459 Geary St. | map |
Opening: It opened as the Show Club in 1949 with floor shows featuring Broadway show tunes. This was a venue on the south side of the street between Mason St. and Taylor St. It's sandwiched in between the Curran Theatre on the east and the Clift Hotel on the west.
The space was used by a firm selling Victrolas in the 20s. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating this April 3, 1927 ad in the Chronicle.
It opened as the Show Club on October 11, 1949 with June Montague and Clifford Souze on the initial bill. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating this October 10 ad in the Chronicle. Jack notes: "There
was the inevitable shooting in 1954."
It became the Stage Lounge in 1966. Thanks to Jack for this June 4 Chronicle ad.
The Stage Lounge is seen in this June 1966 image. It's a detail from a photo Jack Tillmany took while "Funny Girl" was playing at the Curran. |
the full image | Jack comments: "At the Stage Lounge there were police raids, Go-Go Girls by 1967,
followed by nudie films, and the same old SF stuff."
The Stage Lounge was advertising a "revue" of some sort on their readerboard in April 1968. It's a detail from a photo by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection. At the Curran it was "Mame" with Angela Lansbury. |
the full image |
They still have the "Stage Lounge" awning but it's become the Showroom Theatre with "Adult Art Movies" in this c.1969 photo by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection.
It was advertised as the Park Show Room in this October 10, 1969 ad that Jack located in the Chronicle. "Send for free Brochure!"
"Luxurious - Intimate - Very Comfortable." It was called the Showroom Theater in this October 28, 1969 ad that Jack Tillmany found in the Chronicle.
Problems with the law were reported in the November 14, 1969 issue of the Chronicle. But the vice squad wasn't interested in the door prize. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating the article. He calls our attention to the fact that one of the filming locations for the film the police seized was an apartment in the Fox Plaza.
"All Nude Girls - Risque Burlesque" was the program at the Showroom at the time of this November 1970 view. It's a detail from a photo by Fred Beall that's in the Jack Tillmany collection. "Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen" was playing the Curran. | the full image |
Closing: It appears that late 1970 or early 1971 was the end of the line for the Showroom.
"Health is Wealth." A major change of focus for the space as it turned into Mr. Healthy. Thanks to Jack for locating this August 12, 1971 ad in the Chronicle.
The Showroom had become the Lyon Art Gallery by the time of this July 1975 photo by Tom Gray. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing it. The Curran had "How
To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" starring Robert Morse and
Rudy Vallee.
Dennis Hammer Hanrahan comments: "In 1976 when it was an art gallery it had a side entrance down the alley toward the stage door. One morning while we were loading in a show the police showed up because the gallery had been broken into from the side entrance. It slowed us down. That entrance is now cemented over."
459's next chapter was to become a men's clothing store.
Closing as a menswear store after 25 years. It's a November 7, 2006 ad that appeared in the Chronicle. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating it.
Status: It's an art gallery again.
459 is the space just this side of the walkway leading to the Curran's stage door. Here it's occupied by the Chandran Gallery. On the far right is a bit of the Clift Hotel's building. It's a March 2022 photo from Google Maps.
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.
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