4510 Irving St. |
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Opened: This Outer Sunset district theatre opened in 1926 as the Parkview, a project for Ward Cox and George Hustin. The construction was announced December 12, 1925 and
it was running in May 1926. The location is between 46th and 47th Avenues. Thanks to Doug Depue for this photo of the theatre and the adjoining Cine Cafe. It was a post on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
Architect: Edward A. Eames. A set of the original blueprints is in the Gary Parks collection. See eleven images from them down at the bottom of the page.
Seating: 392 per the original plans. As the Parkview it was
listed as 450, perhaps an exaggeration. In later years as the Surf it
had 333.
It was renamed the Sunset in 1937. It became an art venue as
the Surf beginning July 24, 1957 after a remodel by owner Isabella Strohmeyer. Mel
Novikoff took over a couple years later and continued that programming model for decades.
His Surf Theatres group also operated the Clay,
Lumiere, Castro and Surf Interplayers with a mix of foreign films, specialty releases and revival/repertory policies. He also briefly operated the Bridge, Stage Door and Cannery theatres.
A 1963 Surf program. Thanks to Matías Antonio Bombal for sharing this image of the cover on the
BAHT Facebook page.
Art Siegel spotted this Summer 1967 program mailer on eBay.
"Loved that theater and its little café!" -- Marco Place
"And those wonderful Dutch orange chocolate bars they sold in the lobby. My mother took me to see a double bill of 'Forbidden Games' and 'Bicycle Thief' back in 1963 when I was 8 years old and I remember it as if it was yesterday." -- Ethan Nielson
"The trek out there on the N Judah primed you to enjoy whatever miracle you were going to see. And they were miracles." -- Charlie Cockey
The Surf is seen in the 1972 film "Play It Again, Sam." It's the theatre where Woody Allen watches "Casablanca." See some shotsfrom the scene lower on the page.
Closing: It closed July 7, 1985
Status: It's now a church.
Mel Novikoff: This longtime operator of the Surf and other arthouses died in 1987. Thanks to TJ Fisher for locating this newspaper photo:
TJ comments:
"He
was only 64 when he died in September 1987. One tribute described him
as 'a gentle man with a passion and a vision who wanted to share his
love of movies...an entrepreneur with an artistic soul, and a nice guy.'
Another called him 'a one-man United Nations: he brought the world to
us on film.' One could argue that he was more responsible than any other
individual from this period for making San Francisco one of the best
cities for moviegoing in the country."
Michael Blythe notes:
"The main offices for the Surf Theatres chain were kitty corner across the street from the Clay Theatre!"
Gary Meyer talks about Mel:
"When
I was 16 I introduced myself while he sat in the Surf Theatre Cafe
(what a concept!). He became my mentor (and even my daughter's
godfather). We shared offices above Brommel's pharmacy where we loved
looking across the street on opening day to see if there were lines. I
learned so much from him about movies and showmanship. And giving back
to the community. He was an avid supporter of the ballet, symphony,
opera, live theater, local restaurants and museums. When SFMOMA decided
to stop its film programming he jumped and kept it going. He'd work
extra hard to fill the auditorium and we were always rewarded by the
films (such as introducing America to Bertrand Tavernier showing 'The
Clockmaker').
"If
he loved a movie lacking distribution he might buy it and convince a
distributor to handle it for him. When the SF International Film
Festival ran out of money and was about to close down Mel took the lead
with Tom Luddy, Peter Buchanan and Albert Johnson to save it by working
for no pay to get it back on its feet. And he brought the Festival to
the Castro (the start of a trend). The story I have often told and to
confirm everything TJ wrote was that the theater was a run-down, dirty,
crumbling third run venue. The Nasser Brothers Sr. (sweet old guys I
knew) had no interest in it anymore. We walked into this dark place one
morning. Mel dragged the janitor's light to the center and turned it on,
revealing the ceiling dome. As he tilted the lamp we saw murals and
cameos covered with dust and cigarette smoke.
"It
only took a few minutes for Mel to get excited and start talking about
his vision for turning it into a theater where every night would be an
event. He also operated the Surf, Clay, Surf Interplayers, Lumiere
(adding a screen in the adjacent half of the building), Cannery (the
first cinema in SF with a bar), and the Stage Door (for a short time).
The Blumenfelds were proud to continue Mel's tradition with Anita Monga
programming it and bringing in more festivals. When the lease ran out
the Nasser sons decided that they should operate it----with mixed
results. Whatever reputation it maintained was thanks to the people
hired to program, manage and promote it plus those festivals."
Mel Novikoff in the upstairs lobby of the Castro Theatre. Thanks to TJ Fisher for locating this for his post about Mel on the
BAHT Facebook page:
Interior views:
A c.1978 lobby photo by Paul Lawrence from the Surf Theatres Archives.
Jason Benlevi comments: "The fellow at the candy counter is David Bacon,
who was the manager for a few years. We went to San Francisco State
Film School together."
Part
of the cleanup after a fire in the early 1980s. Thanks to David Bacon
for sharing the photo from his collection. He managed the house for a
few years.
An 80s post-fire look toward the front of the auditorium from the David Bacon collection. Thanks!
A July 1985
look at the 333 seat theatre's interior by Cliff Tune. The photo appears on Woody LaBounty's article
about the theatre for the Ocean Beach Bulletin.
An earlier look to the back of the house from the Surf Theatres Archives.
