965 Geneva Ave. | map |
Opening: September 14, 1928. Ackerman and Harris were the initial operators.
The location is in the Crocker-Amazon district on Geneva just a block and a half east of Mission St. The street behind the theatre is Amazon Ave. The photo is one Jack Tillmany took in January 1963.
Architects: Reid Brothers
Seating: 963 with the upper section stadium style.
It was renamed the Apollo Theatre in 1969.
Closing: 1983. It was later used as a church.
Status: It's been gutted for a Walgreens downstairs and housing upstairs.
The ticket lobby:
The large, multi-bulbed light fixture which hung over the box office. It's a Gary Parks photo taken just prior to the removal of the fixture before the theatre was gutted.
The lobby:
A November 29, 1942 photo by Ted Newman from the Jack Tillmany collection. It appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
The auditorium:
A look at the rear of the auditorium. It's a November 29, 1942 Ted Newman photo from the Jack Tillmany collection that can be seen on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A November 29, 1942 proscenium view by Ted Newman from the Jack Tillmany collection. It appears, uncredited, on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A proscenium detail. The undated photo appears on an "updates" page from the San Francisco Neighborhood Theatre Foundation.
Opening: September 14, 1928. Ackerman and Harris were the initial operators.
The location is in the Crocker-Amazon district on Geneva just a block and a half east of Mission St. The street behind the theatre is Amazon Ave. The photo is one Jack Tillmany took in January 1963.
Architects: Reid Brothers
Seating: 963 with the upper section stadium style.
It was renamed the Apollo Theatre in 1969.
Closing: 1983. It was later used as a church.
Status: It's been gutted for a Walgreens downstairs and housing upstairs.
The ticket lobby:
The large, multi-bulbed light fixture which hung over the box office. It's a Gary Parks photo taken just prior to the removal of the fixture before the theatre was gutted.
The lobby:
A November 29, 1942 photo by Ted Newman from the Jack Tillmany collection. It appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
The auditorium:
A look at the rear of the auditorium. It's a November 29, 1942 Ted Newman photo from the Jack Tillmany collection that can be seen on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A November 29, 1942 proscenium view by Ted Newman from the Jack Tillmany collection. It appears, uncredited, on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A proscenium detail. The undated photo appears on an "updates" page from the San Francisco Neighborhood Theatre Foundation.
A bit of the theatre's main traveler. Photo: S.F. Neighborhood Theatre Foundation
A post-closing proscenium view. That big screen was not the one the theatre had been using earlier but
was installed late in the theatre's life during its short time
exhibiting Indian films. Jack Tillmany comments: "The larger screen was
an upgrade in later years over the smaller version earlier which was
confined to fit inside the proscenium, a big improvement from the
audience's standpoint." Photo: S.F. Neighborhood Theatre Foundation.
A ceiling photo from Gary Parks. He comments: "Auditorium ceiling grille and hanging fixture. Taken during salvage operations just before the theatre was gutted for housing."
Another fixture at the Amazon. Photo: S.F. Neighborhood Theatre Foundation
Thanks to Gary Parks for sharing this photo he took. He comments: "Auditorium chandelier--one of four, just prior to removal."
More exterior views:
A 1929 view showing the theatre's original look. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Gary Parks comments: "It has always amazed me how the original metal canopy that goes the whole length of the retail fronts survived intact all those years...and it's STILL there, complete with the (empty) lightbulb sockets."
A 1931 snapshot from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A sensational shot from Mission and Geneva looking east toward the Amazon on July 31, 1937. The photo is from the Jack Tillmany collection. A smaller version appears on the San Francisco Public Library
website. Emiliano Echeverria notes that the photo shows the last day of
streetcar service on the Visitacion Valley Line (1909-1937). It was
taken by Lorin Silliman (1902-1987).
Jack comments: "In the background, not yet 10 years old, the Amazon was already undergoing a facelift with a more modern vertical and marquee. In the foreground, rail was yielding to rubber, as the Market Street Railway's single track Geneva Avenue shuttle, which ran over to Bayshore Blvd., was making one of its last trips, soon to fade into history, replaced the next day by this sturdy Fageol on MSRY's newly christened Visitacion Valley bus line #50."
