version. The California did the same thing on Fourth St., and, of course, we know about the Fox on Hayes Street. I wonder how long before they shut it down?"
The display cases left of the Golden Gate Ave. entrance. It's an August 1932 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The boxoffice and displays on the right side of the entrance in August 1932. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A closer look at the auxiliary boxoffice on Golden Gate Ave. in August 1932. It was only used when business required it. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes that the entrance adjacent to this boxoffice led directly to the balcony level thus eliminating some of the foot traffic through the Market St. lobby.
The displays for "Grand Hotel" in September 1932. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "The film opened at 'advanced prices' at the California Theatre in May 1932, then re-opened at the Paramount at 'popular prices' in September 1932. Very unusual, indeed, especially for 1932. By that time, the California was already on the decline, so this may have been an attempt to bring it back to life."
"Footlight Parade" at the Granada. The film played the Paramount in November 1933. The shot was included in a 2018 auction on www.eMoviePoster.com that included many photos of theatre displays. Thanks to Gary Meyer for sending it along and Gary Parks for spotting this one as the Granada. Gary comments: "There's no mistaking the top of the poster case peeking above the display, with its cast bronze head of a woman with a Lady Liberty type crown, and the pair of marquee support corbels over it."
The display for "Duck Soup." It played in November 1933, following "Footlight Parade." Photo: www.eMoviePoster.com. Again thanks to Gary Parks for identifying this as being on the left side of the theatre's entrance.
"2
Ace First Run Features" in 1934. It's a shot taken during the February 17 Preparedness
Day parade. The Paramount had Clyde Elliott's "Devil Tiger," a
February release with Marion Burns and Kane Richmond. The co-feature was the January film
"You Can't Buy Everything" with May Robson and Jean
Parker. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for locating this in the UC Berkeley
Bancroft Library collection for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
The entrance doors decorated for "Tarzan and his Mates" in May 1934. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A June 1935 photo of a little derailment issue from the Jack Tillmany collection. It appears on the Open SF History Project website. Note the banner for Shirley Temple and Joe E. Brown. At the time of the photo they were running "Our Little Girl" and "Alibi Ike."
A June 1935 look at the marquee during the run of "Our Little Girl" and "Alibi Ike." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"Professional Soldier" playing in January 1936. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The west side of the ticket lobby during the run of "Professional Soldier." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The west side of the ticket lobby in 1936 for "Professional Soldier." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A mid-1930s photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes: "It looks like a generic Mae West image they used for more than one film; great shot of an unidentified usherette."
A mid-1930s photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes: "It looks like a generic Mae West image they used for more than one film; great shot of an unidentified usherette."
"Maytime" at the Paramount in March 1937. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A closer view of the "Maytime"display west of the entrance. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection on the Open SF History Project site. Jack comments: "MGM used to issue over 100 different 8x10 scene photos on all their major productions, just for displays like this, and also for newspaper coverage in advance of, and during the run. Another aspect of the long gone, much maligned 'studio system'"
The west display cases for "Maytime." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appearing on the Open SF History Project website.
Another view of the west display cases in the ticket lobby. The Jack Tillmany collection photo is on the Open SF History Project website.
Displays at the entrance doors during the 1937 run of "Maytime." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo.
The crowd lined up for "In Old Chicago" in March 1938. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo from his collection.
Another "In Old Chicago" view from March 1938. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection and appears on the Open SF History Project website.
July 4, 1938. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for locating this shot in the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library for a post on the BAHT Facebook page. He comments: "If you got tired of watching this July 4 parade, you could drop by the Paramount and see Don Ameche in 'Josette.' Or you could go across the street to the St. Francis and see 'When Were You Born' with Anna May Wong and 'White Banners' with Jackie Cooper and Claude Rains." And if you didn't like those options the Regal was running "Three Blind Mice" with Loretta Young and Joel McCrea.
Ronald Colman in "If I Were King" in October 1938. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The west side of the entrance for "If I Were King." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A closer look at the west display case. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The west side of the ticket lobby for "If I Were King" in 1938. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
An August 1939 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection with a billboard for "Stanley and Livingstone" at the Paramount. The streetcar is southbound on Mission at Ney St.
An August 1939 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A closer look at part of the crowd for "Stanley and Livingstone." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The display on the west side of the entrance to promote "Stanley and Livingstone." It's an August 1939 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The ornament above the display case. It's a detail from the previous photo.
