Also see: Orpheum Theatre - interior views
Opened: Feb. 20, 1926 as the Pantages Theatre. The building, called the Marshall Square Bldg., is on the north side of the street at Market and Hyde. It was a
project of real estate developer William Wagnon with the theatre leased
to Pantages.
The new theatre was a replacement for the
earlier Pantages Theatre at 937 Market. That building got turned into a Kress
store and was demolished in 2013. Beginning in 1908 Pantages shows had run at the Empire Theatre on Sutter St. The circuit moved to the Central Theatre at 8th and Market in November 1909 and stayed there until the opening of the new theatre at 937 Market in December 1911.
This cover for the 1926 program is on Calisphere from the Museum of Performance and Design Performing Arts Library.
Website: https://www.broadwaysf.com/online | Broadway SF Magazine - history page
Architect: B. Marcus Priteca. He was based in Seattle and had done all the designs for the Pantages circuit since about 1912. A set of blueprints for the theatre is in the Gary Parks collection. Head to the bottom of the page to see 30 images from the extraordinary drawings.
Seating: 2,446 originally -- 2,203 after the 1998 re-do. During the run of the live production of "Hair" in 1970 the capacity listed was 1,431. Evidently they weren't selling the second balcony.
The Stage: Proscenium width: originally 48' -- now 50' | Stage wall to wall" originally 68' -- now 82' | Grid height: originally 60' -- now 75 ' | Stage depth originally 30' -- now 39' 10"
The stagehouse was rebuilt in 1998. SF Gate had an article about the work. Roger Morgan was the theatre consultant with Korth Sunseri Hagey Architects as project architect.
Organ: Robert Morton 4 manual 26 rank, no longer in the theatre.
This cover for the 1926 program is on Calisphere from the Museum of Performance and Design Performing Arts Library.
Website: https://www.broadwaysf.com/online | Broadway SF Magazine - history page
Architect: B. Marcus Priteca. He was based in Seattle and had done all the designs for the Pantages circuit since about 1912. A set of blueprints for the theatre is in the Gary Parks collection. Head to the bottom of the page to see 30 images from the extraordinary drawings.
Seating: 2,446 originally -- 2,203 after the 1998 re-do. During the run of the live production of "Hair" in 1970 the capacity listed was 1,431. Evidently they weren't selling the second balcony.
The Stage: Proscenium width: originally 48' -- now 50' | Stage wall to wall" originally 68' -- now 82' | Grid height: originally 60' -- now 75 ' | Stage depth originally 30' -- now 39' 10"
The stagehouse was rebuilt in 1998. SF Gate had an article about the work. Roger Morgan was the theatre consultant with Korth Sunseri Hagey Architects as project architect.
Organ: Robert Morton 4 manual 26 rank, no longer in the theatre.
An announcement of the new theatre project appearing in the Chronicle on September 25, 1925. Thanks to Stacy Farr, who found the item while working at the paper. She added it as a comment to a "then and now" photo set of the theatre posted by Ed Johnson on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
Stories in the Chronicle on the 18th and 19th of February 1926 promised 200 stars would be coming up from Los Angeles for the opening. The cast of "Revue of Revues" was said to number 60, which was bulked up by including most of the other performers on the bill. Arnold's Ballet Russe was touted as having 30 "beauties trained under Rodney Pantages' eye." Young Rodney, Alexander's son, was the manager. The article on the 18th also promised "If," to be "a musical comedy presented by a big company." Guess they didn't make it -- that act isn't listed in the opening day Chronicle ad.
On the opening bill:
-- Overture with Leon Strushun and the Versatilians
-- Henri C. Lebel on the Mighty Morton
-- dedication by Will Morrissey
-- A. Pantages introduced by Mayor James Rolph
-- Stage introduction of Motion Picture Stars
-- Stanelli & Douglas -- "Fiddle Fanatics"
-- Fleurette Jeoffrie -- "The Gullli Curci of vaudeville"
-- Clark and Villani -- comedy skit "Income Tax"
-- Hirsch & Arnold Ballet (aka Arnold's Ballet Russe)
-- Will Morrissey & Midge Miller "The Revue of Revues"
-- Phil Seed & Co. "A Story in Music & Melody"
-- Syd Chaplin in person, star of the film of the 1st week "Oh, What a Nurse"
Films played in the theatre's initial weeks were:
"Don't" (2/27), "The Cave Man" (3/6), "The Plastic Age" (3/13), "Hogan's Alley" (3/20), "Partners Again" (3/27), "Sweet Adeline" (4/3), "The Yankee Senor" (4/10), "When the Door opened" (4/17), "The Night Cry" with the Pantages Indoor Circus (4/24).
A report of the opening of the new theatre in the March 2, 1926 issue of Motion Picture News termed it "primitive and striking." Thanks to Bob Ristelheuber for finding the Motion Picture News article. It was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
Thanks to David Gallagher of the SF Open History project for finding this June 3, 1926 ad in the Chronicle for the "Cyclone Revue" (whatever that was) and "Bride of the Storm." See a photo of a car on top of the marquee taken during that engagement that's in the collection of the Open SF History Project collection.
In 1928 Pantages was announcing big plans for new Bay Area theatres in addition to his Market St. house. None of the plans materialized. The item appeared in the June 9, 1928 issue of Motion Picture News.
Becoming the Orpheum:
This August 1, 1929 Chronicle article announced the acquisition of the theatre by RKO. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating it. In 1927 Orpheum had merged with the mostly east coast Keith - Albee circuit forming K-A-O, Keith-Albee-Orpheum. In October 1928 Joe Kennedy and David Sarnoff of RCA engineered the new conglomerate of RKO, standing for Radio-Keith-Orpheum. Poor Mr. Albee, who thought he had a future, was out of the picture as well as the name of the new company.
The reopening as the RKO-Orpheum was September 6, 1929 with the part-Technicolor RKO musical "Rio Rita" starring Bebe Daniels and John Boles. RKO and Universal pictures constituted most of the programming for the next several years.
The cover for the program for a testimonial to actor Ferris Hartman on September 1, 1931. The film that night was the world premiere showing of Universal's "Waterloo Bridge." Thanks to Jacques Gautreaux for posting the cover and several inside pages on the BAHT Facebook page. There was once going to be a Ferris Hartman Theatre at Mason and Eddy but the project stalled.
