The Wigwam Theatre

2557 Mission St.  | map |

Opened: This opened June 11, 1906 as a tent theatre for vaudeville and later got a roof over it. The location was on the east side of the street between 21st and 22nd. There had been an earlier Wigwam Theatre downtown but that hadn't been around since 1896. See the page about the 1913 replacement Wigwam, later known as the Rialto, Crown and Cine Latino. 

The Wigwam was mentioned by Thomas Nunan in "People Here Never Stopped Playing," an October 21, 1906 San Francisco Examiner article located by Art Siegel: 

"Amusement records are broken and the figures continue going higher as life grows busier, money easier and the prosperity unfolds faster. Passion for amusement of every kind is keen and more widespread than ever before. All entertainments are playing to great crowds and new amusement enterprises are being rushed to completion. Twenty-seven thousand people can now find seats on any single night in San Francisco's eighteen theatres....

"Ralph Pincus, who was for many years connected with the Columbia, has branched out in business for himself, taking the opportunity the fire afforded him. With S.M. Harris, he has been running cheap vaudeville at the Wigwam Theatre, which was the first playhouse to open in the Mission district. With a structure of frame and canvas, the first vaudeville performance was given on June 11th, and there have been three or four shows a day since. The wood and canvas walls and roof are being replaced by fireproof materials and very soon the new Wigwam will be a permanent and fireproof structure, with a seating capacity of 1,200..." 

The Wigwam is mentioned in "Harris Cites Old Film Days," an article by George Fischer in the December 23, 1928 issue of the Examiner:

"...On Mission street, between Twenty-first and Twenty-second Harris, in association with Ralph Pincus, now manager of the Columbia, Harris erected a huge tent, the first house of amusement to greet the theatregoers, a few weeks after the quake. They called it the Wigwam and offered motion pictures and vaudeville at 10, 20 and 30 cents. Later, around this same big tent they saw the necessity of progress and erected a big galvanized theater which continued with the same success that attended the canvas top. On the same site now is a Class A theater building still called the Wigwam..." 

Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the article. The full text is reproduced lower on the page.

At some point Joe Bauer became part of the operation. Or perhaps it was that Harris and Pincus joined him. There's a story that prior to the Mission district Wigwam there were two versions of a tent Wigwam in Golden Gate Park. One of his descendants comments:

"...My maternal grandfather, Joe Bauer,...bought, along with two partners, a teepee-shaped tent that they set up in GG Park and charged 5c a show for any entertainment they could bring in. They called it The Wigwam. GG Park had 10,000+ refugees from the quake/fire camped out there and they had nothing to divert them from their misery until the Wigwam came along. This venture was successful and Joe Bauer bought out his partners and put up a bigger tent, another Wigwam 'Theater.' This was even more successful and he then found land in the Mission and put up the first Wigwam Theater, built entirely of wood. Later, in about 1913, he put up the building that stands there now. He was a successful vaudeville theater operator..."

These comments come from a grandson of Joe Bauer going by the handle Poroos on Cinema Treasures. A more complete text of his remarks appears at the bottom of the page.

A partnership of Harris, Pincus & Bauer was also involved in the People's Theatre, 2507 Mission. Ralph Pincus was listed as secretary-treasurer of the Wigwam Amusement Co. several decades later and in 1928 was managing the Tivoli Theatre, at the time called the Columbia.

In the 1907 and 1908 city directories the Wigwam's address is given as 2547 Mission St. In the 1909 directory it's listed as 2555 Mission St. In the 1911 and 1912 directories it gets the address of 2557 Mission. 

Seating: 1,100

Stage specifications: 

Proscenium: 30' wide x 18' high | Stage depth: 18'  |  Height to grid: 40'  |  Stage wall to wall: 50' |

The data comes from Henry's 1907-08 Official Western Theatrical Guide. It's on Google Books. Henry's notes that the theatre was booked by the Western States Vaudeville Association. Sam Harris was listed as the manager. 

 

 

A 1908 view north from the Jack Tillmany collection. The Peoples Theatre vertical on the far left is down the block near 21st St. The Wigwam vertical is in the middle of the block. On the right is the Mission/Grand/Realart Theatre, on the SE corner of 22nd and Mission.

 

An ad for the Wigwam appearing in the December 12, 1909 issue of the San Francisco Call. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it.

The theatre got some coverage in "Many 5 Cent Firetraps," a page 37 story in the September 3, 1911 issue of the San Francisco Call. The paper had been doing an investigation into theatres with blocked or poorly lit exits, inadequate aisle lighting, and non-fireproof construction in violation of city codes. The report on the Wigwam:

 

Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article. The Grand (aka the Mission) and People's were two of the Mission district theatres found in compliance with regulations. They had many complaints about the Globe.

 

The Call's crusade continued in their September 4, 1911 issue. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating "Dangers in Picture Shows - Law Breakers Exposed To Prevent Tragedy," the article in that issue.

 

 

This photo spread appeared with the Call's story to illustrate "Places where moving pictures are shown and that do not comply with the law." Photos 1 and 2 are of the Wigwam, 3 is of the Globe Theatre, also in the Mission, and 4 is of the Class A/Temple Theatre on Fillmore.  