A "Stanley and Livingstone" west display case view. Thanks to Bill Gabel for finding this one to include on the Cinema Treasures page about the Paramount.
A display case on the east side of the entrance for "Stanley and Livingstone." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A display case on the east side of the entrance for "Stanley and Livingstone." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"Gulliver's Travels" playing the Paramount in December 1939. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A little bit of auto mayhem on the sidewalk. The show at the Paramount this week in May 1940 was Spencer Tracy in "Edison The Man" along with "Girl in 313" with Florence Rice and Lionel Atwill. Down at the Regal it was Joe E. Brown in "Beware Spooks!" It's a SF Police Department photo in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library. It appears on a Bold Italic page featuring many vintage Market St. views.
"One Night in Lisbon" in June 1941. It's a photo from the Preston Kaufmann collection. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing his copy.
Jack comments about the arched opening at the top of the facade: "The photo reveals that the statue of Vasco de Balboa in the archway was already gone by this time, but we don't have any photos (yet) of the 1930-1940 era that give us a clue. Was it removed in 1930 when the vertical was changed, and carried off by some enthusiast who was landscaping their garden, or taken down later, most likely as a safety precaution, or did it just fall down... or... ???"
Gary Parks responds: "I was under the impression that the statue was removed c. 1930, at the same time as a lot of the ornament was removed /simplified."
"Gone With The Wind" at popular prices in August 1942. It had earlier played a roadshow engagement at the Warfield. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 1942 look at the theatre running "Wake Island." It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo. There's a small version appearing on the San Francisco Public Library website. Jack notes that the premiere, with a War Bond Rally, was September 23. You could buy your bonds in the little hut out in front.
An October 1943 look east on Market with the Paramount over on the left. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for dating the photo. He notes that the Paramount's vertical was probably not lit due to WWII blackout regulations. The photo was featured in a September 18, 2015 S.F. Weekly article outlining the efforts of the organization Old SF to get the Library's historic photographs collection on a searchable map.
"The Sky's the Limit" in November 1943. The photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appears on the Open SF History Project website. He comments: "They're still using the neon marquee letters in this shot, which raises the question: Was this the last San Francisco theatre to use them? Not counting the Hayes St. Fox marquee."
A February 1944 postcard of Seabees on parade from the collection of Brooklyn-based theatre
historian Cezar Del Valle. Check out his latest explorations on his Theatre Talks blog.
Jack Tillmany comments: "The new white readerboard faces seem to be in place. Very unusual that they were able to get any such work done at this time, since all possible efforts and industry were focused on WWII, which we were still not so sure of winning at that point."
A look east from footage shot in March 1944 with the Paramount running "The Song of Bernadette" with Jennifer Jones. Next door the Regal had "Thundering Trails" and "Hello, Frisco, Hello." Down at the Warfield it was "Cry 'Havoc.'" Thanks
to Bob Ristelhueber for posting six screenshots on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered. The five and a half minute segment, in a colorized version, can be seen as a post from Nass on YouTube. Ten minutes of the original footage is on Internet Archive as a post from A/V Geeks.
June 1944 with "The Hitler Gang" as the attraction. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The display at the west side of the entrance for "The Hitler Gang." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The ticket lobby's west display cases during the June 1944 run of "The Hitler Gang." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The crowd for an October 1944 War Bond rally. The photo is from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A June 1945 view of the theatre running "Pillow To Post," a comedy with Ida Lupino and Sydney Greenstreet about the shortage of men on the homefront. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. A smaller version is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
Another 1945 "Pillow To Post" view from the Jack Tillmany collection. A smaller version can be seen on the San Francisco Public Library website.
Another view of the Bond Rally crowd in October 1944. This time we get a view of the marquee of the Regal Theatre to the east. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Looking south on Golden Gate Ave. from Leavenworth toward Market in 1944. There's the dome of the Golden Gate on the left and the stagehouse of the Granada (with two water tanks and a strange truss) on the right. The photo, credited to the San Francisco History Center at the San Francisco Public Library, appears in Mark Ellinger's fine Up From The Deep article "The Tenderloin." Mark notes: "The nearest building on the right is the friary of the Franciscan Fathers; the building to its left was until 1949 a film exchange." The photo also appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A November 1944 look at the Jones St. end of the theatre, with "Mrs. Parkington" advertised at the Paramount along with "Frenchman's Creek" at the Fox and "Marriage Is a Private Affair" in move-over status at the St. Francis. The photo is from the Jack Tillmany collection.