Times were tough for RKO in the early 30s. A July 8, 1932 Chronicle item advised that the Orpheum is "closing tonight" after the last showing of "The Doomed Battalion," and "will be dark for several weeks..." An August 18, 1932 Chronicle article noted that the theatre was running "Bring 'Em Back Alive" with Frank Buck and he was making personal appearances with the film. It was a moveover engagement from the Golden Gate where it had been "breaking all records." After Buck appeared every day for a week, the Orpheum closed again. It reopened (again) with a moveover of "Back Street," once again after a successful first run at the Golden Gate. "Hold 'em Jail" with Wheeler & Woolsey (RKO) and "Okay America" with Lew Ayres (Universal) were also moveovers from the Golden Gate. Jack Tillmany notes:
"This seems to have been the policy in mid-1932 when RKO Orpheum was in such deep financial trouble. If something was doing well enough at the Golden Gate to warrant a continued Market St. run, it would move over to the Orpheum, which would open and close, depending on the situation. Another closure, another re-opening after being closed three to four months, etc. Obviously nobody seemed to be keeping track, and I don't blame them."
Once again it 'reopened' in October 1932 with "Hell's Highway," an RKO feature. On December 15, 1932 the theatre reopened again for a run of a couple days of "The Passion Play," a 47 minute long 1921 German film, evidently with an added soundtrack. Perhaps, as Jack notes, it was an appropriate booking for the theatre's last hurrah. They then closed it up for good and defaulted on their lease. It was similar news in December 1932 at the Los Angeles Orpheum, also a lease situation. The RKO Corporation went into receivership in January 1933. The circuit continued to operate the Golden Gate in San Francisco and the Hillstreet in Los Angeles both of which, unlike the Orpheums, were company owned.
New operators: The theatre reopened Friday September 22, 1933 as the Fanchon & Marco Orpheum.
A September 22 Chronicle article about the new lessees. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating it.
A photo appearing with the September 22 Chronicle article.
A September 22, 1933 ad in the Chronicle.
A second ad in the September 22 Chronicle.
The Cinerama era at the Orpheum: Metropolitan Theatres got the lease in 1948 and sub-leased to Stanley Warner Cinerama in 1953. Anthony Heinsbergen, then 59, supervised the renovation. He had been the decorator for Pantages when the house opened in 1926. San Francisco was the eighth market for Cinerama. The deeply curved louvered Cinerama screen was 28' x 78'. The data here on Cinerama runs and the ad copy for the films comes from Michael Coate's "Remembering Cinerama" article on Cinema Treasures.
"This is Cinerama" opened December 25, 1953 for an 84 week run. Thanks to Michael Coate for scanning this December 25 San Francisco Chronicle ad. It appears on Roland Lataille's In Cinerama website's Orpheum Theatre page.
"You Don't need glasses." An order envelope for "This Is Cinerama." It's on Roland Lataille's In Cinerama website's Orpheum Theatre page.
"This Is Cinerama" promotional hype: "Something Wonderful in motion picture entertainment! For the first time, a motion picture reaches out to bring you into the story to put you in the picture…with the intensely personal experience of all its excitement and thrills." Format: 3 strip. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing the card from his collection.
"It's Worth a Trip to San Francisco...Only 1 1/2 blocks from Greyhound Depot." This ad for the Orpheum near the end of the run of "This Is Cinerama" appears on a Greenbrier Picture Shows blog post about Cinerama road trips.
"Cinerama Holiday," the second Cinerama production, opened August 2,
1955 for a 68 week run. "It’s Every Holiday You Ever
Dreamed Of…Come True!" This postcard is from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A shot at Market and Powell from "Cinerama Holiday," Thanks to Doug Kassel for the post on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
"The Thrill of Your Lifetime!" This ad for "Cinerama Holiday" at the Orpheum that appeared in some out-of-town paper is included in a Greenbrier Picture Shows blog post about Cinerama road trips.
A "Cinerama Holiday" ad appearing in the February 24, 1956 issue of the
Examiner. Thanks to TJ Fisher for
locating this for a post on the BAHT Facebook page that also included ads from the same issue for the Coronet and the Fox.
"Seven Wonders of the World" opened November 20, 1956 (west coast premiere) for a 68 week run. "The New…The 3rd Cinerama!" Format: 3 strip. This postcard for "Seven Wonders" at the Orpheum appears on Roland Lataille's In Cinerama website's Orpheum Theatre page.
An envelope and ticket stubs for "Seven Wonders of the World." It's on Roland Lataille's In Cinerama website's Orpheum Theatre page.
"Search For Paradise" opened March 11, 1958 (west coast premiere) for a 37 week run. Hype: “Far Beyond The Limits Of Human Imagination!" Format: 3 strip
"South Seas Adventure" opened November 25, 1958 for a 51 week run. Hype: “Ride These Tickets To The Last Romantic Refuge Left On Earth! Escape With The New Cinerama To The South Seas!" Format: 3 strip.
"Windjammer" (filmed in Cinemiracle, another 3-strip process) opened November 17, 1959 for a 32 week run. Hype: “The New…the 6th Cinerama presentation! An Electrifying Breath-Taking Adventure and Glorious Romance! Produced in Cinemiracle, Presented in Cinerama." Format: 3 strip.
"This Is Cinerama" (return engagement) opened June 28, 1960 for a 17
week run. Hype: “The Astounding Attraction That Revolutionized The
Entertainment World… You Are Actually There… You Actually Visit These
Fabulous Places Of The World!” Format: 3 strip.
"Cinerama Holiday" (return engagement) opened October 24, 1960 for a 9 week run. Hype: “It’s Every Holiday You Ever Dreamed Of…Come True!” Format: 3-Strip.
"Seven Wonders of the World" (return engagement) opened December 25, 1960 for a 14 week run. Hype: “Only when you step into the fabulous world of Cinerama…will you actually live every breath-taking moment…experience every one of the seven hundred thrills of…Seven Wonders Of The World.” Format: 3-Strip.
"Cinerama Holiday" (return engagement) opened October 24, 1960 for a 9 week run. Hype: “It’s Every Holiday You Ever Dreamed Of…Come True!” Format: 3-Strip.
"Seven Wonders of the World" (return engagement) opened December 25, 1960 for a 14 week run. Hype: “Only when you step into the fabulous world of Cinerama…will you actually live every breath-taking moment…experience every one of the seven hundred thrills of…Seven Wonders Of The World.” Format: 3-Strip.
"Holiday in Spain" opened May 29, 1962 for a 10 week run. Format: 3-Strip. The film, a Michael
Todd, Jr. production, had started out as a 70mm attraction called "Scent
of Mystery" in Smell-O-Vision. It was later cut and turned into a three
strip version without the smells for Cinerama houses. Thanks to Roland Lataille for this opening day ad. This one, and several others, appear in the "Holiday in Spain" section of his site In Cinerama.
"The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" opened August 8, 1962 for a 29 week run. Hype: "For The First Time Cinerama Tells A Story!" Format: 3-Strip.
"The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" opened August 8, 1962 for a 29 week run. Hype: "For The First Time Cinerama Tells A Story!" Format: 3-Strip.
