The Presidio Theatre

2340 Chestnut St. | map |

Opened: July 1, 1937 as the El Presidio Theatre, a third-run neighborhood house. The 1940 photo originally from Jack Tillmany appears in the Tom B'hend - Preston Kaufmann Collection, part of the Margaret Herrick Digital Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding the photo and posting it on the BAHT Facebook page. Jack comments:  

"It was built by Baron and Nathan. The cost of construction was reported to be between $75,000 and $l00,000.  Its purpose, initially, was to supply the Marina district with a third run and/or secondary level film venue, supplementing the nearby Marina (later Cinema 21), which, at that time, was strictly a second run outlet for major titles." 

Architect: W.D. Peugh, architect; John H. Ahnden, associate architect. Gary Parks comments: 

 

"I have two sets of blueprints for this theatre: One shows it exactly as built, inside and out. The other set of drawings shows the same theatre structurally, but the ornamental detailing is more typical of c. 1930 'High Deco,' with panels and moldings of either geometric borders or stylized floral patterns. The drawings were done at the same time, and clearly, the client chose the Moderne version." 

 

See highlights from both sets of drawings down at the bottom of the page.

Seating: 828 was the capacity listed in the 1940 Film Daily Yearbook. Thanks, Ken Roe. It was a stadium style house.

In 1951 the theatre was sold to Gerald Hardy and the name got shortened to just the Presidio Theatre.

In the 60s after Hardy retired, the venue changed hands again and Art Theatre Guild became the operator. The Presidio started running porno sometime in the mid-60s, beginning with softcore Russ Meyer titles. In 1969 the theatre ran "I Am Curious, Yellow." Jack Tillmany comments on that booking:

"It opened with much publicity (and business to match) at the Presidio in May 1969, running from 11 am to past midnight. Sometime during its 4th (!!!) month (August), it opened an 'exclusive East Bay Engagement' at... wait for it... the Fox Oakland!!! Finally in October, after 20 weeks, it was replaced at the Presidio by Andy Warhohl's 'Flesh,' but continued in the East Bay at the Fox Oakland. In SF it moved over to to the 'New Guild' [sic], where it refused to leave, until it was finally replaced on Christmas by (you're going to LOVE this!) 'Funny Girl' at popular prices! At the Presidio, its 20 week run matched 'Exodus' at the Alexandria, 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Stage Door, and 'El Cid' at the Alexandria and outdistanced 'Paint Your Wagon' at the St. Francis, 'Porgy and Bess' at the Coronet, and 'Can Can' at the Alexandria, and it wasn't even a MUSICAL!"

Alex DeRenzy's "Pornography in Denmark: A New Approach" (1970) ran here as well. "Deep Throat" played the Presidio in its first Bay Area engagement in 1972. Doug Wendt comments: 

"Mike Getz' Midnight Movies! I managed his popular Underground 12 series at The Presidio for years when it was revived in the 1970s. Steve Silver's 'Beach Blanket Babylon' first did skits here before the midnight flicks in advance of his legendary run in North Beach. Seeing nuns in line here during 'Deep Throat's long run here then was another highlight."

Century Theatres acquired the lease in the mid-1990s and gave it a remodel. Their arrival shifted the theatre to booking first run Hollywood product. Their lease was up in 2003.

Status: Now a four-plex operated by Lee Theatres. Frank Lee signed a 33 tear lease in 2003 and re-opened the theatre Christmas Day 2004 after a half-million dollar remodel. The new complex includes three auditoria plus a small screening room created from space not part of the main theatre. The auditorium's sunburst chandelier was removed for the triplexing. The large downstairs auditorium features the original theatre's large screen and the original proscenium. The two auditoria in what was formerly the upper stadium-style seating section each have about 100 seats.

 

Interior views:

The Presidio's lobby during the last days of Century Theatre's operation of the theatre in 2003. Thanks to Adam Martin for this and all his other photos on Cinema Tour.

A look toward the snackbar. Off to the left is the vomitory leading to the auditorium's crossaisle. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003

A view toward the screen pre-triplexing with the house draped in Century purple. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003. Jack Tillmany comments: "As you can probably guess, that lovely orchid drape hides the original proscenium behind it, whose decor matched what was still remaining visible around the exit doors."

A bit of ornament at a front exit. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003

A side wall view. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003

A look up at the sheet metal chandelier. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003  

Gary Parks comments: "The sunburst fins were scrapped, but the central element was saved and sold to a private collector. I have seen it up close, and tabs and lips exist in each opening, showing that at one time, the fixture had decorative glass panels."

