Opened: It opened as a tent theatre called the Greater Novelty on May 28, 1906. Later it was referred to as just the Novelty Theatre. Along with the National, opening the same day two blocks down Steiner St., it was one of the first theatres to open after the earthquake. The photo from the AMPAS Tom B'hend - Preston Kaufmann collection is dated May 28. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for making it available.
This was a replacement for an earlier theatre on Powell St. lost in the April 1906 earthquake and fire. See the page for the first Novelty Theatre for what's known about that one. In the 1909-1910 edition of Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide the managers were listed as Loverich and Lubelski. Sam Loverich had earlier been listed as the operator of the pre-1906 Novelty.
An early June 1906 article from Variety noted both the National and the Novelty got open to packed houses. The Orpheum referred to in the article would have been the one at the Fulton St. Chutes park. In 1907 their new theatre (later called the Garrick) would open on Ellis St. Loverich would open a theatre next door to the Orpheum called the Princess Theatre. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding the item. He added it as a comment to his post of a photo of the National Theatre on the BAHT Facebook page.
Another look at the tent version of the Novelty. Thanks to Glenn Koch for this photo that appeared in an October 1906 souvenir program in his collection for the Colonial Theatre, a house later known as the President. It was part of a portfolio honoring theatres lost in the fire and earthquake plus a few views of the hasty replacements. See Glenn's post on the BAHT Facebook page for 26 more images from the program.
Jack Tillmany's research indicates that the revamped building with a roof on top opened December 17, 1906.
Seating capacity: 1,200 according to the 1907-08 edition of Henry's Official Western Theatrical Guide. It's on Google Books.
A January 1907 program for "The Voice of the Mighty" at the Novelty with famed actor James O'Neill, father of Eugene. Thanks to Glenn Koch for sharing the program from a scrapbook in his collection. The January 6 issue of the San Francisco Call had a lengthy article about the new play and tales of earlier visits to San Francisco by O'Neill. The issue is on the website of the California Digital Newspaper Collection.
The
Fire Committee of Supervisors was inspecting theatres on 1907 and
looking for improvements in the interest of public safety. The December 1, 1907 Chronicle
announced
that the nearby Davis Theatre was hopeless and ordered it closed. The Novelty was told to fix things up. The Chronicle page is on Newsbank.
The article notes that the Lyceum, Novelty, National and Empire would be making improvements including creation of a foyer at the rear of the house, making aisles wider, affixing the seats to the floor, metal-lining the auditorium and dressing rooms, and adding exits. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article.
The article notes that the Lyceum, Novelty, National and Empire would be making improvements including creation of a foyer at the rear of the house, making aisles wider, affixing the seats to the floor, metal-lining the auditorium and dressing rooms, and adding exits. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article.
The seating chart for the theatre c.1908. Thanks to Kevin Walsh for the find in a 1908 guidebook to the city. It was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
In Cameron's 1908 Theatrical Guide the theatre is still called the Greater Novelty. It was renamed the Gayety Theatre January 24, 1909 but soon reverted to the Novelty name. In the 1908 and 1910 city directories under "Theatres and Resorts" they give the address as Fillmore and Steiner.
Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this June 1909 photo. It's on the San Francisco Public Library website in a smaller version.
Stage specifications:
Proscenium: 30' wide x 19' 6" high
Stage depth: 30' from footlights to back wall
Wall to wall: 60'
Grid height: 40'
Height to fly gallery: 18'
Distance between fly girders: 38' 6"
Depth under stage: 10'
Number of traps: 3
Illumination: gas and electric
This data for the hardtop version of the Novelty comes mostly from the 1909-1910 edition of Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide. Also see the 1907-08 edition of Henry's Official Western Theatrical Guide. Both are on Google Books.
This article by one of the Novelty's managers, Sam Loverich, appeared in the Los Angeles Herald in 1909. It was a post on the Facebook page Vaudeville! by Scott Harris, a great grandson of Sam Loverich.
Stage specifications:
Proscenium: 30' wide x 19' 6" high
Stage depth: 30' from footlights to back wall
Wall to wall: 60'
Grid height: 40'
Height to fly gallery: 18'
Distance between fly girders: 38' 6"
Depth under stage: 10'
Number of traps: 3
Illumination: gas and electric
This data for the hardtop version of the Novelty comes mostly from the 1909-1910 edition of Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide. Also see the 1907-08 edition of Henry's Official Western Theatrical Guide. Both are on Google Books.
This article by one of the Novelty's managers, Sam Loverich, appeared in the Los Angeles Herald in 1909. It was a post on the Facebook page Vaudeville! by Scott Harris, a great grandson of Sam Loverich.
Thanks to Dave Reingold for spotting the article.
An ad for the theatre appearing in the December 12, 1909 issue of the San Francisco Call. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it.
Closing: The last city directory listing for the Novelty was June 1914.
More information: See the pages for the earlier Novelty Theatre on Powell St. that was lost in 1906 and Sam Loverich's Princess Theatre on Ellis St. that he opened in 1907. 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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