"How the West Was Won" opened February 27, 1963 for a 41 week run.
Hype: “The Great Dramatic Motion Picture That Puts You In Every Scene!"
Format: 3-Strip.
"Help in Handling Heavy Reels" A 1963 article reprinted from the IATSE
Bulletin about Cinerama equipment. One photo (upper right) is from the
Orpheum, the rest are from the Martin Cinerama in Seattle. Thanks to
Roland Lataille for the article. He has it on the In Cinerama website's Orpheum Theatre page.
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" opened December 18, 1963 for a 52 week
run. Hype: “Don’t Just Promise Them The World, Give It To Them!” Filmed in Ulttra Panavision, this was the first of the 70mm Cinerama presentations.
"Circus World" opened December 21, 1964 for a 13
week run. Hype: “Cinerama Puts You In The Middle Of The Most
Action-Filled Story You’ve Ever Seen!” Format: 70mm Cinerama.
"The Greatest Story Ever Told" opened March 23, 1965 for a 26 week run. Format: 70mm Cinerama.
"Mediterranean Holiday" opened
September 21, 1965 for a 19 week run. “You Sail Away And Live All The
Excitement Your Mind Ever Imagined In The New Cinerama" was one line
from the ads.
"Dr. Zhivago" opened in 70mm Feb. 8, 1966 for a 66 week reserved seat run ending May 14, 1967. It was not advertised as being "in Cinerama." The theatre closed at the end of the "Dr. Zhivago" run. It's unknown how long they were dark.
In
the Fall of 1967 the marquee was removed due to BART construction and
the city's street "beautification" program. It was replaced by a nearly
flat configuration. Details of a 1968 lawsuit by the Orpheum Building
and their lessee North Coast Theatres Corporation against BART alleging
noise issues and other problems appears on the site Casetext. North Coast was a subsidiary of Metropolitan Theatres.
Disney's "Jungle Book" opened for an exclusive run
on December 15, 1967. Cinerama was back in 1968. "Ice Station Zebra" opened November 13 for a run of ten weeks.
Hype: “Ice Station Zebra…remember the name, your life may depend on
it!” Format: 70mm Cinerama. The theatre was closed for most of 1969.
Life after Cinerama:
"Hair" opened at the Orpheum in 1970 on a one year lease but only ran
for nine months. There had been a two week run earlier at the Geary that opened in mid-August,
1969.
In 1971 the theatre reverted to films for a short time as a 99 cent bargain house. In July 1972 Barney Gould reopened the theatre for live shows. He's discussed in "SF's most hated boats: Remembering Barney Gould's nautical follies," a 2017 Chronicle article about him by Bill Van Niekerken. Shows that year included "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Man of La Mancha" and a 1972 "farewell" tour of "Hair." Gould closed the theatre in April 1973.
A poster from Heritage Auctions for the 1972 "Farewell Tour" of Hair. Also on the site: Orpheum original 1970 run poster.
In 1977 there was a remodel designed by Richard McCann to prepare the Orpheum to be a better functioning venue for touring Broadway shows. The venture struggled and closed in 1981. The Carole Shorenstein Hays / Nederlander Organization combine (SHN) then acquired the theatre later in 1981.
When the Opera House was undergoing restoration some productions were done at the Orpheum. ACT also used the house after the Geary experienced some structural problems resulting from the 1989 earthquake. One of their shows to play the Orpheum was a 1992 production of "A Christmas Carol."
Status: For decades it was an extremely successful venue for touring Broadway shows operated by SHN. They did a major backstage remodel in 1998. SF Gate had a March 1998 article about the renovations. Ms. Shorenstein Hays left the operation in 2014 and the Nederlanders continued solo. In 2021 the Ambassador Theatre Group took over the Nederlander interests in the Orpheum and Golden Gate as well as the Fisher in Detroit. Greg Evans had the news with "Ambassador Theatre Group Acquires...," his March 22 story for Deadline.
In 1977 there was a remodel designed by Richard McCann to prepare the Orpheum to be a better functioning venue for touring Broadway shows. The venture struggled and closed in 1981. The Carole Shorenstein Hays / Nederlander Organization combine (SHN) then acquired the theatre later in 1981.
When the Opera House was undergoing restoration some productions were done at the Orpheum. ACT also used the house after the Geary experienced some structural problems resulting from the 1989 earthquake. One of their shows to play the Orpheum was a 1992 production of "A Christmas Carol."
Status: For decades it was an extremely successful venue for touring Broadway shows operated by SHN. They did a major backstage remodel in 1998. SF Gate had a March 1998 article about the renovations. Ms. Shorenstein Hays left the operation in 2014 and the Nederlanders continued solo. In 2021 the Ambassador Theatre Group took over the Nederlander interests in the Orpheum and Golden Gate as well as the Fisher in Detroit. Greg Evans had the news with "Ambassador Theatre Group Acquires...," his March 22 story for Deadline.
More exterior views:
A look at the site of the future Pantages Theatre in 1912. That's the domed Hall of Records, a survivor of 1906, beyond on City Hall Ave. We're at the SW corner of 8th and Market -- that's Market heading east off to the right. The photo is from the Jesse B. Cook collection at the UC Bancroft Library. It appears with Mark Ellinger's terrific Marshall Square article on Found SF.
A look at the site of the future Pantages Theatre in 1912. That's the domed Hall of Records, a survivor of 1906, beyond on City Hall Ave. We're at the SW corner of 8th and Market -- that's Market heading east off to the right. The photo is from the Jesse B. Cook collection at the UC Bancroft Library. It appears with Mark Ellinger's terrific Marshall Square article on Found SF.
On the left it's the site of the Pantages in the Summer of 1924. Thanks to Marcus for sharing this photo from his collection. Down Market there's a bit of the Granada and the dome of the Golden Gate Theatre. A Loew's Warfield billboard along the side of the Crystal Palace Market advertised the Thomas Ince production "Those Who Dance" with Blanche Sweet and Bessie Love. The billboard adjacent to that was for the coming film "The Goldfish" with Constance Talmadge and Jack Mulhall. Art Siegel notes that "The Goldfish" opened at the Warfield on July 12.
The site on April 17, 1925 as seen from the Crystal Palace Market across the street. Thanks to David Gallagher for sharing this photo on X. And thanks to Art Siegel for spotting the post. Also visit the site SFMemory.org to see David's latest discoveries.
The
framing was going up and some terracotta was in place. It's a 1925 photo in the collection of the Marin County Library. Thanks to William David French Jr. for locating it for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
A September 1925 construction view. The occasion was San Francisco's Diamond Jubilee. We're looking up Fulton St. toward City Hall. That block is now part of the United Nations Plaza. The building in front of the theatre saying "Crystal Palace Public Market" isn't actually the market. A closer look reveals a finger pointing across the street.
