Opened: It opened as the Pompeii Theatre on Saturday August 1, 1925, according to research by Jack Tillmany. The building dates from 1907. The theatre was a project of Max and Louis Graf, who earlier had opened the Egyptian and Aztec theatres on Market St.
The Pompeii, their third "historically themed" Market Street venue, was initially scheduled to open July 15, 1925. Before the Pompeii opened they had closed the Aztec and leased out the Egyptian and their not-yet-opened Pompeii on a ten year deal to Dan S. and Morris L. Markowitz. The word was that the Grafs had decided to concentrate their energies on motion picture production.
Seating: 398
Architects: Perhaps the Rosseau Brothers were the designers of the Pompeii. They were mentioned as having "opened" the Aztec and Egyptian in a trade magazine item located by Jack Tillmany. If this is accurate, they may have also been involved in the conversion of existing store space into the Pompeii Theatre. Arthur F. Rousseau and Oliver M. Rousseau were prominent San Francisco architects best known for designing downtown apartment houses.
An opening day ad located by Jack Tillmany.
A newspaper story that appeared opening day which explained the change of operators. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating the article.
It was renamed the Regal Theatre in 1936 after a deco remodel designed by F. Frederic Amandes. Fourteen images from the plans for the remodel are at the bottom of the page. Gary Parks comments:
"I have one set of blueprints for this theatre. They are stamped 1935, and are labeled as Alterations to Pompeii Theatre. These drawings are interesting. No exterior stuff—it wouldn’t have been necessary, save for a sign company to create the marquee we know, but the concept was to take what was indeed a Roman style little theatre (there are a couple of clues as to that) and make it the nicest Geometric High Deco—with some hints of Streamline—they could under the circumstances.
"You can see on the floorpan how structural pillars along the sidewalls had once been Roman ones—it says to remove existing column cap plasterwork, and then replace with Deco elements. Predictably, the columns were evenly spaced down the sidewalls—masking structural elements, but there were pairs of them on either side of the very shallow proscenium as well. In the drawings, the screen is to be moved forward, and in the process of doing that, the columns closest to it were forgotten behind the new screen. I wonder if they left them in their original Roman condition? We’ll likely never know. Nice Deco tilework around the fountain in the lobby."
A February 8, 1936 newspaper item about the reopening.
A February 8 opening day ad. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating these items.
The theatre ended its run as a grindhouse on July 30, 1974.
It was taken over by the Mitchell Brothers who were then, as Jack Tillmany notes, "riding the crest of the X-rated wave, producing, directing and exhibiting their own films, which were widely accepted as the best of the breed." It reopened October 30, 1974 as the Bijou Theatre, also known as the Mitchell Brothers Bijou.
The Bijou closed c.1989 once the Mitchell Brothers empire began crumbling. It re-opened as the Regal (again) in the mid-1990s with a live show and video booths. It was eventually rechristened (for the last time) with the curious nomenclature LA Gals.
Closing: It shut down for good c.2005. The space was being temporarily used as a food hall and bar. Any
evidence of its theatre use had been stripped from the building.
Status: The building was demolished in October 2019.
There seem to be no interior photos but one would assume they had Italian-themed murals, perhaps even one of a volcano. Jack Tillmany comments:
"If it had been the Fox Oakland, there could have been smoke coming out of it. The movie 'The Last Days of Pompeii,' came out in 1935, so probably played there before the 1936 name change. Maybe there was an earthquake that week, and somebody decided a name change was in order. The name change took place in February 1936, and 'San Francisco' didn't open at the Paramount until July, so it couldn't have been the rumble they felt from that one."
A September 1925 Labor Day parade with the Waitresses Union passing in front of the Pompeii Theatre. The photo is on Calisphere from the Museum of Performance and Design Performing Arts Library. Jack Tillmany comments: "In case you can't read that sign on top of the building, it says
SAVE 10 CENTS A DAY - GET $1000 CASH and $1000 PROTECTION FOR 30 YEARS (AGES 35 AND UNDER)."
The one month old Pompeii Theatre. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this detail taken from the Labor Day Parade photo.