More exterior views:
A 60s view of the Surf by Greg Gaar that appears with the Ocean Beach Bulletin article. Kevin Walsh commented: "Actually, no later
than 1962, judging by the yellow 1956-issue license plate on the car at
the right. In 1963, everyone was issued new black plates." One source dates the photo as 1964. A version of it is in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
Lining up for John Korty's film "The Crazy-Quilt" in 1967. It's a photo from the Surf Theatres Archives.
Another 1967 "Crazy Quilt" shot from the Surf Theatres Archives.
A c.1974 photo by Clay Geerdes. The building to the left of the theatre had been demolished. Thanks to David Miller for posting this on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered. And thanks to Kevin Walsh for spotting the post.
A 70s shot of theatre operator Mel Novikoff in front of the building. It's a photo from a Surf Theatres Archives scrapbook. It was probably used as a publicity shot as "Surf Theatre" is
stamped on the back.
A detail from the photo with Mel from the Surf Archives. The posters in the cases are for "The Story of Adele H" (1975) and "Amarcord" (1973).
A c.1975 photo by Paul Lawrence from the Surf Theatres Archives.
A 1977 view by Paul Lawrence from the Surf Theatres Archives. Note the poster for "Pumping Iron," then playing at the Clay.
An 80s look at the Surf by Jim Cassedy appearing with the Western Neighborhoods page on the theatre.
A 1985 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Thanks
to Gregory Kiner for a 2015 look at the famous art house, sadly now a
church. He posted the view on San Francisco Remembered as a comment to a
post of a 70s view of the theatre.
The Surf in the Movies:
It's the theatre where Woody Allen watches "Casablanca" at the
beginning of "Play It Again, Sam" (Paramount, 1972). Herbert Ross
directed. Diane Keaton co-starred.
Outside in front of the Surf Cafe.
Details from the set of prints in the Gary Parks collection:
A title block with the names of the owners and the architect.
Facade details. That's the boxoffice in the lower left. Gary comments: "The facade is drawn as it was built, except for the very significant difference of the lack of the Mission style outline of the top cornice. Here, it's square. I think the decision to change it to the Mission shape was a good one."
A decorative cove. Gary comments: "Stenciled peacocks once resided on the lobby walls!"
A look toward the proscenium. Gary comments: "A pretty plain proscenium at the get-go…and NO organ chambers! Must have had a tiny Photoplayer down front, or a piano." It's noted on the drawing that there was no screen. It was to be a painted area on the plaster back wall.
The standeee area and front of the booth.
A section through the front of the building. In the outer lobby, at the center, the drawing calls for stenciled ornament in seven colors. The stairs at the left go up to the men's room and the booth, which is in the upper left.
A section through the unexciting back of the auditorium. The booth is seen in the upper right.
More interesting sidewall decor here near the front. At the left it's the orchestra pit, the proscenium, and the back wall that would be used as a screen.
A detail of the plaster ornament on the side wall.
A plan of the front of the auditorium showing the stage and orchestra pit.
A plan of the lobby end of the building. In the upper right it's a rental storefront. In the upper center is the theatre's ladies room and stairs up to the men's room and booth.
Thanks, Gary!
More information: The
Western Neighborhoods Project has a page on the Surf. Also see the
Cinema Treasures page.
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Sad to see how dramatically the church redid the facade.
ReplyDeleteYes. Sad indeed.Churches! Ha!
Deletefantastic to see the old BluePrints!
ReplyDeleteHow do I post a photo?
ReplyDeleteHi! Well, you can send it to me along with whatever data you have. See the contact info link at the top of the page. Thanks! -- Bill
DeleteI am not sure how active this blog is but I was really happy to stumble upon it when researching the Surf Theater. Lots of great, hard to find, never before seen, material located here.
ReplyDeleteI moved to SF in the early 80s as an undergrad film student and I was lucky enough to attend a few different screenings at this charming venue. At the time I did not understand just how endangered it was. It should have been apparent at the time, even for a naive 20-something, since I was among a small group of fewer than 20 in attendance that evening for my very first Bergman screening.
For a kid that grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, the notion of a small independent neighborhood cinema in such a secluded, and "remote" part of the City, was as foreign to me as the programming of this little gem. The cross town trip from the Haight to the outer Sunset via the N Judah line in itself was an exotic adventure, which only heightened the suspense and anticipation of the evening.
I have been to many Art House cinemas in the City and elsewhere since that time, many of which are now closed and forever lost, but there was something unique and inscrutable about the theatrical experience of The Surf, where spellbound moviegoers would, after two hours of immersive, alchemical movie magic, emerge into the inky black of night, greeted by a luxurious blanket of fog condensing on their faces, illuminated by the diffused glow of the neon marquee, as they wait for the next N Judah car to whisk them away back to the familiar, mundane quotidian world, thereby breaking the spell.
That world is forever gone now, never to be replicated, and I mourn its loss. Even after may hundreds of film screenings later, whether at grand movie palaces (such as The Castro), the dilapidated former movie palaces such as The York, or modest, hole-in-the wall (think Red Vic) settings, none have come close to making the lasting impression those few magical evenings at The Surf had made on me. It may not have been the most glamorous or architecturally significant theater in City histort, but it certainly did punch above its weight.
Well, the blog is very active. One page or another on the site gets updated every few days as new material emerges. Thanks for all your comments. If you're on Facebook join us at Bay Area Historic Theatres where there are frequent posts noting what new material has been added.
Delete