The photo is on Calisphere from the UC Bancroft Library, from the Jesse B. Cook collection. There's a nice version of it on the Open SF History Project site. It can be seen as a postcard on a Penny Postcards From California page along with several other Diamond Jubilee views.
A September 1925 construction view. The occasion was San Francisco's Diamond Jubilee. We're looking up Fulton St. toward City Hall. That block is now part of the United Nations Plaza. The building in front of the theatre saying "Crystal Palace Public Market" isn't actually the market. A closer look reveals a finger pointing across the street.
The photo is on Calisphere from the UC Bancroft Library, from the Jesse B. Cook collection. There's a nice version of it on the Open SF History Project site. It can be seen as a postcard on a Penny Postcards From California page along with several other Diamond Jubilee views.
Another 1925 construction view. William David French Jr. added it as a comment to his post on the BAHT Facebook page.
A December 1925 look at the back of the building from the Examiner Archives. Thanks to Glenn Koch for spotting this when the Examiner collection was getting sold on eBay. Gary Parks comments: "And that side NEVER got the ornamental treatment it should have gotten. In fact, no ornament even shows up on the blueprints of these two walls of the building. Interesting how this photo is in two pieces, at two slightly different sizes, joined together."
A just-getting-finished view from February 1926. Take a look at the wall on the left -- with the forms still on the concrete. The photo, from Jack Tillmany, appears on the San Francisco Public Library website. Another version of the photo appears on Cinema Treasures as a contribution from Bill Gabel.
On the marquee are Syd Chaplin and Will Morrissey. They're part of the February 20, 1926 opening bill. Syd was there in person and his film "Oh, What a Nurse" was the film portion of the show. Morrissey was teamed with Midge Miller in "The Revue of Revues." In ads it was "The Showplace of the World."
The building was originally called the Marshall Square Building, named for the plaza that connected Market St. to City Hall Ave., a street in front of the old City Hall. After 1906 it became part of the revamped Hyde Street's extension to meet Market. For devotees of the Hobo font note that here we see the original vertical, sans Hobo. It was later reworked with that frou-frou on top gone and neon horizontal stripes added behind the letters. And the letters themselves were replaced with new ones in the much more decorative font.
It's circus week at the theatre in this 20s view. The ladies and their animals are posing in front of the Owl Drug Store on the corner of the building. It's possibly from the week of April 24, 1926 when the theatre was running "The Night Cry" along with the Pantages Indoor Circus as the stage show. Thanks to Randy Roe on the Lost San Francisco Facebook page for the photo.
How many car-on-the-marquee shots do you see? Thanks to the Emiliano Echeverria / Randolph Brandt Collection and the Open SF History project for this June 1926 view. We got "9 BIG Features" in the stage show including the Cyclone Revue and Mahon & Cholet. We can't see it in this shot but the feature film was "Bride of the Storm." The San Francisco Public Library has a smaller version of this online where they credit it to the News Call-Bulletin.
Here's the front of the marquee during the June 1926 run of "The Bride of the Storm." It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo on the San Francisco Public Library website.
An October 1926 parade shot. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting this on eBay. It was one of about fifteen views of the parade offered by seller Sunken Treasures.
Another October 1926 view from eBay.
An October 1926 look up along the Hyde St. side of the building. Thanks, Art!
The Pantages running the 1927 release "One Increasing Purpose" with Edmund Lowe and Lila Lee. Many thanks to Marcus for sharing this image from his collection. He calls our attention to the lettering on several third floor windows at the corner: "Samuel H. Levin Theatres." Jack Tillmany notes that the film opened during the last week of May.
A detail from the 1927 photo.
The marquee ornament. It's another detail from the 1927 photo. Thanks, Marcus!
A January 1929 look at the building from the UC Bancroft Library. Note the horizontal bands of neon in the space around the new Pantages letters on the vertical -- an upgrade from its original look. Jack Tillmany notes that on the readerboard added above the marquee it says they're running "Blindfold" with George O'Brien. The photo appears with the Found SF article about Marshall Square. It also appears with Mark Ellinger's Up From the Deep article on the Mid-Market area.
James Haas on San Francisco Remembered notes: "Mayor Rolph was furious that the back side of the building was left blank, but neither he or succeeding Mayors could ever get the wall decorated." Around on that Hyde St. facade beyond the Owl Drug was a private entrance (and elevator) to Alexander Pantages' private apartment, with access from it into one of the balconies.
Kevin Tikker commented: "It was his anonymous pied-à-terre, and apparently most of the theaters had quarters like these for when he was in town. Oddly shaped it was squeezed into a space behind the balcony and adjacent to the office building. A woman lived in the apartment for a time after the theater was renovated, but SHN finally booted her out and removed the private elevator on Hyde street. The apartment space no longer exists. It was used for storage for a long time, then renovated into the new ticket sales office. When the space was changed ticket sales, they had to get a variance to put a door in from the top floor of the office building into the new space through what had been a fire wall." Norman Ronneberg on San Francisco Remembered adds that "in 1970's and 1980's the apartment was occupied by one of San Francisco's pioneer (and extremely formidable) female lawyers, Ms. Dorsey Redland. "
A January 1929 view from the Bancroft Library collection looking west from Market, Fulton & Leavenworth. The photo appears on a SkyscraperPage San Francisco of the Past forum, with many other vintage views.
Another January 1929 photo taken during the run of "Blindfold." It's a Bancroft Library photo appearing in Mark Ellinger's Up From The Deep Mid-Market architectural survey and with the Found SF Marshall Square article. There's also a version in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
Mark comments "The Marshall Square Building had arcaded storefronts that as recently as the early 1980s were occupied by a drug store on the corner and various small businesses that added much to the character and color of Market Street."
"All Talking" - a fine look at the Pantages marquee in 1929. It's a Jack Tillmany collection photo on the San Francisco Public Library website. He notes that "College Coquette" opened Aug. 9, 1929. Joe Kennedy hadn't yet grabbed the house for his RKO Orpheum circuit. It would become the Orpheum in September 1929.
A September 1929 photo with work happening on the marquee. Also note no vertical -- Pantages is out and the Orpheum sign hasn't been put on the building yet. It's a photo taken by Fred Mae that's in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
A 1929 Fred Mae photo showing off the theatre's new marquee and RKO Orpheum vertical. They're running Rudy Vallee in "Vagabond Lover," a film Jack Tillmany notes opened at the Orpheum December 25. Thanks to Kevin Walsh for posting the photo on the BAHT Facebook page. A smaller version is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
Evelyn Brent in "Broadway." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this January 1930 photo from his collection. "Cast of 500 - with Technicolor." Jack calls our attention to the readerboard letters. They're changeable neon letters in use at the Orpheum from 1929 until well into the 30s.