A July 31, 1937 photo by Lorin Silliman of the Visitacion Valley Line streetcar at the Amazon. The photo is from the Jack Tillmany collection and appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A November 20, 1942 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. It can be seen on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A lovely entrance view from November 20, 1942 with the theatre running "Wings For The Eagle" and "The Postman Didn't Ring." It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo. It's on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A December 1944 newspaper photo published with the copy: "This, as many of you fellows no doubt will identify at a glance, is Geneva-av, where it runs into Mission-st. At least a dozen mothers of service men requested this picture they could send it to you." The photo is in the San Francisco Public Library collection. The Amazon is running "Wing and a Prayer" with Don Ameche.
A 1949 view in the SFMTA Archives. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding the shot for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
A newspaper photo published September 30, 1953 photo with this copy: "WHOOPS!--The Amazon Theater never expected anything like this when it advertised a special family night, with the admission price of $1 per family. Cashier Lynne MacKerracher is amazed as Mr. and Mrs. John Fabela of 1128 Geneva-av appear at the box office with their 15 children, nine girls and six boys, aged 3 to 24, to take the theater up on its generous--to them--offer." The theatre was running,"Pickup On South Street." The photo is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
An August 24, 1964 Alan J. Canterbury photo. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this version of it that appears on an Open SF History Project page. A smaller version appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A c.1969 view looking west toward Mission St. The photo is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A November 1969 photo by Tom Gray taken after the name change to the Apollo. The photo is from Jack Tillmany, who comments: "Tom Gray lived right around the corner and took this just a couple weeks after the name change and fresh front. I suspect that's when the larger screen was installed."
Thanks to Gary Parks for this 1990s photo taken after the film house had closed and was being used as a church. The photo makes an appearance on the Cinema Treasures page for the theatre.
On Geneva looking toward Mission St. Photo: Google Maps - 2014
A 2016 look at the former theatre, now a Walgreens and housing. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for the photo on the BAHT Facebook page.
Salvage from the Amazon:
Gary Parks comments: "Mark Santa Maria and partners had the contract to salvage the Amazon before it was gutted for Walgreens and condos. They got many light fixtures, some standee lobby poster cases, restroom signs, one 1950s movie poster, and a few miscellaneous small items. He regrets that they didn’t have time to go all out with plaster salvage, neither were they able to find anyone who would pay to have them remove the original velvet curtain, which was dusty but pristine on the front side, and intact, but spattered with pigeon and gull guano on the back side."
A photo of the ticket lobby's ceiling fixture taken by Gary Parks. He comments: "Here is the fixture, paint removed, its silver and copper-toned metal finishes cleaned, fully-lamped--for sale over a decade ago at the Art Deco to 50s Antique Show at the Concourse Exhibition Center. It was sold by my architectural salvage friend who rescued it to another dealer in Los Angeles, who had a buyer who--we believe--had a commercial interior application for it in mind."
Two more photos by Gary Parks. He comments: "These two fragments, from the original outer lobby ceiling, were found above a dropped ceiling while removing a light fixture. They are all Mark and his associates got, plaster wise."
A photo by Gary of one of the three poster cases which were salvaged. He notes: "The poster case doors were missing glass, but were ornamented on their inner edges by cut-out chipboard silhouette borders. Mark elected to add glass to the frames, and my shop produced the glass. I traced the chipboard patterns, and reproduced them in etched glass. The NOW lettering in the light box at the top, and the King Kong poster, are modern. The cases are now in a private Bay Area collection."
An auditorium chandelier. Thanks to Gary Parks for the photo. He comments: "One of two of the chandeliers, in their present home in the Delta area, where they greet the public in a lobby."
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.
The site Cinema Treasures has a page on the theatre.
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The Amazon had a 6-rank style 165 Wurlitzer opus 1900. The organ was installed in a Methodist church in Watsonville. It was purchased by former Greenfield Theatre owner George F. Thompson in Salinas. After his passing, the organ was installed in a local dance studio where it remains..
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