A look west in August 1927 toward the Pompeii and Granada theatres during "Greater Movie Season." The Pompeii is running "Paradise," a September 1926 release with Milton Sills and Betty Bronson. At the Granada it's the Clara Bow, the "It Girl," in "Hula." It's a detail from a photo in the Jack Tillmany collection. A small version of the full photo is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
The one month old Pompeii Theatre. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this detail taken from the Labor Day Parade photo.
A March 1926 "Laugh Month" photo from a trade magazine. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A look west in August 1927 toward the Pompeii and Granada theatres during "Greater Movie Season." The Pompeii is running "Paradise," a September 1926 release with Milton Sills and Betty Bronson. At the Granada it's the Clara Bow, the "It Girl," in "Hula." It's a detail from a photo in the Jack Tillmany collection. A small version of the full photo is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A fine 1934 view taken during the February 17 Preparedness Day parade. The Pompeii was running "Parachute Jumper," a January 1933 release with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Bette Davis. The co-feature was "Strange Adventure," a 1932 film with Regis Toomey and June Clyde. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for locating ten photos of the parade for a post for the San Francisco Remembered Facebook group. They're all from the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library collection.
Another 1934 Preparedness Day photo in the UC collection. They were taken by C.B. Peterson for the Examiner.
In this 1934 Preparedness Day shot we get a look at the front of the Pompeii's marquee. And if you were fans of Pig 'n Whistle or Painless Parker, they were in the same building. Thanks, Bob!
The Pompeii was running "It Happened One Night" with Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable as members of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union march in a parade. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting the photo on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered, a post by Patricia Vincent. Some of her relatives were members of the union. The film was a February 1934 release. Art surmises that it was the 1934 Labor Day parade.
A September 7, 1936 Labor Day Parade photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. Note a bit of the Golden Gate peeking into view. Gary Parks comments: "Just to the right of the Regal marquee, note that little stepped Deco transom window at the Pig and Whistle. It was there until the building's demolition in 2019."
A March 1938 photo with the poor Regal having to deal with crowds lined up for "In Old Chicago" at the Paramount. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo from his 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.
A September 7, 1936 Labor Day Parade photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. Note a bit of the Golden Gate peeking into view. Gary Parks comments: "Just to the right of the Regal marquee, note that little stepped Deco transom window at the Pig and Whistle. It was there until the building's demolition in 2019."
A March 1938 photo with the poor Regal having to deal with crowds lined up for "In Old Chicago" at the Paramount. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo from his 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.
A Friday night shot of Roger Fong's parents in February 1941 taken by a street photographer. The title we can see, "Bullet Code," was a 1940 release with George O'Brien and Virginia Vale. Thanks to Roger for sharing the photo in a post for the San Francisco Remembered Facebook group.
A look east from footage shot in March 1944 with the Regal running "Thundering Trails" along with Alice Faye in "Hello, Frisco, Hello," both 1943 releases. The Warfield had "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.
"San Francisco's Little Theatre of Big Hit Action Programs." The event is an October 1944 War Bond rally at the Paramount. We're looking east toward Taylor St. It looks like the shot was taken from atop the Paramount's marquee. It's a News-Call Bulletin photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this version of the photo.
"Always a Top Notch Action Program - The Pick of the Pictures." It's a January 1946 photo by an unknown photographer. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for spotting it on the Open SF History Project website. Jack calls our attention to the "Paramount Theatre" lettering on the side of the theatre next door and also that this is our last look at the Regal still using their old milk glass letters.
"San Francisco's Little Theatre of Big Hit Action Programs." The event is an October 1944 War Bond rally at the Paramount. We're looking east toward Taylor St. It looks like the shot was taken from atop the Paramount's marquee. It's a News-Call Bulletin photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this version of the photo.
"Always a Top Notch Action Program - The Pick of the Pictures." It's a January 1946 photo by an unknown photographer. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for spotting it on the Open SF History Project website. Jack calls our attention to the "Paramount Theatre" lettering on the side of the theatre next door and also that this is our last look at the Regal still using their old milk glass letters.
An April 19, 1948 photo with "Dead Reckoning" playing the Regal. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating this one in the SFMTA archives.