An April 1945 look west toward the Paramount with "A Royal Scandal" running at the Warfield. Thanks to Su Buchignani for including this in an eighteen photo set she shared in a 2023 post for the San Francisco Remembered
Facebook group. She comments that they were taken by her late father
when he was on leave. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting the post.
A closer view of the Paramount from Su Buchignani's 1945 set reveals that they were running the Michael Curtiz film "Roughly Speaking," a January release with Rosalind Russell and Jack Carson. The co-feature was "Utah" with Roy Rogers and Trigger.
A June 1945 view of the theatre running "Pillow To Post," a comedy with Ida Lupino and Sydney Greenstreet about the shortage of men on the homefront. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. A smaller version is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
Another 1945 "Pillow To Post" view from the Jack Tillmany collection. A smaller version can be seen on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A September 3, 1945 Labor Day parade view looking west. It's a photo by George De Carvalho for the Chronicle. We also get a glimpse of the Newsreel Theatre this side of the Warfield. It was renamed the Crest in 1958. Right below us at the St. Francis it's Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly in "Anchors Aweigh." The photo appears (with a November 30, 1948 date applied) in Peter Hartlaub's September 12, 2015 SF Gate article "Our SF: The city's movie palaces make an unexpected comeback." The photo also appears (still with a 1948 date) in another 2015 Hartlaub story called "Time Machine: 10 historic screenings we'd like to visit."
A view of a WACS parade in 1947 with an angle of the building we don't get in many other photos. And we get a nice look at the top of the vertical. The photo is on Flickr from army.arch. Also see Army's fine San Francisco album. The photo has also surfaced on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered as a post of Rob Adams.
March 27, 1947, the day of the premiere of "My Favorite Brunette" with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. The poster on the easel near the doors says "Theatre Closed Today." It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Another March 27, 1947 view from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The March 27, 1947 premiere of "My Favorite Brunette" with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. It's a photo in the San Francisco Public Library's collection. It hadn't been digitized yet but theatre sleuth Bob Ristelheuber snapped a shot of it for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
An October 1947 view with the theatre playing "Golden Earrings" with Marlene Dietrich and Ray Milland along with "Throw a Saddle on a Star" with Ken Curtis, Jeff Donnell and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing the photo in a post for the Market Street Railway Facebook group. He comments: "URR
single trucker 0601, in Muni service as a sand car, Westbound on Market
at Jones, pleads with voters to approve a transit bond
issue in the forthcoming November election; since then, fully restored
in its 1895 colors and fully operational as 578."
"Home of RKO Pictures." A 1947 photo of the Jones St. end of the building taken by Waldemar Sievers. We're looking north from the intersection of Market and McAllister. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it in the Open SF History Project collection. He comments: "Even by 1947, they hadn't painted it in quite a while."
A March 15, 1948 photo taken by Joe Rosenthal for the Chronicle. At the
Paramount it's "Adventures of Casanova." The Embassy is doing a revival
of "Bride of Frankenstein." It's a photo that appeared with Bob Bragman's 2017 SF Gate article "Rare unseen downtown San Francisco photos show city life in the 1930s and 1940s."
An April 1948 Chronicle photo -- with the Paramount's vertical visible down the street. Underneath the Warfield marquee they're advertising "Rocky," a January release starring Roddy McDowell. It was the 2nd feature. At the top of the bill (not visible in the photo) was Jeanette MacDonald, Jane Powell and Jose Iturbi in MGM's "Three Daring Daughters." The photo appears with Bob Branagan's November 2016 SF Gate story "Post-war San Francisco under construction - from unseen Chronicle archives." The two center tracks are getting redone. Later the outside ones would be removed.
A look down the street toward the Paramount in September 1948. The UA is running "Hollow Triumph," an August release with Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett. We get a bit of the vertical for the Centre Theatre right behind the UA signage. The photo appears on a Bold Italic page of Market St. views from 1920-1956 in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
"Stagecoach" and "The Long Voyage Home" in December 1948. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "These are obviously retreads, pre-Christmas time killers. Note the Christmas decorations."
