Opened: This Alcazar Theatre, the fourth venue to use the name in San Francisco, opened in 1976. It's on the north side of the street two blocks west of the Geary and Curran theatres. Photo: Blatteis Realty - 2019
It closed in 1984 and then reopened in 1992 after the building underwent some sort of rehab. It still sees occasional use as a theatre. Joe Mader of the musical theatre company 42nd St. Moon commented in 2016: "I can attest that it is still available for rent as a theatre. It has undergone extensive interior renovations that make it problematic for theatrical purposes, but it is still available."
The building originally opened in 1917 as a Shriners lodge, the Islam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The cost of the structure was $150,000. In addition to the lodge rooms, the building included a garage. The Shriners left in 1970. The building is San Francisco Landmark #195.
Architect: Thomas Paterson Ross, born in Scotland. There's a page on him on the Pacific Coast Architecture Database. A now-vanished article from the website SF City Guides discussed Ross:
"Although the tale may be apocryphal, one source said that several years after the building’s completion, it was found that Ross had left his signature. The Shriners had denied his request to put his name on the cornerstone, but someone discovered that the Arabic letters over the entryway read 'Great is Allah and Great is Ross the Architect.'
"Ross created plans for over 250 buildings in San Francisco. One was the Baldwin Hotel... Ross was also responsible for the 'Chinese' or 'Pagoda' style of architecture of the rebuilt Chinatown after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. He designed two buildings at the corner of Grant and California—the Sing Fat and Sing Chong buildings. In 1922, Ross was partially paralyzed in a construction accident when bricks fell on his head. He was unable to speak or work again. He died in 1957 at the age of 84."
"Ross created plans for over 250 buildings in San Francisco. One was the Baldwin Hotel... Ross was also responsible for the 'Chinese' or 'Pagoda' style of architecture of the rebuilt Chinatown after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. He designed two buildings at the corner of Grant and California—the Sing Fat and Sing Chong buildings. In 1922, Ross was partially paralyzed in a construction accident when bricks fell on his head. He was unable to speak or work again. He died in 1957 at the age of 84."
A 1922 poster for the building designed by Harold von Schmidt. It was on sale in 2020 by the Annex Galleries in Santa Rosa. Thanks to Gary Parks for sending along the listing, one spotted by his cousin Carolyn Lord and her husband, retired architect Rob Anglin.
Seating: 516
Status: The building went on the market in mid-2019. See the listing on Loopnet. There's also pdf on the offering from Blatteis Realty. The listing on the Blatteis website offers a virtual tour.
Interior views:
The lobby. Photo: Blatteis Realty - 2019
A view to the stage. Photo: Blatteis Realty - 2019
The rear of the house. Photo: Blatteis Realty - 2019
More exterior views:
A drawing of the new building by the architect that appeared with a short article in the September 1917 issue of Architect and Engineer. It's on Internet Archive.
A postcard of the building as the Islam Temple from the Jack Tillmany collection.
"San Francisco's Leading Garage" -- It's a card from the Jack Tillmany collection. A version from the Marilyn Blaisdell collection appears on the website of the Open SF History Project.
Looking west from Jones St. in 1951. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating this view by an unknown photographer in the Open SF History Project collection.
An
undated shot from the Jack Tillmany collection that appears on page 62 of his great Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres of San Francisco." The page with the photo is included in the preview of the book on Google Books. The photo is also on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A c.1978 photo by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection.
A 1982 Michael Maloney photo for the Chronicle that appeared with the March 2016 article by Bob Bragman on SF Gate "A 100 year look at San Francisco marquees and theaters."
A 1982 photo taken by Judith Calson for the S.F. Examiner. It appeared June 16, 1982 with the caption "On preservationists' endangered list: Alcazar Theater on Geary." Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting the shot when it came up on eBay.
A photo by Eric Bennion that had appeared on a vanished SF City Guides page titled "Who Knows about 650 Geary?"
An entrance detail. Photo: SF City Guides
Another entrance detail. Photo: SF City Guides
Another entrance detail. Photo: SF City Guides
This lovely 2003 entrance view is
from a Noe Hill in San Francisco page, a series on SF landmarks.
More information: See the page on the 1st Alcazar Theatre, opened in 1885 at 116 O'Farrell. The 2nd Alcazar theatre in the Fillmore ended up as the Uptown Theatre. The 3rd Alcazar Theatre at 260 O'Farrell St. was demolished in 1962.
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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