A closer look at the house left end of the crossaisle. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003

The rear of the house. This area was later carved into two small auditoria. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003

 

 

A 2007 screen view by Rebecca McBride. 

A look across the booth in 2003 by Adam Martin. At the time it was closing as a single screen operation. The house was equipped for 70mm -- that's a Century JJ2 machine we're looking at.  The photo was one of many on a now-vanished page about the Presidio on the site Film-Tech.


More exterior views:

 

"The Big Deal on Madonna Street" playing in August 1961. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this photo he took. 

 

An August 19, 1964 shot by Alan J. Canterbury in the San Francisco Public Library collection. It also appeared with a 2003 view as a "then and now" on the Facebook page Lost San Francisco.

 

Thanks to Carl Griffith for this September 1967 shot on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.

 

A 1967 photo by Clay Geerdes. Thanks to David Miller for posting it on the San Francisco Remenbered Facebook page and Kevin Walsh for spotting David's post and sharing it on the BAHT Facebook page. 

 

A 1968 shot by Tom Gray that's in the Sean Ault collection.

 

 

 

"Heavenly Nurse" and "Coed Fever" were the attractions in August 1982. It's a photo taken by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection. 

 

 

 

A 1993 photo taken by Dave Long. Thanks to Dave for sharing it on the San Francisco Remembered Facebook page. 

Thanks to Robert Estes for his 1999 photo, a post on the BAHT Facebook page.

Putting the closing copy on the marquee at the end of the Century Theatres run in 2003. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003

A closer look at the entrance in 2003. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour - 2003. Thanks for all the photos, Adam!

A 2007 photo by Jeremy Brooks appearing with "Neon Dreams: 16 old theater marquees around the Bay Area," a February 2018 article on Curbed SF.

A 2010 view. Thanks to Scott Broadhurst for his photo on PhotoBlog.

A 2010 shot from Jubilation Photography. It appears with "The Survivors: The Last of the Great San Francisco Movie Theaters," a post on the site of the organization California Preservation.

A 2011 photo by Robert Estes,a post on the BAHT Facebook page.

A 2016 facade view from Gary Parks. It was part of a post on the BAHT Facebook page. He notes that this is the second marquee for the theatre.

The east face of the marquee. Photo: Gary Parks - 2016

A neon detail. Photo: Gary Parks - 2016

 

 

A 2021 photo by Jim Cassedy. Thanks to Gary Meyer for sending it along.

Plan set #1 from the Gary Parks collection: 

Gary comments: "This set of blueprints--highlights shown here--depict a more 'High Deco' version of what would become El Presidio, and what we know today as Presidio. Structurally, it is nearly identical to what was actually built, but taller. And indeed, on one of the drawings, writ large in longhand, is the note, 'Conform to 40' height limit.' And indeed, comparing these drawings to the set of blueprints of what was actually built (and exists today) the structure here depicted is taller.

"The project is proclaimed as 'Theatre Building for Sbarboro & Detjen.' (S. Barboro? There's no period between the closely-spaced S and B) John H Ahnden, Architect, drawings dated May 5, 1936. The set of drawings for the theatre as built are recorded a bit differently, as we shall see."

Plan set #2 from the Gary Parks collection: 

Gary comments: "This set of drawings shows the Presidio essentially as built, in a more Streamline style and with a noticeably shorter height than the earlier, High Deco concept. It is recorded on the drawings as 'Theatre building for Mssrs. Baron & Nathan--W.D. Peugh, Architect--John H. Ahnden, Associate architect--Sept. 25, 1936.'

"So between the original concept's creation in May of '36 and the end of the following summer, some changes had taken place, both in design, but also the clients involved, and a new architect, with the former architect being in an associate position.

"In the second drawing, showing the Proscenium Elevation, can be seen vertical ribs, which curved in a quarter-round footprint on either side of the screen. Today, they are hidden behind the current screen and curtains, and have been since at least the days when Century/Syufy ran the house. They are still there, along with the stage apron--I've peeked."

Thanks, Gary!  

More Information:  See the Cinema Treasures and Cinema Tour pages on the Presidio. The latter page has many, many interior views.

Carla Meyer had a 2002 SF Gate article about the Century Theatres exit: "Presidio Theater won't close after all."
 
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.  

The other Presidio Theatre: There's also a theatre with the same name on Moraga Ave. on the Presidio grounds. See the page on that Presidio Theatre for data and a few photos.

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