The Sherman Theatre

2614 Mission St. | map |

Dates: Perhaps running as early as 1908. The location was on the west side of the street just south of 22nd St.

In a September 1909 Billboard listing located by Jack Tillmany it's called the Theatorium. In the 1910 city directory it's called The Theatorium with Auburn & Leahy listed as the proprietors. It's listed in the 1912 city directory as the Sherman.

It gets a mention in a July 15, 1916 Moving Picture World article. It's on Google Books.  The article  notes: 

"The Sherman theater, across the street from the Grand, is also an old house, said to be the second oldest in the city devoted to moving pictures. It is conducted by Mr. Gernhardt as a five-cent theater, four changes of program being made each week. Universal service, a Mutual serial and open market features make up the programs."

The Grand Theatre the article refers to is the house that opened in 1905 as the Mission Theatre and was later known as the Realart. It was on the SE corner of 22nd and Mission at 2605 Mission St. 

 

 

On the right we're looking at the west side of Mission with 22nd St. at the top and 23rd St. near the bottom. The Sherman is seen in the second building south of 22nd. Thanks to Art Siegel for this detail from a page of the 1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map that's in the Library of Congress collection.  

A closer look from the 1914 map. The Sherman is indicated as "Moving Pictures" in a two-story wood building with a bowling alley in the basement.

A view from across the street. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo. And thanks to Art Siegel for dating it. He comments: 

"There are three election posters to the left of the Sherman. Welch, Fickert and McLaughlin were all on the ballot together in the election of September, 1915."

A trade magazine item from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: 

 

"Here's 'Dante's Inferno' at the Sherman in 1916. In later years the replacement building on the site became National Dollar Stores, and last time I looked, their name was still in the terrazzo out front; more recently, it was a linen shop."

Closing: Unknown. It was still running in 1921 -- it's listed in a September 4, 1921 Paramount Week ad in the Chronicle. 

Status: The building got replaced in 1922, according to city records consulted by Art Siegel.

 

A detail from the 1950 Sanborn Map. The replacement building, two down from 22nd St. at the top, is shown in blue as a one-story structure constructed of concrete using 2610/2612 as addresses. Thanks to Art Siegel for extracting this from the copy that's in the Library of Congress collection.  

See a 1995 PDF that Art located from the California Department of Parks and Recreation with data on the current building. Evidently it got a second floor added since the survey was done for the 1950 Sanborn Map.

The replacement building as Anna's Linens. Photo: Google Maps - 2015

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.  

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