435 Broadway | map |
Opening: 1962 as a theatre. This was a legitimate theatre operation run by John "Johnnie" Joseph Guterres. The building is on the south side of the street between Montgomery and Kearny. The entrance to the upstairs theatre was on the east end of the facade, where we see the awning. There is another bar / restaurant space on the main floor. The c.2021 photo is from Compass Commercial, the real estate firm listing the property.
Seating: 400 when it was used as a theatre.
Architect: Unknown. The building dates from 1919 and was originally called Garibaldi Hall, an Italian men's social club. In the 20s the upstairs hall held boxing matches, among other events. In the early 40s it morphed into a restaurant called the Italian Supper Club. In 1945 the building was sold to the Caballeros de Dimas Alang, a Masonic-style Filipino fraternal organization. They called it the Dimas-Alang Temple.
Jonathan Cohen notes that many Beat Generation poets gave readings at the hall:
"Allen Ginsberg read what many believe is his greatest poem, 'Kaddish,' at a 1959 benefit for John Wieners' magazine Measure. Ginsberg was joined on stage by Jack Spicer, Robert Duncan, and James Broughton. Later the same year, on August 29, came the 'Mad Monster Mammoth Poets’ Reading,' a benefit for Auerhahn Press organized by Philip Lamantia. That reading featured twelve poets, including Ray Bremser, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bob Kaufman, Michael McClure, David Meltzer, and Philip Whalen.
"Before the reading, two young San Francisco painters, Bruce Conner and Robert LaVigne, staged a 'Way Out Walk of Poets' down Grant Avenue to Broadway. Like Pied Pipers in fantastic costumes, they led an immense crowd into the auditorium. Kenneth Rexroth seemed to be the only person not charmed by the event. It was reported that he was in a curmudgeonly mood and spent the whole night muttering to himself, 'Awful, awful.' Nonetheless, enough money was raised for Auerhahn Press to publish new books by Whalen and Lamantia."
"San Francisco's Newest Cabaret Theatre" opened its production of "Under the Yum-Yum Tree" June 19, 1962.
The cover of the initial program. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating it. The production starred Russell Nype, Martin Braddock, Marrian Walters and Susan Crane. The show was directed by Bernard Wiesen.
A later version of the program with a sticker for Susan Crane, a replacement for Stephanie Powers. Thanks to Adam Miller for finding this "Yum Yum" program on
Amazon.
Susan Crane was a replacement for Stefanie Powers, who is still listed on this side of the single sheet "Yum Yum" program.
Other productions included "Privates Lives" and "An Evening of British Rubbish" starring
the Alberts, a British music/comedy troupe. "Joy 69" starring Oscar Brown,
Jr. played the theatre in mid-1969. "Oh, Calcutta!" had a run beginning September 23, 1969.
"Evolution of the Blues," the show written and directed by Jazz vocalist Jon Hendricks, had a five year run at the On Broadway from 1973-1978. Information about Hendricks is on the site
MyMusicBase. Thanks to Adam Miller for the reference.
From about 1980 until around 1985 both the On Broadway as well as the Mabuhay downstairs were prominent venues for punk shows. Thanks to Alissa A. Welsch for sharing this 1982 flyer from her collection.
Another 1982 flyer from Alissa A. Welsch's collection.
Closing: Sometime in the late 1980s. They closed at a time when the street had become mostly porn and girlie shows.
Thanks to Adam Martin for his research. He notes that when the On Broadway was operated by Johnnie Guterres the building was owned by a group of Filipino investors. Johnnie was born in 1919 of Spanish parents and grew up in Hawaii. After closing the theatre he retired to Hawaii, where he died in 1989. His son Jonathan had built sets for the theatre when his father operated it and went on to work as the key grip on a number of popular movies including "The Right Stuff" and "More American Graffiti."
Status: The building survives, with its vertical sign still intact. Since 1993 it's been an event space called the Broadway Studios. It got a renovation and seismic upgrade in 2004.
The building went on the market in 2019. The property is listed via
Compass Commercial with an asking price of $9,750,000. Liquor licenses extra. The listing page includes many interior photos. Downstairs is set up as a bar with a lounge area and a dance floor. The second floor has a kitchen, two lounge areas and the 5,800 s.f. theatre space. There's a small balcony on the 3rd floor.
Interior views:
The photo that was on the cover of the June 1962 "Yum-Yum" program that was located by Jack Tillmany.
The upstairs theatre space. We're looking toward Broadway. Photo: Compass Commercial - c.2021
A view toward the rear of the house. Photo: Compass Commercial - c.2021
More exterior views:
The building is to the left of that double parked car in this 1944 view toward Russian Hill from the
San Francisco Public Library collection. One tenant at the time appears to have been a laundry.
A May 1964 view from Montgomery St. with the theatre running "Under the Yum Yum Tree." Thanks to David Gallagher for sharing this slide taken by his uncle on the platform
X. And thanks to Art Siegel for spotting the post.
A detail from David's "Yum Yum" image.
Howard Duff and Marjorie Lord were starring in "The Girl in the Freudian Slip." It's an April 1968 photo taken by Tom Gray. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this one from his collection.
An August 1969 view by an unknown photographer that's in the
Open SF History Project collection. The show was "Joy 69" with Oscar Brown, Jr.
"Evolution of the Blues." It's a September 1974 Tom Gray photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Eve Merriam in "The Club," billed as "A Surprising Musical!" The sign under the marquee said "The On Broadway Theatre Restaurant is now serving a dinner buffet." It's a September 1980 Tom Gray photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 2020 view west on Broadway. Photo: Google Maps
Looking east across the facade. The alley on the right is Rowland St. Photo: Google - 2019
A view east toward the bridge. Photo: Compass Commercial - c.2021
An aerial view. No, that gray building behind it isn't a stagehouse -- it's a newer four story condo building. Photo: Google Maps - 2020
More information: Visit the Broadway Studios website. There's also a page on Yelp. See Jonathan Cohen's page about the building on the site Ipernity.
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.
Downstairs in the building, at 443 Broadway, was once the popular restaurant and nightclub
Mabuhay Gardens, a venue opened by Ness Aquino in the early 1970s. Later, in its punk days, it was known as the Fab Mab. See the
Wikipedia page about that operation.
Socketsite has a 2019 article about the building titled "
Storied North Beach Venue in Play." About the Fab Mab, they comment: "In 1976, Ness inked agreements with promoters Dirk Dirksen and Jerry Paulsen to start booking punk rock and new wave bands into the venue. And 'The Fab Mab' was soon the venue of choice for the likes of the Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Iggy Pop, the Ramones (with Robin Williams as their opener), Devo, Motorhead and Metallica (circa 1982)."
A schedule for part of May 1981 during the downstairs space's days as a very busy punk venue. Thanks to Alissa A. Welsch for sharing this from her collection.
The downstairs space was later the Velvet Lounge and Club 443. In recent years it's been called FAME.
The stage on the ground floor in the former Fab Mab space. Photo: Compass Commercial - c.2021
Thank you for posting this. I have never seen it. My dad loved being part of Broadway.
ReplyDeleteHaving known Johnny Guterres, growing up with his children, I was so pleased to read about this part of his life. I went to a performance of "Yum Yum" in 1962. Having only seeing one other live performance on stage, it was so memorable. Plus, that was the last time I saw Johnny.
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