A trade magazine article detailing the elaborate ballyhoo for the May 1930 run of "Swing High." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article.
A "Swing High" shot that was used in a show on KRON. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for locating it for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
The Orpheum is showing off its flashy new RKO marquee for the run of "Cimarron" in 1931. The film opened February 6. Too bad we can't check out that "atmospheric stage prologue" with the "augmented orchestra." The photo appears, among other places, on "If These Walls Could Talk..." a history page on the SHN website.
A wider view during the run of "Cimarron." The western, with Richard Dix, was evidently a big hit at the time (and heavily promoted) but it seems quite a slog today. It's a photo appearing with "The big screen, no not your TV: over 100 years of San Francisco Theaters," a March 2016 SF Gate photo portfolio. A smaller viersion from the Jack Tillmany collection is on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A 1931 look at the theatre with Constance Bennett in "Born To Love" as the feature film. The photo of those guys doing Market St. track repairs is in the SFMTA archives. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding it there and posting on the BAHT Facebook page. Jack Tillmany notes that the film opened in the first week of May.
"The Passion Play" was one of the last films to play the house before Orpheum closed it up and defaulted on their lease. It's a Chronicle photo appearing with "The big screen, no not your TV: over 100 years of San Francisco Theaters," a March 2016 SF Gate photo portfolio. They date the photo as December 19, 1932.
"One Night of Love" opened the last week of August 1934 for a six week run, closing on October 10. It's a photo posted on Facebook by the S.F. Examiner Photograph Archive at the Bancroft Library. Thanks to Lily Castello for spotting the post. You can view it on the UC Berkeley Library website where there's also a slightly different version.
The bare backside of the theatre in 1938. It's a Gabriel Moulin photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
A 1939 look up 8th St. toward the theatre. It's a J.G. Graham photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection. Jack Tillmany comments: "Market Street Railway Line #26 operated from the Ferry via Mission St., 14th Street, Guerrero and San Jose Ave. to Daly City. Sundays, and during off peak hours (such as this) it terminated at 8th & Market. Rail service was abandoned in 1940, then re-instated for a short time in the mid-1940s from Onondaga and Mission to Daly City via San Jose Avenue."
A fine November 11, 1940 look at the theatre's marquee in a somewhat ghostly time lapse Armistice Day parade view. It's from a private collector and appears on the Open SF History Project website. There are also three more views from the same vantage point taken that night: http://opensfhistory.org/
We're looking east in 1941 with a sliver of the Orpheum on the left and the Embassy and United Artists in the distance. The Orpheum is running "Our Wife" with Melvyn Douglas and Ellen Drew. Also on the program is the short "Cracked Nuts" with Stu Erwin. This program opened at the Orpheum on September 17.
The Crystal Palace Market on the right was the site of the Central Theatre from 1906 until 1911. The market closed in 1959. The photo appeared on a Market Street Railway page about a February 2015 presentation about the future of Market Street.
A 1944 view from the collection of Walt Vielbaum. The Orpheum was running "Chip Off the Old Block" with Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan. Al Schroerer shared the photo on the SF Bay Area Vintage Photos Facebook group. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for determining that this bill opened at the Orpheum on March 25. He comments: "The Muni streetcar in the photo was one of 5 'Magic Carpet' cars (1001-1005) which arrived in SF in 1939, and operated in regular passenger service, usually on Line L (Taraval),(shown in this photo) through the WWII years and beyond." The colors on this initial batch of these cars were blue and gold.
A 1945 photo from the Open SF History Project. They're running "Kiss and Tell," a film that Jack Tillmany notes opened at the Orpheum on October 25.
The Orpheum running "The Egg and I" in May 1947. It's a photo by Waldemar Sievers on the Open SF History Project site. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for spotting it on the site and doing some work on the image.
A May 1948 photo with the theatre running "The Fuller Brush Man" starring Red Skelton. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Those silk banners were standard operating procedure at all the major first run venues, and also many of the secondary sites, including the Embassy. Don Andersen was a popular, well known Bay Area theatre organist, who I believe was also a regular at the Fox.
"Line #32 was a temporary Muni Shuttle that ran on Market Street from the Ferry to Duboce Avenue during the 1948 track reconstruction, during which time the former 4-track system was converted to a 2-track system because so many former rail lines had now been replaced by rubber."
A 1948 Tom Gray photo looking up 8th toward Market. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection and appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A February 8, 1952 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Frank Sinatra makes a personal appearance at the Orpheum to promote the opening of his new film 'Meet Danny Wilson.' Price of admission was less than a dollar in those days! Shelley Winters was Sinatra's co-star but did not appear with him at the Orpheum premiere. Ava Gardner, his new wife, was scheduled but had to cancel because of other commitments. Universal contract players Alex Nicol and Joyce Holden did appear, however, along with Ray Hackett and his Orchestra." The February 8, 1952 Chronicle covered the event in their page 11 article "A Chat With Sinatra..." It's on Newsbank. 
The Cinerama sign gets delivered. It's a December 21, 1953 News-Call Bulletin photo appearing on the Orpheum page of Roland Lataille's In Cinerama website.
The photo is also on the the San Francisco Public Library website in a smaller version. They note that this was printed on the back: "For the first time in 25 years the Orpheum marquee changed its name officially to 'Cinerama.' The new sign was erected today to replace the old Orpheum sign. On hand to witness this change was a member of the San Francisco Welcoming Committee for Cinerama, Mrs. Allen Schumacher, who is also a member of the Jr. Chamber Women's Auxiliary."
The Orpheum running "The Egg and I" in May 1947. It's a photo by Waldemar Sievers on the Open SF History Project site. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for spotting it on the site and doing some work on the image.
A May 1948 photo with the theatre running "The Fuller Brush Man" starring Red Skelton. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Those silk banners were standard operating procedure at all the major first run venues, and also many of the secondary sites, including the Embassy. Don Andersen was a popular, well known Bay Area theatre organist, who I believe was also a regular at the Fox.
"Line #32 was a temporary Muni Shuttle that ran on Market Street from the Ferry to Duboce Avenue during the 1948 track reconstruction, during which time the former 4-track system was converted to a 2-track system because so many former rail lines had now been replaced by rubber."
A photo from Jack Tillmany. He comments: "It's one of Muni's initial post-WWII fleet of 10 more Magic Carpet Cars, purchased in
1948, from the St. Louis Car Company. What's special about
this photo is not only that the car is brand new, but also that it's
passing the Orpheum Theatre, which is ending its run of Rita Hayworth in
'The Loves of Carmen,' the very same film that's advertised on the car's
front dashboard, a rare match-up indeed. The date is 27 October 1948.
