San Francisco Theatres: The Vogue Theatre

The Vogue Theatre

3290 Sacramento St. | map |

Opened: 1912 as the Elite Theatre. The first city directory listing was in the August 1912 edition. This Presidio Heights neighborhood house is on the north side of the street near Presidio Ave. The July 1948 photo with the theatre running "Casbah" with Tony Martin and Yvonne Decarlo is from the Jack Tillmany collection and appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.

Website: www.cinemasf.com/vogue

Architect: The original architect is unknown. A 1927 rebuild to make it into the Plaza was by Clausen and Amandes. See details of the blueprints of that project from the Gary Parks collection at the bottom of the page.

It's not known who did the 1939 remodel. Gary comments:

"I'm not positive as to who did the 1939 remodel, but I am thinking it may be (based on a hazy memory) a small S. Charles Lee design. It also could be a William David design, based on a few little stylistic characteristics--chiefly the vertical, and the (no longer extant, but visible in the older photos) long rectangular glass panels on the underside of the marquee. William David and Charles Lee even collaborated at least once--the State Theatre in Woodland."

Seating: The original capacity is unknown. One later figure was 350. It's now down to 240.

Evidently the house was opened by S.H. Levin. Jack Tillmany found a blurb in a 1914 issue of Moving Picture World noting that it was sold by Levin to a Mr. William Happenkoss, "who conducts the Capitol Theatre nearby." The Capitol was at 3556 Sacramento, about 3 blocks west. According to the article, it operated 3 days a week. Happenkross also operated the Liberty Theatre on Haight St.

A later 1914 Moving Picture World item noted that the Elite, "recently damaged by a mysterious explosion...will be operated again by S.H. Levin." Happenkoss and his brother got back into the Elite in mid-1915. But not for long. Levin soon had it back again.

Looking for a boy piano player in 1915. Thanks to Peter Hartlaub for locating this ad that appeared in the Chronicle's November 27 issue. The theatre shared it in a post on the BAHT Facebook page. Thanks to TJ Fisher for researching the date.

In 1918 the theatre was "taken over" by yet another of the Levin clan, Louis. He was possibly just a manager with S.H. still in charge.

In 1919 it was renamed the Rex. An item in the April 26, 1919 Moving Picture World noted the name change, a move made by the new owner Leonard Fisher, who had purchased it from James B. Lima. Fisher installed a Style 20 Fotoplayer to accompany his films. The first telephone directory listing for the theatre as the Rex is the August 1919 edition. It doesn't get in the city directory until 1921. The Rex is listed in a September 4, 1921 Paramount ad in the Chronicle.

After a big rebuild it reopened as the Plaza Theatre on October 22, 1927. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this Motion Picture News article that appeared in their November 8, 1927 issue. Gary Parks comments:

"The set of blueprints from when the theatre was remodeled in the 1920s show a simple, but elegant Spanish Colonial exterior and interior with little twisted Corinthian columns and little organ grilles. The only thing shown on the blueprints--decoratively--which still exists today is the sculpted plaster detailing around the proscenium. Everything else was removed when it got its still-extant Moderne remodel. If it weren't for these blueprints, I know of no other record of the theatre's 1920s appearance."

It got the Vogue Theatre name in 1939 after a moderne remodel. The reopening was with a French version of "The Tempest" starring Charles Boyer and Michele Morgan.

Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating this March 3 reopening ad. He says: "Take a look at the prices!" He also spotted an article about the event on page twelve of the March 3, 1939 Chronicle. The page can be viewed on Newsbank.

At the time, the theatre was operated by San Francisco Theatres, Inc. Jack notes:

"This was one of the Levin group that included Alexandria, Coliseum, Metro, Harding, Balboa, and, later, Coronet. They weren't united with the Golden State sites into the United Artists Theatre Circuit family until many, many years later."

A 1947 article in the Motion Picture Herald about the Vogue trying to rent itself out during the day as the Vogue Business Theatre. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding the article.

This three page article about the Vogue's installation of 16mm equipment and the attempts to get rentals for business meetings appeared in the Motion Picture Herald. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection. Note the interior photos we get on page two below.

In 1948 there was an intent to build a replacement New Vogue Theatre on Presidio, north of California St. See more information on our page about Unbuilt Projects.

"Hello, Mr. State Department -- We too have a Foreign Policy!" Thanks to Randy Fosbergh for this 1949 Vogue schedule he found while managing the theatre for United Artists. Jack Tillmany comments: "No doubt the 74 cent admission price is curious. Problem was, price of admission was taxed, and the way it worked out, a one cent increase in the admission price would have also meant an additional one cent increase in the tax, so the total would have been 76 cents. So there was no way you could just charge the customer 75 cents. Easier to give a quarter & a penny back in change than 2 dimes and 4 pennies!"

A flyer for "Seven Days To Noon," a December 1950 release. Thanks to Chloe Ginnever for including the image in a 2020 post on the BAHT Facebook page highlighting various items recently found at the Vogue Theatre.