The April-May 1949 calendar for the "Little Downtown Theatres" -- the Silver Palace (later renamed the Hub), the Newsreel (later the Crest) the Regal, and the Peerless. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
The August-September 1949 calendar for the four theatres operated by Aaron Goldberg. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A January 1950 view by an unknown photographer. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for spotting the photo on the Open SF History Project website.
A 1954 photo taken by Fred Beall that's in the Jack Tilllmany collection. He comments: "Whoever did the marquee felt the need to describe each feature attraction, a Regal trademark. Hence 'Pagan Fury,' 'Lawless Frontier' and 'Suspense Drama' clue audiences in as to what to expect on the inside."
Thanks to John Rice for this c.1956 view looking east toward Golden Gate Ave. It's a bit of the Paramount marquee on the far left. The Esquire and Telenews are hiding down beyond the Warfield (here with Loew's signage). John has the photo on the Cinema Treasures page about the Regal.
A 1956 shot with the Regal running "Guys and Dolls" with Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine. At the Paramount it's the Martin and Lewis film "Pardners" (in VistaVision) along with the boxing picture "The Leather Saint" with Paul Douglas and John Derek, a program that Jack Tillmany notes opened July 25. Thanks to Maria Iclea Kava for the 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 comments: "Another unique moment: A failed attempt to upgrade the Regal with the continued run of the MGM musical "Guys and Dolls" which had just completed its 23 week run at the Stage Door in April. It only lasted two weeks, and the Regal returned to grind."
Another summer 1956 view, taken just a few days after the previous photo. The Regal still has "Guys and Dolls" for its second and final week. At the Paramount it's "The Proud and Profane" with William Holden and Deborah Kerr, a program that opened August 8th. It's a photo appearing on the Open SF History Project website.
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 and Paramount pages. Also see the next day's Examiner photo and article TJ located.
A detail from Sean's April 22, 1958 photo. 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." Thanks, Sean!
A c.1959 photo by Clay Geerdes. Thanks to David Miller for sharing it on the San Francisco Remembered Facebook page. The Regal has "The Badlanders," a 1958 release with Alan Ladd, along with "The Girl Can't Help It" from 1956.
Standing under the Paramount marquee and looking east to the Regal. They're running "Flame Over India," a 1960 release also known as "North West Frontier." It starred Lauren Bacall and Herbert Lom. It's a shot by street photographer Joseph Selle. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for contributing it. For more about the strange career of this photographer and his business Fox Movie Flash, see the page on the website of Andrew Eskind about the collection of his photos. There's also a May 2017 Chronicle article on Selle.
A c.1960 photo taken by Fred Beall that's in the Jack Tilllmany collection.
Standing under the Paramount marquee and looking east to the Regal. They're running "Flame Over India," a 1960 release also known as "North West Frontier." It starred Lauren Bacall and Herbert Lom. It's a shot by street photographer Joseph Selle. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for contributing it. For more about the strange career of this photographer and his business Fox Movie Flash, see the page on the website of Andrew Eskind about the collection of his photos. There's also a May 2017 Chronicle article on Selle.
A December 1960 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A June 5, 1962 photo taken by Jack Tillmany who also sends along part of his collection of Regal ticket stubs.
A summer 1962 shot. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for sharing this frame from some 8mm footage as a post for the BAHT Facebook page. The 8 minutes of footage, which also shows other theatres, is on YouTube from Americana Found Footage.
A 1965 photo by Fred Beall from the Jack Tillmany collection. The Regal is in three feature grindhouse mode (+ cartoons!) running "Ma Barker's Killer Brood" (1960), "Son of Captain Blood (1962) and "Sitting Bull" (1954).
"Four Big Hits - Disembodied." This look to the west is from "San Francisco Market Street 1960s," three minutes of footage on YouTube from San Francisco Neon that was taken during the last week of December 1966. A watermarked version is on the Getty Images site. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for the screenshot and locating the footage for a post on the BAHT Facebook page. The Granada / Paramount used to be next door but it was demolished in 1965.
An April 25, 1968 photo taken by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection. The ticket stubs are also from Jack's collection.