"Whiplash" in February 1949. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A superb August 1949 view with the Paramount over on the left. And note a bit of the vertical for the Centre Theatre peeking out beyond the UA sign. At the UA: "The Great Dan Patch" with Dennis O'Keefe and Gail Russell. Thanks to Phil Davies for his photo on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
A January 1950 view by an unknown photographer. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for spotting the photo on the Open SF History Project website.
A September 1952 parade photo taken for the Examiner. The Paramount is running "Just For You."
Looking east c.1953. It's a photo by an unknown photographer appearing on the Open SF History Project website courtesy of a private collector. Kendall Simsarian had this one on San Francisco Remembered where it generated many comments.
A look west on Market St. in 1954 through a forest of vertical signs toward the Paramount. In the foreground: the Telenews, the Esquire, the St. Francis, the Warfield, the United Artists and others. Ron Merk posted this version of the photo on the Cinema Treasures page for the Telenews. Jack Tillmany comments: "One of the BEST! Last week of August 1954.
'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' in CinemaScope at the Warfield;
'Brigadoon' coming up in October 1954."
"It Came From Beneath the Sea" had its world premiere at the Paramount on June 18, 1955. Thanks to Sandy Ragsdale for locating the photo for a post on the BAHT Facebook page. Jack Tillmany comments: "You can't see me in the photo, because I was inside the theatre watching the movie!" See an opening day ad he located. "Monster attacks San Francisco! " In the comments to his BAHT post of the ad Jack also includes a shot of the monster attacking the Ferry Building.
An October 3, 1955 shot by Nat Farbman for Life. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the date. The Paramount has "Ulysses" with Kirk Douglas" plus a sneak preview that night. The United Artists is running David Lean's "Summertime." The photo appears with Peter Hartlaub's April 14, 2019 Chronicle story "The birth of a Market Street cinema district: Celebrities, crack dens and a coda." Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for spotting the story.
A great 50s view looking east on Market. Squint a bit and you can see the unassuming beige vertical for the Warfield down there as well. Note also the dome of the Golden Gate. Thanks to Gianni Corso for a now-vanished post on the Facebook page Vintage San Francisco.
Thanks to Maria Iclea Kava for this 1956 photo, a post on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered. And thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for sharing it on the BAHT Facebook page.
Jack Tillmany notes that the Martin and Lewis film "Pardners" (in VistaVision) opened at the Paramount on July 25. It was on a double bill with the boxing picture "The Leather Saint" with Paul Douglas and John Derek. Marco Place adds that the Regal next door is running "Guys and Dolls" with Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, Marlon Brando and Vivian Blaine.
Another summer 1956 view, taken just a few days after the previous photo. At the Paramount it's "The Proud and Profane" with William Holden and Deborah Kerr, a film that opened August 8. "Guys and Dolls" was in its second and final week at the Regal. The photo appears on the Open SF History Project website.
Gary Parks comments: "The photo captures that magical foggy San Francisco morning feeling, which captured me at the age of 8…and from which I’ve never recovered. Love that jewelry store down the street on the right, Tower of Jewels, of course a name that would still have been resonating clearly with customers then, as there was a multitude of folks still living that held the Pan-Pacific Exposition, and its Tower of Jewels grand entryway very dear in memory."
"Giant" at the Paramount in November 1956. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appearing on the Open SF History Project website.
A
March 1957 view from what is now called the McAllister Tower Apartments taken by an unknown
photographer. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting the photo in the Open SF History Project collection.
A detail Art extracted from the 1957 shot with the Paramount in the lower center. The Golden Gate is on the left. Art notes that at the time of the photo they were running "The Incredible Shrinking Man." The Warfield Theatre is
beyond. The St. Francis is across the street, at the time running "The
Ten Commandments."
Buses and streetcars backed up on April 21, 1958 during a fire in a storefront at the St. Francis. On the left in the shadows are the verticals for the Centre, United Artists and Embassy theatres. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this photo from his collection. And thanks to TJ Fisher for researching the date of the photo. Several other images are on the St. Francis page. Also see the next day's Examiner photo and article TJ located.
Another April 21, 1958 photo from the Sean Ault collection. At the Regal that day it was Jimmy Stewart and Audie Murphy in "Night Passage," Kay Kendall and and Gene Kelly in "Les Girls" and Joel McCrea in "Gunsight Ridge."