Later the house ended up as part of the United Artists circuit. Gary Meyer comments:

"When I worked for UATC I booked the Vogue. It was a dismal rundown place and didn't do business on most films. In 1976 I offered Don Rugoff a lot of money to play 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' there in hopes of reviving the place. When he agreed I told him that he could only accept the offer if he demanded UA do a cosmetic, seating and projection/sound upgrade. Bob Naify agreed and the results were a very nice improvement. I even found some great vintage Vogue Magazine covers to frame for the lobby that played nicely with the etched glass portals in the doors."

After the UATC bankruptcy in 2000, the Vogue was acquired by Regal Cinemas. In 2007 it was rescued from redevelopment via a purchase by the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation.

Status: Still open as a single screen first run house. The Vogue, along with the Balboa, is now operated by Cinema SF. They've been running the house as a partnership with the SFNTF since 2012.

See "Trio of SF indie movie theaters need #100K to keep doors open," Marcus White's March 22, 2023 story about the Vogue, 4 Star, and Balboa theaters for the Examiner. Heather Knight discussed the 4 Star's financial problems in her March 2023 Chronicle article "S.F. cinema lovers gambled on bringing back a neighborhood movie house. It’s not going well."

Marcus White had a wrap on the fundraising with his March 29 Examiner story "3 indie theaters get $100K boost to keep film reels rolling in SF." Adam Bravo had an upbeat take in his May 2023 Datebook article "S.F. is one of the best cities in the world. Need a reminder? Just go to the movies."

The lobby:

Thanks to Russell Merritt for sharing this 2015 photo he took.

A door detail. Thanks to Andra Young for sharing her photo as part of a 2022 post about the theatre on the BAHT Facebook page.

Auditorium views:

An early 40s look at the Vogue proscenium. It's a photo from Jack Tillmany that's on the San Francisco Public Library website.

A screen view from a now-vanished San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation page.

A 1997 look at the screen from British theatre historian Ken Roe. It's on Flickr, where he has it labeled as being the Clay.

A July 2022 photo taken by TJ Fisher. He comments: "I love the Vogue! They have been doing interesting rep Wednesday nights in addition to regular programming. One week is general 'flashback,' the next musicals, the next international. These seem to attract diverse audiences - this was part of the crowd for 'Clue.' Many nice touches like organ recordings while the house fills and those fabulous local Alameda Point sodas. I consider it an unappreciated jewel in our theatrical crown."

The rear of the house in the early 40s. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection on the San Francisco Public Library website.

A more recent look to the rear of the house. It's a photo that once appeared on the Vogue website.

More exterior views:

A look at the remodeled theatre in March 1942 running "Nothing But the Truth." It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo appearing on the San Francisco Public Library website.

"Fanny Hill" opened March 17, 1965 for a two month run. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo from his collection.

Gary Parks comments: "You can see in this photo, and even the one in the 1947 Motion Picture Herald article, that the canopy of the Vogue marquee was starting to show the bend it would acquire in later years. They have since fixed it, and it is more level than its ever been. Now if they'd just fix the neon..."

An April 1975 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "'A Brief Vacation' had opened in March to disappointing business so 'The Garden of the Finzi Continis' was added in April to bolster up the bill. Mighty Muni Motor Coach 3031, in service on line 55, is Westbound on Sacramento at Presidio Ave."

A September 1980 photo taken by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection.

A 1982 Tom Gray photo from the collection of Jack Tillmany. A smaller cropped version is on the San Francisco Public Library website.

Ken Roe has this 1997 shot included in his immense collection on Flickr.

Thanks to Robert Estes for his 2000 photo, a post on the BAHT Facebook page.

This 2001 shot from Martin Schmidt appears on Cinema Treasures.

A 2009 Brian Farrell "In The Loop" photo on Flickr. Brian's photo also appears with a 2014 KQED "The Best Movie Theaters of the Bay Area" piece.

Thanks to Scott Broadhurst for his 2010 photo on Photoblog.

A 2012 view from Lynn Friedman on Flickr. Lynn's photo also appears as part of a 2015 Up/Out survey of San Francisco's remaining historic theatres.

A 2012 view taken when the theatre turned 100. Thanks to TJ Fisher for including this one on a 2021 post on the BAHT Facebook page that celebrated San Francisco's surviving historic movie theatres.

A 2016 photo by Lynn Friedman appearing with "Neon Dreams: 16 old theater marquees around the Bay Area," a February 2018 article on Curbed SF.

The theatre got a new paint job in 2021. The photo was a November post on the Vogue Facebook page.

A fine January 2022 view that appeared on the Vogue Facebook page.

Blueprints for the 1927 remodel from the Gary Parks collection:

Gary comments: "The architects of this remodel of what would become the Plaza (no theatre name is listed on the drawings) were Clausen and Amandes, with Amandes's F.F.A. initials given in the 'Drawn By' box. The drawings are dated June 9, 1927. In the proscenium elevation can been seen the outline of what is designated as a 'New console pit,' and actual organ chambers are shown on the floor plan (which I didn't include here).

"Of the sculpted plasterwork shown in these drawings, only the decorative proscenium remains today. I had always assumed that it dated from the theatre's nickelodeon days, and that still may be the case. Its angled shape is more evocative of a nickelodeon proscenium than a 1927 theatre, and the fact that the angled ceiling surfaces which continue that shape appear to be pre-existing on the blueprints, supports this possibility."