It's from the John Bromley Collection." The colors on this second batch of "Magic Carpet" cars were green and cream.
A 1948 Tom Gray photo looking up 8th toward Market. It's from the Jack Tillmany collection and appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A February 8, 1952 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "Frank Sinatra makes a personal appearance at the Orpheum to promote the opening of his new film 'Meet Danny Wilson.' Price of admission was less than a dollar in those days! Shelley Winters was Sinatra's co-star but did not appear with him at the Orpheum premiere. Ava Gardner, his new wife, was scheduled but had to cancel because of other commitments. Universal contract players Alex Nicol and Joyce Holden did appear, however, along with Ray Hackett and his Orchestra." The February 8, 1952 Chronicle covered the event in their page 11 article "A Chat With Sinatra..." It's on Newsbank.
The May 2, 1952 opening of "Red Ball Express." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing the photo from his collection.
A September 1953 view looking east on Market with the Orpheum running "From Here To Eternity." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this version of the photo. A cropped version from the SFPL collection appears on "Detailed Photos: Vintage Market St. 1920-1956," a page on the website Bold Italic. The theatre would soon shut down for installation of Cinerama.
A September 1953 view looking east on Market with the Orpheum running "From Here To Eternity." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this version of the photo. A cropped version from the SFPL collection appears on "Detailed Photos: Vintage Market St. 1920-1956," a page on the website Bold Italic. The theatre would soon shut down for installation of Cinerama.
The Cinerama sign gets delivered. It's a December 21, 1953 News-Call Bulletin photo appearing on the Orpheum page of Roland Lataille's In Cinerama website.
The photo is also on the the San Francisco Public Library website in a smaller version. They note that this was printed on the back: "For the first time in 25 years the Orpheum marquee changed its name officially to 'Cinerama.' The new sign was erected today to replace the old Orpheum sign. On hand to witness this change was a member of the San Francisco Welcoming Committee for Cinerama, Mrs. Allen Schumacher, who is also a member of the Jr. Chamber Women's Auxiliary."
Another shot of the new signage, this one from the Examiner archives. Thanks to Glenn Koch for spotting this when the Examiner collection was getting sold on eBay.
"This is Cinerama" opened December 25, 1953 for an 84 week run. Thanks to Emiliano Echeverria for his great photo, appearing on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
"This is Cinerama" opened December 25, 1953 for an 84 week run. Thanks to Emiliano Echeverria for his great photo, appearing on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
A shot taken before the 1955 opening of "Cinerama Holiday," the second Cinerama production. Thanks to Roland Lataille for locating the photo for his In Cinerama website's Orpheum Theatre page. The film opened August 2, 1955 for a 68 week run. Format: 3 strip. “It’s Every Holiday You Ever Dreamed Of…Come True!”
"Seven Wonders of the World" opened November 20, 1956 (west coast premiere) for a 68 week run. "The New…The 3rd Cinerama!" Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo from his collection.
On the site of the Central Theatre and, later, the Crystal Palace Market, they're building the Del Webb Towne House in 1960. It's now been demolished for new housing. At the Orpheum: "Windjammer," which had opened November 17, 1959 for a 32 week run. It had been filmed in Cinemiracle, another 3-strip process. The photo is in the San Francisco Public Library collection. The Library also has lots of Crystal Palace Market views.
A look east on Market in 1960 with the Orpheum's vertical visible on the left. "Pollyanna," a May release, is playing at the Fox. Thanks to Lily Castello for finding the photo for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
"Holiday in Spain" opened May 29, 1962 for a 10 week run. The film, a Michael Todd, Jr. production, had started out as a 70mm attraction called "Scent of Mystery" in Smell-O-Vision. It was later cut and turned into a three strip version without the smells for Cinerama houses. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo from his collection. Versions of the photo can also be seen on the American Classic Images and In Cinerama sites. Also on the In Cinerama site, check out Roland's "Holiday in Spain" section.
"The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" was a three-strip presentation that opened August 8, 1962 for a 29 week run. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for sharing this frame from some 8mm footage as a post for the BAHT Facebook page. The 8 minutes of footage, which also shows other theatres, is on YouTube from Americana Found Footage.
A late 1962 or early 1963 photo taken before the opening of "How The West Was Won." It appears on Roland Lataille's In Cinerama website's Orpheum Theatre page. Thanks, Roland!
February 17, 1963 -- opening night for "How The West was Won." The film had a 41 week run. Thanks to Bob Ristelheuber for the screenshot from some footage in the Prelinger Archives. It was a post on the BAHT Facebook page. He also did a BAHT post of the Prelinger footage itself.
Another opening night "How The West was Won" shot. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for the screenshot from the Prelinger footage.
Yet another "How The West was Won" shot. Thanks to Bob!
A view east on Market in 1963 by Larry Moon. The photo is in the San Francisco Public Library collection. It makes an appearance with Mark Ellingers's Up From The Deep Mid-Market architectural survey. It's also on Roland Lataille's In Cinerama page about the Orpheum.
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" opened December 18, 1963 for a 52 week run. Filmed in Ultra Panavision, it was the first of the 70mm Cinerama presentations. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this version of the May 1964 photo taken by Alan J. Canterbury. It can be seen on In Cinerama and, in a smaller version, on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A closer look at the marquee during the "Mad World" run. Thanks to Lance Nix for his photo, a post on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered in 2017. Terry Koenig had a post of a slightly less cropped version of it on San Francisco remembered in 2014.
A 1963 view by John Harder appearing on the Open SF History Project site courtesy of a private collector.
A 1963 or 1964 look east with the Orpheum running "Mad World." There's also a glimpse of the Paramount (former Granada) beyond. The photo, from the Prelinger Archives, appeared with a listing for a Rick Prelinger "Lost Landscapes of San Francisco" presentation at the Castro in 2016. Thanks to Rob Doughty for posting it on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.
A 1964 view east during the "Mad World" run. Note the Embassy vertical down the street. Thanks to Chris Treadway for the photo, a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
A March 1965 look west toward the theatre during the run of "Circus World." The photo is on the Open SF History Project site courtesy of a private collector.
"Mediterranean Holiday" on the marquee at the Orpheum in this September 1965 view west from 7th St. The film, in 70mm "Cinerama," opened September 21 for a 19 week run. Fox Plaza is rising beyond the theatre. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding this photo taken by an unknown photographer on the Open SF History Project website. He comments about the Embassy: "The management has cleverly added a re-run of Marilyn Monroe in 'Don't Bother to Knock' to their presentation of Carroll Baker in 'Harlow.'"