"Land of the Pharoahs" and "Helen of Troy" in March 1959. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "It was another a neat re-release package that Warner Brothers put together."
A 1959 postcard view from the Jack Tillmany collection that appears on the Cinema Tour page for the Market St. Cinema.
A look east on Market in July 1960 with the Paramount's vertical visible on the left. "Pollyanna," a May release, is playing at the Fox. Thanks to Lily Castello for finding the photo for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
The theatre running "Thirteen Ghosts" in July 1960. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Were you one of the lucky kids who got to experience 'Thirteen Ghosts' in ILLUSION-O? They were red and green 3D style glasses, and you only put them on to see the ghosts. Fun gimmick. If you are a William Castle enthusiast (which I am NOT), you might be interested to know that Sony's DVD of the film includes the color sequences with the 'ghosts' and you won't need the ghost-viewer that was provided by the Paramount. The ghosts all appear on cue when the screen turns red. Of course, you won't have the option of looking thru the blue lens & making them disappear, but that's progress."
Thanks to Gary Meyer for this image of the ILLUSION-O glasses.
"Sundowners" at the Paramount in December 1960. The film was their Christmas attraction. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this photo from his collection that nicely shows off the theatre's new marquee.
Gary Parks comments about the modernized entrance: "So they moved the box office to the left, and yet I can see an usher with his ticket box, standing in a separate set of what seem to be a set of dedicated entrance doors, which means the set to the left are exits...and there must have been a lot of fun, with people getting their tickets and--at certain times--traversing a sea of departing patrons, in order to get to the ticket taker."
"The Counterfeit Traitor" in May 1962. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"The Notorious Landlady" in July 1962. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The theatre running "Gypsy," a November 1962 release. It's a Dennis Hedberg photo appearing as part of a post by Mark Arnold on the Theatre Organ Group Facebook page. Thanks to Carlo Chaney for spotting the post.
A fall 1963 photo. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this one from his collection. The banner across the street is for a horse show at the Cow Palace from October 25 to November 5. On the far right the scaffolding is up on the David Hewes Building. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating a February Chronicle article announcing the re-cladding project, expected to take 12 months.
Another fall 1963 view, probably taken the same day as the previous photo. The Paramount is advertising a couple of "Hitchcock Thrillers." At the Regal it's cartoons plus "Run Silent Run Deep" from 1958 along with what looks like "The Hellions," a 1961 release. Down at the Warfield there's new "Fox Warfield" signage above the readerboard, replacing the previous "Loew's." Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing the photo from his collection.
Elvis at the Paramount! Well, on film anyway. It's May 1964 and Alan J. Canterbury was there to see "Kissin' Cousins." The photo is in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
An August 1964 photo from a private collector appearing on the open SF History Project website.
A photo by Howard Robbins with crop marks for publication in the San Francisco News Call-Bulletin on March 13, 1965. The copy: ""SOON IT WILL BE BUT A MEMORY -- The old Paramount Theater, destined for demolition." The photo is on the San Francisco Public Library website. 
Well, it's a nice shot from early 1965 (presumably by Fred Lyon) even if we don't see much of the theatre. We're looking east from McAllister St. The marquee, at center, is advertising "36 Hours." Thanks to Rob Adams for posting the view on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
A 1965 view taken by Bob Campbell for the Chronicle during the run of "Thirty Six Hours" with James Garner, Eva Marie Saint and Rod Taylor. The film opened February 24. The photo appeared with a March 2016 article by Bob Bragman on SF Gate: "A 100 year look at San Francisco marquees and theaters."
A photo by Howard Robbins with crop marks for publication in the San Francisco News Call-Bulletin on March 13, 1965. The copy: ""SOON IT WILL BE BUT A MEMORY -- The old Paramount Theater, destined for demolition." The photo is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
This photo ran in the Examiner on March 16, 1965 with the caption "Soon to be razed." Thanks to Glenn Koch for spotting the image when it was for sale on eBay.