A September 3, 1972 view of the theatre without its marquee -- a victim of the Market St. Beautification Program. The photo is from the San Francisco Public Library collection. It's featured on a 2014 Historypin post discussing the need to add more information to the photos in the SFPL collection. Jack Tillmany calls our attention to the fact that the theatre is running a program of four features.
A c.1974 Tom Gray photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Yes, 'Animal Lover' was just exactly what you're thinking it might have been. It opened in SF in November 1970 on Turk Street, was declared obscene in January 1971 and became an instant success. By 1973-1974 these trendy 1970s sextravaganzas became the trademark of the Regal, soon to become Mitchell Brothers Bijou."
A c.1974 photo by Tom Gray of the theatre as the Bijou. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A c.1974 photo by Tom Gray of the theatre with a fancy new marquee. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A c.1978 photo by Tom Gray from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A c.1978 photo by Tom Gray from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A post-Mitchell Brothers photo by Tom Gray from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Back to the Regal name and with the angled marquee taken off the building in the early 1990s. The photo is from the San Francisco Public Library collection.
A 1995 photo by Tom Gray from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 2003 photo by Tom Gray from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A c.2010 look at the Regal storefront during a period of inaction. It's a Mark Ellinger photo from his Up From the Deep article about mid-Market architecture. He notes: "For some thirty years, the Regal was one of several popular small Market Street cinemas that catered to the walk-in trade, showing for a very low price action films that were changed four times a week. In the mid-50s, double features became triple features and six color cartoons were included with every program."
The Regal's former entrance is over on the right where the "L.A. Gals - The Hall" vertical is. That brightly painted facade at left is the site of the Granada. When it
was demolished, two store buildings were quickly built to fill the hole
a bit. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2015
The building in 2018. Thanks to Terry Wade for this and other photos appearing here. More of his work can be seen on the Cinema Treasures page about the Regal.
A plan of the angled space the theatre occupied in the building.
The building in 2018. Thanks to Terry Wade for this and other photos appearing here. More of his work can be seen on the Cinema Treasures page about the Regal.
Demolition underway. The building on the left is on the site of the Granada / Paramount. The Golden Gate Theatre is beyond. Photo: Terry Wade - October 23, 2019
Looking west along the facade. Photo: Terry Wade - October 23, 2019
Another peek into the hollowed out building. Photo: Terry Wade - October 23, 2019
Looking through to Golden Gate Ave. The Golden Gate Theatre is down the block to the right. Photo: Terry Wade - October 23, 2019
The Golden Gate Ave. end of the building. Photo: Terry Wade - October 23, 2019. Thanks, Terry!
Images from the plans in the Gary Parks collection for the 1935 renovation:
Information from the architect on one of the sheets.
Gary comments: "Unusual to have the contractor’s name and address given, in addition to that of the architect."
A facade elevation.
A section through the marquee and ticket lobby.
A plan of the angled space the theatre occupied in the building.
A closer look at the lobby end of the floorplan. Note on the right the drinking fountain location adjacent to the entrance into the auditorium.
An elevation of the lobby wall with the auditorium entrance in the center.
A detail of the drinking fountain.
The screen end of the space, also showing modifications to the exit passageway house left. Gary comments: "While no photos of the interior of this theatre as the
Pompeii are known, one can see that there were once engaged Classical
columns along the sidewalls, and pairs of them flanking the screen.
Apparently the innermost columns were left alone, being made unseen by
the installation of the new screen and curtain. One wonders if they
survived the subsequent decades intact back there, until the building’s
demolition in the late Twenty-Teens. The rest of the columns remained,
but denuded of their Roman detailing."
A peculiar note on the drawing about the switching of the foots. Gary comments: "If only modern cinematic lighting design paid attention to details like this."
A section view along with various details.
New auditorium sidewall ornament.
Another sidewall detail. Gary comments: "Notice on the left, where the instructions dictate that
what had once been a Roman column in the Pompeii Theatre days was to
have its Ionic or Corinthian capital removed, and replaced by a plain
boxy top."
A stage view. Thanks, Gary!
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.
A 2016 S.F Curbed article, "Report aims to sink 1028 Market...," discussed problems with the developer's proposal to demolish the 1907 vintage building.
Cinema Treasures has a page on the theatre. Wikipedia has a page about the Mitchell Brothers.
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