Gary Parks comments: "Wow—what a symbolic photo. Market St. looking essentially how it had for several decades—a commercial and entertainment hub…and then this giant ALIEN THING rising up ominously, a precursor to the soulless, drab, bureaucracy-and-unabated greed-created NEW WORLD that San Francisco was about to become. Darkness, drabness, starkness. To paraphrase Ben Hall: 'Ain’t We Got Fun?' replaced by 'I Dare You To Impress Me!' Despite this, it is a testimony to the vast history (and the physical setting) that San Francisco has, that any beautiful atmosphere or real character survives at all."
"Dr. Zhivago" opened in 70mm Feb. 8, 1966 for a 66 week reserved seat run ending May 14, 1967. It was not advertised as being "in Cinerama." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this photo he took in 1966. He notes that this was San Francisco's 11th longest-running film. Jack calls our attention to the topless bar next door advertising "No Cover." It had been there since the "Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" days.
Gary Parks comments: "Wow—what a symbolic photo. Market St. looking essentially how it had for several decades—a commercial and entertainment hub…and then this giant ALIEN THING rising up ominously, a precursor to the soulless, drab, bureaucracy-and-unabated greed-created NEW WORLD that San Francisco was about to become. Darkness, drabness, starkness. To paraphrase Ben Hall: 'Ain’t We Got Fun?' replaced by 'I Dare You To Impress Me!' Despite this, it is a testimony to the vast history (and the physical setting) that San Francisco has, that any beautiful atmosphere or real character survives at all."
"Dr. Zhivago" opened in 70mm Feb. 8, 1966 for a 66 week reserved seat run ending May 14, 1967. It was not advertised as being "in Cinerama." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this photo he took in 1966. He notes that this was San Francisco's 11th longest-running film. Jack calls our attention to the topless bar next door advertising "No Cover." It had been there since the "Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" days.
A November 1966 shot by an unknown photographer that's in the Steve Crise collection. Thanks to Steve for sharing it with the Trolleys, Streetcars & Interurbans of America Facebook group. And thanks to Kevin Walsh for spotting the post.
A look west during the run of "Dr. Zhivago" from "San Francisco Market Street 1960s," three minutes of footage on YouTube from San Francisco Neon that was taken during the last week of December 1966. A watermarked version is on the Getty Images site. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for the screenshot and locating the footage for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
Another view of the theatre during the "Dr. Zhivago" engagement. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this one on the Market Street Railway Facebook page. The theatre closed at the end of the "Dr. Zhivago" run. It's unknown how long they were dark.
"Jungle Book" opened for an exclusive run on December 15, 1967. The co-feature was "Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar." The new flat marquee had gone up in the fall of 1967, part of the "Market St. Beautification" program. There's also a new vertical. Note the beginning of the BART construction. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this photo from his collection.
It's chaos on Market as BART construction hampered business access. On the left it's the then-dark Orpheum, closed for most of 1968. Note the temporary re-mounting of the vertical so it would be parallel to the building's facade. The Embassy is down the block with the UA vertical still visible in the distance. It would come down when Loew's took over that house in October 1969. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing the photo from his collection.
70mm
Cinerama returned in late 1968 with "Ice Station Zebra." It opened November
13 for a ten week run. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this photo
from his collection.
A 1970 view west with the Orpheum in the center and the Fox Plaza beyond. "Hair" is on the Orpheum's marquee. It's a photo from the Sean Ault collection.
Starting to cover the dig. It's another 1970 photo from the Sean Ault collection. That's part of the Orpheum building on the far left.
Finishing up in the center of the street. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this photo from his collection.
A 1971 Joe Rosenthal photo for the Chronicle showing a mess on Market although BART construction was largely completed. The trolley chaos was due to a power failure. "Hair" had finished its run at the Orpheum but it was still up on the marquee. Thanks to Maria Iclea Kava for posting the photo on the San Francisco Remembered Facebook page.
A 1971 Joe Rosenthal photo for the Chronicle showing a mess on Market although BART construction was largely completed. The trolley chaos was due to a power failure. "Hair" had finished its run at the Orpheum but it was still up on the marquee. Thanks to Maria Iclea Kava for posting the photo on the San Francisco Remembered Facebook page.
A 1971 facade detail by Nick DeWolf appearing on a Business insider page: "Groovy Pictures Of San Francisco In The Summer of 1971."
A sad 1971 shot with the poor theatre as a bargain house. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He comments: "The PITS! 1971! Refuge for the Market Street derelicts! 3 movies for 99 cents, 49 cents until 1PM. How the mighty have fallen! And so FAST too! Only 5 years after 'Zhivago'!"
A September 1971 photo from the 99 cent era. Thanks to an anonymous private collector, the image appears on the Open SF History Project website.
A c.1972 view from the Sean Ault collection. Note the redone vertical with a white background.
In July 1972 Barney Gould had reopened the theatre for live shows. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for posting this shot from Channel 5's news coverage of the show on the BAHT Facebook page.
A 1973 Chronicle photo of Barney Gould in front of the theatre after he closed it that April. He had reopened it in July 1972. He's discussed in "SF's most hated boats: Remembering Barney Gould's nautical follies," a 2017 Chronicle article about him by Bill Van Niekerken. BART on Market St. opened in November 1973.
The marquee copy had a number to call if you wanted to rent the theatre. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding this c.1974 photo from the collection of the Theatre Historical Society. Bob had it as a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
A c.1974 shot from the Sean Ault collection.
A look east on Market in 1974 from a private collection. The photo is on the Open SF History Project website. On the right, the site of the Central Theatre -- both a pre- and post-1906 version. Earlier it was a ball park. Later it was the Crystal Palace Market site. Here it's the Del Webb Towne House, later demolished for a condo project.
An August 1976 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. The event was a benefit organ concert by Tom Hazelton. Jack asks "Did they save the organ?"
A 70s look east. Thanks to Mark Gorney for the photo on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered. Jeff Herrscher commented: "This is mid to late 70's. Newer brick sidewalks & cobblestone gone from the street indicate that Bart/Metro Construction is finished. Bart opened '73 I believe. Metro didn't open till '80-hence the L line still ON Market."
Jim Bolinger commented on the BAHT page: "BART opened part of one line in the East Bay on September 11, 1972. It began operating under Market Street in '73, but the Transbay Tube didn't open until September 16, 1974. The Embarcadero station opened three years after the other Market Street Stations. In this photo, we can see that the Humboldt Bank building dome had been painted red, white, and blue for the Bicentennial."
A c.1980 look east appearing as part of a post on the Market Street Railway Facebook page. It's from the George Locke collection / MSR Archives.
Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for this August 1981 view.
A September 1982 view from the Emeliano Echeverria collection appearing on the Open SF History Project website. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharpening up the image for a post of it on the Market Street Railway Facebook page.
