The Elite Theatre

935 Market St. | map |

Opening: The Elite presumably opened in 1909. Jack Tillmany notes that it was listed, with a 937 Market St. address, in a list of nickelodeons appearing in the September 11, 1909 issue of Billboard. It's in the 1910 and 1911 city directories with the 935 Market address.

The censor board at work. This October 21, 1910 newspaper item about trouble at the Elite was located by Jack Tillmany. This was evidently the only time the Elite was mentioned in the papers. Note the 937 address used in the item.

Closing: It appears that the Elite was one of two nickelodeons operated by the Turner & Dahnken circuit demolished for construction of the Pantages Theatre. The other was the Photo Theatre at 941 Market. The Pantages opened in November 1911 on the Market St. lots numbered 935 through 941.

More information: Sorry, but there isn't any yet for this location. Elite was a commonly used name -- there were four or five others around town at various times.

 

Turner & Dahnken were also in the film rental and theatre equipment supply business. This ad appeared in a May 1, 1909 S.F. Bulletin three-page salute to "San Francisco's High-Class Moving-Picture Theatres," part of their Pacific Progress Issue. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the section.

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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