 

 

A closer look at the Call's photo of the Wigwam's entrance. The caption: "No. 1 is the main entrance to the Wigwam theater in Mission street between Twenty-first and Twenty-second. This building has only three exits, whereas the law requires that it should have five." 

 

 

Wigwam photo #2: "One of the side exits from the Wigwam theater. Although it is nine feet wide it is not easily accessible to persons on the stage.

 

Along with an unnamed Chinatown venue, the Lyceum Theatre, 3350 Mission St., got quite a writeup as part of the Call's 1911 report:

Thanks, Art!

Closed: The end came in 1913 when the Wigwam was demolished for a new more opulent version built on the same lot. Also called the Wigwam, it opened July 24. At various times it was later called the New Rialto, the Crown and the Cine Latino. See the page about the Crown Theatre for more information.

More information: Sam Harris, later of the firm Ackerman and Harris, recounted his early theatre owning days in "Harris Cites Old Film Days" an article by George Fischer that Art Siegel located in the December 23, 1928 issue of the Examiner:

"Days when movie palaces were known as 'nickelodeons.' When the pictures flickered on and off uncertainly. When the only music was an old rickety piano -- These were recalled this week by Sam Harris, pioneer in the motion picture industry on the Pacific Coast, and partner in the firm of Ackerman & Harris. Since 1903 Harris has been affiliated with the industry. His first venture in the field was in the operation of a little theatre in San Jose called the Victory. 

"On Mission street, between Twenty-first and Twenty-second Harris, in association with Ralph Pincus, now manager of the Columbia, Harris erected a huge tent, the first house of amusement to greet the theatregoers, a few weeks after the quake. They called it the Wigwam and offered motion pictures and vaudeville at 10, 20 and 30 cents. Later, around this same big tent they saw the necessity of progress and erected a big galvanized theater which continued with the same success that attended the canvas top. On the same site now is a Class A theater building still called the Wigwam. 

"At this point in the story, as told in Manager J.J. Cluxton's office in El Capitan Theater, Harris wandered off into other stories, stories that made theater history. 'I was devoted to the Mission District,' said Harris, 'and when real talent was to be had, we got it. Sid Grauman, who at that time owned a downtown theater, had a comedian of favor, and was paying him $75 a week. I signed him for the Mission and I gave him $200 a week. Grauman told me I would ruin the show business paying that kind of salary. That man was Al Jolson! And today he is the highest paid comedian and singer in the world.'

"At that time in the theater, talent was scarce. The Chutes, then located in Fillmore street and owned by Irving Ackerman, operated a show, and for the benefit of both parties, Harris conceived the idea of interchanging talent. Thus the partnership which has existed ever since was begun. 'Motion pictures were coming in at that time,' continued Mr. Harris, 'and all along Fillmore street stores were showing films to the public. They could hold only one or two hundred people. We wondered if persons who would visit those "flea-houses" would go to a real big, beautiful theater? That is why we bought the old Orpheum theater near Fillmore street. The present O'Farrell street Orpheum had just been completed. 

"'We charged 10 cents admission and played to more than 40,000 people a week. We made big money so we built the present Casino theater and produced our first musical comedy "Let's Go." For the leads in this comedy we secured the services of a popular dancing team at Tait's Cafe in O'Farrell street. We told them if it succeeded, they could take it on a tour of the States. They were game and agreed. That team was Fanchon and Marco. Shortly after this venture a fellow came to me and said he had eight reels in color, of the coronation of King George, and asked me what I could do with them. Later we decided to show them at the Alcazar Theatre, then owned by the Belascos.'"

The comments made in 2006 about the various Wigwams by a grandson of Joe Bauer going by the handle Poroos on Cinema Treasures:

"...My maternal grandfather, Joe Bauer, tacked up the sign for the Hotel Burbank (sunk all his dough into it) on April 17th, 1906. On April 18th the earthquake didn’t get him but the fire did. He had four $5 gold pieces left. With one $5 gold piece he bought, along with two partners, a teepee-shaped tent that they set up in GG Park and charged 5c a show for any entertainment they could bring in. They called it The Wigwam. GG Park had 10,000+ refugees from the quake/fire camped out there and they had nothing to divert them from their misery until the Wigwam came along.

"This venture was successful and Joe Bauer bought out his partners and put up a bigger tent, another Wigwam 'Theater.' This was even more successful and he then found land in the Mission and put up the first Wigwam Theater, built entirely of wood. Later, in about 1913, he put up the building that stands there now. He was a successful vaudeville theater operator and I have letters from the likes of Sid Grauman (Grauman’s Chinese in L.A.) and other west coast theater magnates asking JB to join their chain. He never did.

"One of the vaudevillians he gave a break to was a young kid by the name of Asa Yolson who made something of a name for himself later by the name of Al Jolson. Jolson always played the Wigwam when he was in town. I have old registers with Jolson’s signature when he signed for his pay as all who played the Wigwam were required to do.

"Joe Bauer sold the theater in 1925 and later built apartment houses on Nob Hill (wish we still had those!!) including Hillgate Manor on Taylor and Jackson that has the only private cable car turntable which is still used to turn cars in the parking garage. I lived in the Mission all during the 90s and called the Crown theater owner several times to ask for a walk through. He always declined due to 'insurance issues.' Would love to see the old Wigwam one day. You can still read the original sign from the back, looking from Capp St." 

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