The Midway Theatre

There were two locations for the Midway on the 500 block of Pacific, between Montgomery and Kearny.

Location #1 - on the north side of the street:

 

516 Pacific Ave. | map |

In this c.1908 photo the Midway was on the north side of the street at 516. We're looking west toward Kearny. Evidently it was a short stay as this location didn't make it into any city directories. At 518 it was the Bear, at 520 it was Diana Hall, the Hippodrome was at 560 (later moving across the street to 555), and the Thalia was then at 580 (a later location for Diana Hall). The San Francisco Public Library photo appears on a "Barbary Coast" page on Found SF.

A look east toward Montgomery c.1915 gives us a view of the building that had been the first Midway location, the third building in from the left. It's a photo from the Marilyn Blaisdell collection appearing on the Open SF History Project website.

From the left what was Diana Hall in the earlier photo had become Purcell's (an African-American club) at 520 Pacific. The signage saying "The So Different" still remained from an earlier branding. Beyond it's The Kozy at 518 (called The Bear in the earlier photo), the Old Golden City bar at 516 (seen as the Midway in the earlier photo) and the arched entrance of the Thalia at 514 1/2. See the page on the Thalia for more views of this east end of the block.

 

Location #2 - on the south side of the street:

585 Pacific Ave. | map |

The second Midway Theatre location was on the south side of the street near Kearny. This c.1910 view from the Jack Tillmany collection appears on the Open SF History Project website.

The Midway Amusement Co. isn't in the 1907 directory but appears in the 1908 city directory at 587 Pacific. In 1909, 1910 and 1911 it's listed as 583. In 1912 and 1913 the listing says 585.

A 1913 San Francisco Public Library photo looking east from Kearny with the Midway on the right at 585 Pacific. The Midway had added Schlitz sign. The photo appears on a Wikipedia page about the "Terrific Street."

Down the block at 555 at this time it was the windmill of the Moulin Rouge, a spot later occupied by the Hippodrome. Over on the left, the north side of the street displays signage for Diana Hall at 580, Spider Kelly's, the first Hippodrome location at 560 and the Thalia at 514 1/2. 

 

A c.1913 card from the collection of Paul Ayers. Again we're looking east with the Midway on the south side of the street. Note that down beyond the Midway the card artist has depicted the Moulin Rouge's windmill as spinning. That wiggly sign on the left side of the street was a vertical for the Hippodrome, evidently a new installation. Also note a vertical for the Thalia, farther down at 514 1/2. Thanks to Paul for sharing this on a Facebook post. He also has it on the San Francisco History to the 1920s private Facebook group. 

An editorial in the San Francisco Call on July 30, 1913 announced the demise of the Midway as an entertainment venue:

Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article. Starting in 1914 the city directory listings change to "Midway Cafe" at either 581 or 585. 

Closing: It's still in the 1916 directory but not in the 1920 edition. 
 
More information: There was a burlesque house called the Midway Theatre running on Market St. before the 1906 earthquake. 

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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