The Empire Theatre

1133 Market St. | map |

Opened: May 16, 1904. The theatre was on the south side of Market between 7th St. and 8th St. Thanks to Glenn Koch for this photo that appeared in an October 1906 souvenir program in his collection for the Colonial Theatre, a house later known as the President. It was part of a portfolio honoring theatres lost in the fire and earthquake plus a few views of the hasty replacements. See Glenn's post on the BAHT Facebook page for 26 more images from the program.

Seating: 500. It was noted that this had been the capacity in "People Here Never Stopped Playing," an article in the October 21, 1906 issue of the San Francisco Examiner.

 

A small article in the May 15, 1904 issue of the Examiner announced the opening of the new theatre:

 

"NEW VAUDEVILLE THEATRE - The Empire Theatre, on Market street, between Seventh and Eighth, which has been under construction for the past four months, opens Monday, May 16th, with high-class continuous vaudeville performances under the management of Weston & Curtis. Lovers of vaudeville will find many attractive features at this beautiful theatre, a ladies' retiring room, broad promenade and opera chairs being prominent. The managers have complied in full with the new fire ordinance. Exits on Market street clear through to Minna, with other numerous exits, which make it absolutely fireproof. New novelties from the East have been engaged to make this playhouse the most attractive of its kind in the city. Admission 10 cents." 

An ad in the May 15, 1904 issue of the Examiner listed the acts of the opening program:

 

 

 On May 16, 1904 the Examiner had this little item about the grand opening: 

"GRAND OPENING TO-NIGHT - The new Empire Theatre, Market street, between Seventh and Eighth. This beautiful fire-proof theatre will open to-night with Weston and Herbert's vaudeville show, with nine big acts, including the latest motion pictures showing the Russians and Japanese in action. Lovers of continuous vaudeville will find in this new playhouse wide aisles, with numerous exits on Market and Minna streets, which makes it possible to empty the theatre in one minute and thirty seconds. Don't forget the big show to-night. Admission 10 cents."

Jack Tillmany comments:  

 

"Both of the 1904 opening articles about the Empire refer to the fire exits on Minna Street. Apparently, whoever wrote these articles, like so many of today's SF journalists, had not yet passed their exams in basic SF geography. The street that runs parallel to Market on the South side is Stevenson, as noted in the caption beneath the Sanborn map. Minna is South of Mission."

 

Sixteen year old San Jose singer Lillian McGrath was mentioned as having just completed a four week engagement at the new Empire in an article in the August 28, 1904 San Jose Mercury and Herald. It's on the website of the California Digital Newspaper Collection.  

 

Thanks to Art Siegel for the newspaper research on the Empire. 

 

The bright lights of the Empire are seen down the block a bit left of center in this September 1904 view looking east. On the right it's the Central Theatre, 1177 Market St. Their show at the time was "The Evil Men Do." Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the photo on the Open SF History Project website. It's by an unknown photographer and in the Martin Behrman Negative Collection of the Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives. 

 

A Grand Jury inspected the fire safety conditions at the Empire in January 1905. Their visit was discussed in "Playhouses Do Not Conform With Ordinance," an article that appeared in the January 27, 1905 issue of the San Francisco Examiner. Some of the text:

 

"The investigation of the local theatres, which was commenced a week ago by the Grand Jury, was resumed yesterday, and further flagrant violations of the city ordinances were brought to light.. The first place visited was the Midway Theatre, on Market street. This resort was unanimously condemned... Some time was spent by the investigating party at the Tivoli... no attempt had been made to comply with the law...

 

"The Lyceum Theatre, at Seventh and Market streetswas next examined. The place was equipped with an asbestos curtain but the stage, fly galleries, rigging loft and staircases were all of wood. The stairways leading from the exits were also of wood. At the Empire Theatre, on Market street near Seventh, the same conditions prevailed. The exits and stage were not of fireproof material, as required by the ordinance...."

Thanks to Art Siegel for locating this. The full article is reproduced on the page about the Midway Theatre.

 

The Empire is on the left of this detail from the 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map that was located by Art Siegel. That's Market St. across the top of the image and Stevenson on the bottom. Farther east are the Bell Theatre (much later called the Embassy) and Grauman's Theatre at 7th and Market, later known as the Lyceum. Jack Tillmany notes that what's on the map for the Bell is somewhat of a guess as it was still under construction, even in April 1906. It's nice that they identify it as being of "fireproof construction."

 

Jack found a July 1905 news report noting that one Lottie Talbot, "a vaudeville actress," was attacked at the theatre by the jealous wife of Aurelio Herrera, a pugilist, who may or may not have also been on the bill. The theatre is in the 1905 city directory. 

 

Closing: April 1906 as a result of the earthquake and fire. Oakland also had an Empire Theatre destroyed at the time. A new Empire Theatre on Sutter St. in the Fillmore district opened in September 1906.

 

An April 18, 1906 view looking west with the Empire on the far left and the dome of the Central Theatre, in a cloud of smoke, is seen down the block. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the photo from the Marilyn Blaisdell collection that appears on the Open SF History Project website. The caption he wrote for the site notes that the gentlemen, possibly looters, are looking through boxes of shoes. He adds: 

"That is the Miles Brothers ' newly opened studio above the Empire. Just four days earlier, they had put a camera on a cable car (just beyond where the looters are) and started filming 'A Trip Down Market Street.'"

 

This cropped version of the photo above appears at 7:22 into "Who filmed the 1906 earthquake aftermath?," a 12 minute presentation by David Kiehn about the Miles Brothers and other photographers that's on YouTube. The Miles Brothers were headed back east when the earthquake struck and turned around so that they could come back and shoot shoot movies of the ruins. 

 

The building that held the Empire and the Miles Brothers studio somewhat later. This shot appears 7:24 into David's presentation. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for spotting the two photos.

On April 27, 1906 there was a "Call to Arms" ad posted by the Empire Theatre Circuit for "all performers under contract report immediately or wire." The ad listed the names of William A Weston and O.S. Burns.

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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