Well, it's a nice shot from early 1965 (presumably by Fred Lyon) even if we don't see much of the theatre. We're looking east from McAllister St. The marquee, at center, is advertising "36 Hours." Thanks to Rob Adams for posting the view on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
A February 1965 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. That's the Regal Theatre down just beyond the Paramount. Jack comments:
"'Your Cheating Heart' opened the first week of February 1965; it was immediately followed by 'Those Calloways,' the second week of February 1965. The Paramount closed, quietly and without fanfare, 20 April 1965. My gut feeling is that the developers didn't want to draw any undue attention to its demise lest they have another Farewell to the Fox situation to deal with, which had been a thorn in many sides for over two years, and, by this time, would have quite likely caused extensive delays, and possibly have prevented its destruction altogether."
A February 1965 photo by Fred Beall from the Jack Tillmany collection. The soon-to-close Paramount had Disney's "Those Calloways" with Brian Keith and Vera Miles. The 398 seat Regal was in three-feature-grindhouse mode (+ cartoons!) running "Ma Barker's Killer Brood" (1960), "Son of Captain Blood" (1962) and "Sitting Bull" (1954).
An April 6, 1965 photo by an unknown photographer that appears on the Open SF History Project site.
The rear of the building on April 6, 1965. The ghost signs are of interest. Paramount, of course on the far left. Evidently at some point they ran lots of RKO product. On the back wall: "Granada Theatre RKO Pictures." It's a photo appearing on the Open SF History Project website.
The stage end of the building being dismantled by Cleveland Wrecking in 1965. It's a photo taken by Jack Tillmany.
A 1965 Dennis Hedberg photo appearing as part of a post by Mark Arnold on the Theatre Organ Group Facebook page. Thanks to Carlo Chaney for spotting the post.
Facade demolition farther along. It's a 1965 photo by Fred Beall that's in the Jack Tillmany collection.
The colorful barricade left of center covers the front of the low-rise building that replaced the Granada. The building that housed the Pompeii/Regal/Bijou Theatre is beyond. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2015
The back of the site, where the theatre actually was -- the frontage on Market was very narrow. We're looking south toward Market from the the corner of Golden Gate Ave. (in front of us) and Jones St. (out of the frame to the right). The building at the left (behind the parking sign and billboard) once housed the Regal Theatre. Photo: BC - January 2015
A closer look at the wall at center of the previous photo -- the only remnant of the Granada remaining. It's part of the house left side of the building, the slope of that one piece showing the angle of the balcony. Photo: BC - January 2015
Another look at the last remaining chunk of the Granada. It's a William David French Jr. photo posted on the BAHT Facebook page. He commented: "The last remaining piece of the San Francisco Granada/Paramount. The rest of the property is mostly a parking lot and a 1 story building. These are soon to be replaced by a new housing development. In this photo you can see part of the structure that I believe supported the balcony."
A 2016 rendering of the condo project Shorenstein Properties would build on the Granada/Paramount site, some 60 years after they tore down the theatre. The skinny portion of the facade coming out to Market St. just right of center is the lot that was the theatre's entrance. Here, looking tiny in the background at the right, is the dome of the Golden Gate. Miami based Arquitectonica is designing. S.F. Curbed had the story in March 2016: "Shorenstein's 1066 Market Street Condo Inches To Reality."
An April 2019 view of the Market St. end of the new building. Looking east toward the right it's the dome of the Golden Gate and the Warfield Building beyond. Photo: Google Maps
The Jones St. end of the building under construction. We're looking north from Market St. It's an April 2019 shot from Google Maps.
1965 clippings from Jack Tillmany's collection:
A March 15, 1965 photo and story from the News Call-Bulletin. Jack comments about the paucity of coverage, especially when compared to the Fox: "With at least THREE daily rags, each one seemed to give it one token spread, then forgot about it. Except for 'Death of a Theatre,' written the day before the closing, the others are from March, even though the place didn't close til April."
A March 16 story from the Chronicle.
An April 17 story from the Examiner.
An August 23, 1965 story about a fire on the site.
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 Paramount for lots of discussion.
A May 2014 Curbed S.F. story "186 Apartments Planned.." talked about the plans for the building that once housed the Regal Theatre. A September 2014 Curbed S.F. story "Mapping 40 Major Changes Re-shaping the Mid-Market Corridor" discussed projects in the pipeline at that time.
The other Granada: What had been the Excelsior Theatre, 4631 Mission St., was renamed the Granada Theatre in 1931. There wasn't any connection to this theatre downtown.
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