A 2004 facade view. Thanks to Doug Boethin for the post on the BAHT Facebook page.
Thanks to Mark Ellinger for this fine 2008 view. He commented: "Marshall Square Building: office building, theater, and storefronts. Four stories plus basement, steel frame and concrete construction; cast concrete and stucco facade, two-story bays with casement windows and spandrels; three-part vertical composition; Spanish Moorish/Spanish Baroque design. Alterations: remodeled theater entrance; new blade sign and marquee; decorations stripped from spandrels; finials removed; storefronts filled in and stuccoed."
A 2011 photo by Mark Ellinger looking east with Market St. over on the right and Hyde in front of us. The blank wall we see at the left is the back of the auditorium -- the stage is on the other end of the building. Mark's photo once appeared on his now-vanished site Up From The Deep.
A look down on the theatre taken by Julia Green from the Hotel Whitcomb. She had it on Panoramio, a platform that has been discontinued by Google.
Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for this shot looking east. It's part of his July 2015 set of 7 views on the BAHT Facebook page.
Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for his mid-December 2015 view of theatre and pigeons. The scaffolding is up to clean and waterproof the facade. Bob posted the photo on the BAHT Facebook page.
The theatre shrouded for masonry restoration work. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for this look at the Market St. side of the building at the end of January 2016. It was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
The Hyde St. side of the building at the end of January 2016. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for his post on the BAHT Facebook page.
Thanks to Michael Thomas Angelo for this March 2016 entrance view. "Wicked" was back in town for another run. The scaffolding was still up.
An August 2016 shot with the shrouding and scaffolding newly down. The Bob Ristelhueber photo was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
The shiny Hayes St. end of the facade after the cleaning and weatherproofing. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for his August 2016 photo on the BAHT Facebook page.
A November 2016 look at the vertical sign. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for his photo on the BAHT Facebook page.
"Hamilton" at the Orpheum. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for his March 2017 photo, a post on the BAHT Facebook page. He was asking if anyone had a spare ticket.
"Hamilton" back at the theatre again. Thanks to Andra Young for her November 2019 photo, one of 15 in an album on the BAHT Facebook page.
The entrance in May 2021 with "Hamilton" signage still up -- and it was the first post-pandemic show when the house reopened with a four week run beginning August 10, 2021. Following that it was the Lincoln Center production of "My Fair Lady" playing November 3-28. Photo: Bill Counter
A fine look at the signage for "Rent" in December 2021. The photo was a post on the Orpheum Facebook page.
The ticket lobby:
A 1926 look at the theatre's ticket lobby from the Jack Tillmany collection on the San Francosco Public Library website. The island boxoffice is no more but the rest of the ticket lobby remains pretty much intact. Those display cases on the right are where the current boxoffice windows are.
A look at the ceiling of the ticket lobby. Note we've lost a lot of the original painted detail in the center of the panels. Photo: Bill Counter - 2015
Painted detail on the beams outside in the ticket lobby area. The coffers on either side now painted a flat color once had elaborate painted designs as well. See comment #1 for another view. Photos: Bill Counter - 2015
Another ticket lobby detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2015
A look at the lobby ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - 2015
Another office building ceiling detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2015
A title block. It looks like he had opened a branch office in L.A. for his California work.
A sheet with a Market St. elevation as well as the name of the building.
The west end of the Market St. facade.
The east end of the facade. The fancy door in the middle is the office building entrance.
A detail of the office building entrance.
Arch details at the office entrance.
A closer look at the proposed marquee.
Another marquee detail. The lady on the right was on the centerline.
The ornament to the left of the marquee centerline.
At the top an elevation, at the bottom a section showing the marquee's curve.
Ground level storefront arch details.
Second floor details.
Cornice details.
Cornice and finial details.
More cornice details.
Yet more cornice ornament.
The front doors. At the left looking in, at the right looking out.
Proposed ornament above the doors. It was all cut during construction.
A detail of the front of the first balcony soffit.
Thanks, Gary!
The office building:
Another office building ceiling detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2015
Images from the set of blueprints for the building in the Gary Parks collection:
A title block. It looks like he had opened a branch office in L.A. for his California work.
A sheet with a Market St. elevation as well as the name of the building.
The west end of the Market St. facade.
The east end of the facade. The fancy door in the middle is the office building entrance.
A detail of the office building entrance.
Arch details at the office entrance.
A detail of the fancier portion of the facade at the theatre entrance. The readerboard area ended up not getting built this way, divided into sections. The finished design was one unobstructed area with more room for letters.
A closer look at the proposed marquee.
Another marquee detail. The lady on the right was on the centerline.
The ornament to the left of the marquee centerline.
At the top an elevation, at the bottom a section showing the marquee's curve.
Ground level storefront arch details.
Second floor details.
Cornice details.
Cornice and finial details.
More cornice details.
Yet more cornice ornament.
The front doors. At the left looking in, at the right looking out.
Proposed ornament above the doors. It was all cut during construction.
A plan with the inner lobby just to the left of center in the upper portion of the drawing. In the upper right, it's the landing half-way to the 1st balcony, up 8' 8" the plan tells us. At the bottom of the drawing we get a reflected ceiling plan of the first balcony soffit.
A detail of the front of the first balcony soffit.
A look at the main ceiling and, on the right, it's a grid plan. The double lines on the grid represent back to back C-channels for loftwells.
A detail from the main ceiling plan.
A section through the auditorium and stage.
A detail of the extraordinary decorative work on the house left side of the proscenium.
A sectional view of the proscenium. Note the bowl-shaped contour of the auditorium floor.
A closer look at the left side of the proscenium.
Another proscenium detail.
Ornament within and above the proscenium.
A detail of the top of the tower to the left of the proscenium.
Thanks, Gary!
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. For more photos and comments see the Cinema Treasures page on the theatre.
Mark Ellinger discusses the Orpheum in a Marshall Square article on Found SF. The University of South Carolina has a minute and a half of outtakes filmed outside the theatre by Fox Movietone News on the theatre's first anniversary, February 21, 1927. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for spotting the footage.
Don't miss "Adam Savage Explains the Sound Mixing of Hamilton," a March 2020 interview with sound man Kevin McCoy. It's on YouTube. Also see "When you paid top price for Broadway tour seats -- and can't hear the dialogue," Lily Janiak's November 2021 Chronicle article that discusses, among other things, the sound issues of "My Fair Lady" at the Orpheum. Thanks to Matt Weimer for spotting both these items.
NBC Los Angeles had a nice 5 minute 2022 backstage tour titled "Behind the Scenes of Broadway SF: Where the Orpheum Theatre Comes To Life" as part of their California Live series. They pay a visit to the flyfloor and talk to the house carpenter, flyman and electrician.
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