The Noe Theatre

3984 24th St.  | map |

Opened: January 14, 1937 with with the third-run bill of “Old Hutch” and “The Case of the Velvet Claws.” This Noe Valley house was on the north side of the street between Sanchez St. and Noe St. This January 15, 1942 Ted Newman photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
 

 An opening day ad. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating it. 

Jack notes that this was the last of the city's pre-World War II theatres to open and among the first to close. He adds: 

"Why the Noe Theatre was ever built in the first place is curious. There had always been a smaller theater or two on 24th Street, but none of them nearly so large. Judging from the late run films booked there, it could never have been considered to be a very important location. With a half dozen houses on Mission Street, a few blocks away, the Castro just over the hill, and a very limited number of local residents within walking distance, the Noe Theatre had three strikes against it before it even opened, and so its early demise probably came as no surprise to anyone."

Architect: Mark T. Jorgensen. The theatre was designed for Golden State Theater and Realty Corp. On the plans the theatre's name is given as the New Palmer. The Palmer Theatre was at 4045 24th St.

 

 

A facade elevation from the plans for the project that are in the Gary Parks collection. 27 additional images from the blueprints are at the bottom of the page. 

Seating: 996

Closed: 1952. A church later used the building.

Status: It's been demolished. A mixed use building is now on the site with retail on the ground floor and apartments above.


Interior views:

The main floor lobby in 1942. It's a Ted Newman photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appearing on the San Francisco Public Library website.

A January 15, 1942 Ted Newman proscenium view from the Jack Tillmany collection appearing on the San Francisco Public Library website.

The rear of the house in January 1942. It's a Ted Newman photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appearing on the San Francisco Public Library website.


More exterior views:  

 A nice shot 1944 looking east on 24th from Castro in 1944. It's in the San Francisco Public Library collection. It's a newspaper photo that originally was published with this copy:

"Judging from the number of requests we've received for this picture, about half the armed forces must come from out around 24th and Castro-sts. So here we are, looking along 24th-st past Castro toward Mission-st. Looks like it might have been raining when Eddie Murphy took this picture. Well, it was."

In this August 1948 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection they were running "Hazard" with Paulette Goddard and Macdonald Carey in along with "Old Los Angeles," a western starring Bill Elliott. The photo appears on the Open SF History Project website. It's also been seen on Instagram as a post of the Market Street Railway where they note that streetcar service on this line ended on January 15, 1949.

Thanks to Maureen Price for finding this c.1948 photo. She'd added it as a comment to a post of another Noe photo on the San Francisco Remembered Facebook page.

The theatre running two starring Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson. "Toast of New Orleans" was a 1950 release. The second feature, "That Midnight Kiss," was out in 1949. The photo by Hosea Blair is in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library.  

Jack Tillmany comments: "This shot of the Noe running the two Lanza films from MGM was taken in June 1951. That combination had been enjoying a very successful return because of Lanza's increasing popularity at the time."

A 1956 photo of the building used as a church appearing on the Open SF History Project website courtesy of Jack Tillmany. 

 

Images from the plans that are in the Gary Parks collection: 

 

 

The title block from sheet one with an early name for the house. 

 

 

 

An elevation of the facade. Gary comments: "Once again, we have a Moderne/Deco transitional theatre which ended up being a little simpler than what was drawn. What Jack Tillmany has said about the theatre’s lack of longevity makes complete sense. Though perhaps ill-conceived, location-wise and timing-wise, it was nevertheless a quite pleasing design. Jorgensen really micromanaged the details, and we are the richer for it…at least, on paper."

 

 

A detail from the facade drawing showing a storefront, several entrance doors, and the boxoffice. Gary comments: "Note that wavy lines of neon continue over the storefronts. The drawings specifically notate those lines as tubing."

 

 

 Facade ornament. 

 

A storefront detail. 

 

A closer look at the boxoffice from the facade elevation. 

 

 

Detail drawings for the boxoffice. 

 

 

A proposed ticket lobby floor. Gary comments: "Plan—in two halves—of the floor pattern in the entry, with the PALMER name inlaid in tile. This would have been a nod to the 'old' Palmer Theatre, a nickelodeon. Since the theatre was renamed NOE by the time it was completed, the tile would have been laid in another configuration. Whether or not it read 'NOE,' is not known at this point."

 

 

 

The main lobby as we look to the exit doors. 

 

A detail from the lobby elevation showing the house left stairs and drinking fountain area. 

 

 

A different angle on the house left stairs and the entrance to the house left aisle.   

 

 

 

Ornament at the aisle entrance. 

 

 

A closer look at the drinking fountain from the elevation drawing. 

 

 

A section through the drinking fountain area. Gary comments: "Among all the blueprints in my collection thus far photographed, this is the most attention given to a theatre’s drinking fountain. The tropical fish, with branches of coral indicated behind them, the differing pattern in the tile, and even a gracefully arcing stream indicated to show how the water will spring forth when a patron bends into the niche to take a drink, is unsurpassed. Eyeballing the height of the niche, I don’t believe there was any danger of tall patrons bumping their heads on the points of the tiled zig-zags topping the niche."

 

 

 

A detail of the house right end of the lobby. Gary comments: "The telephone booth mimics the angular design of the mural frames which flanked the proscenium, as well as the tiled drinking fountain niche at the opposite end of the lobby."

 

 

 

A main lobby wall elevation, looking toward the auditorium. 

 

 

The main floor plan.

 

 

Restrooms, manager's office and the front section of the balcony. 

 

 

A closer look at the lobby at balcony level. 

 

 A full plan of the balcony and the booth. 

 

A closer look at the plan for the booth. 

 

 

 

A section looking back toward the street. Note part of the pylon on the facade beyond the balcony risers and booth. 

 

 

 

A section drawing looking toward the stage. 

 

 

 A closer look at some of the proscenium ornament.

 

 

 

A section through the building  looking toward the house left wall.

 

 

A detail of the house left wall near the stage. 

 

 

A sidewall detail.

 

 

Ornament near the exit at the front of the balcony house left. Gary comments: "According to these drawings, each of the ribbed pilasters on the auditorium sidewalls had these tall, backlit etched glass 'fixtures,' which must have provided substantial illumination during intermission, and wonderful mood lighting when dimmed to their running lights circuit. Note too, the design of the exit signs, which is unique among those which I have seen."

 

Thanks, Gary! 

More information: See the Cinema Treasures page about the Noe.

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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