Opening: It was running as The Musee at least by October 1907. This nickelodeon was on the east side of the street just north of Turk. It was one of many tenants in the wood building that was the Fillmore St. end of Chutes amusement park, formerly called the Coney Island Park.
The theatre is the second business up from the corner with their swing-out sign unfortunately not very readable in this August 1909 view from the Jack Tillmany collection. We're looking north on Fillmore with Turk at the first intersection. The main entrance to Chutes Park is in the middle of the block. The business on the corner is the Arcade Bar, listed as such in the 1909 city directory. In 1910 and 1911 it's listed as "The Arcade."
A detail from Jack's photo revealing that the theatre's admission price was 5 cents.
The building as a whole was known as the Arcade Building. In the 1908 city directory its address was listed as 1228-1230 Fillmore. For a history of the park see the page about the American Theatre, a venue that in its first incarnation was called the Chutes Theatre.
An October 8, 1907 ad for the theatre as The Musee that was located by Jack Tillmany. He comments: "Alice Guy Blaché did a 'Life of Christ' in early 1906, but it was probably the bigger, better, 1907 version by Victorin Jasset which was the one shown at The Musee and Star."
Business was good. Ads for the film in its 2nd big week at The Musee and 4th week at the Star. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating these. Note that a Mr. W.S. Faulkner was running both houses at the time. Jack comments: "Note how the admission price was raised to TWENTY CENTS for this event. Definitely an attempt to go big time."
Seating: 300. That's the number given on a 1908 Billboard list of nickelodeons.
It's listed under "Nickelodeons and Picture Shows" as The Musee at 1208 Fillmore in Henry's 1907-08 Official Western Theatrical Guide with B. Estey as manager. It's on Google Books. The Museé doesn't make it into any of the city directories between 1908 and 1911. The theatre is on a 1908 Billboard list of nickelodeons as The Musee at the 1208 address with B. Estey listed as manager.
A November 5, 1908 account of a fire at the theatre, here identified both as the Arcade nickelodeon and "the hall that is in the Arcade building." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for locating this. There were several different nickelodeons operating in the building but with the address they give there's no doubt it was the Museé.
Note that in the article the proprietors were listed as Estees & Brown. It's on a September 11, 1909 Billboard list as the Musee Theatre with a 1206 address and Brown and Estes (Estey?) listed as proprietors. The venue shows up again called the Musee Theatre in an August 17, 1910 want ad located by Jack Tillmany. They were looking for a cashier: 11am to 6pm for $5. Jack comments: "Not bad wages for 1910. Looks like they didn't need to run the ad twice."
Closing: The theatre, along with the rest of Chutes park, closed following a May 29, 1911 fire.
Status: The remains of the wooden building were demolished and replaced with new reinforced concrete retail spaces.
A 1911 post-fire view from the John Freeman collection. Note the signage for the Museé.
More information: See the pages for two other theatres on Fillmore that were part of the complex including the American Theatre, the former Chutes vaudeville theatre, and the Star Theatre at 1250 Fillmore, on the north end of the block.
Other theatrical action on the block included the Lyric Nickelodeon at 1218 Fillmore, the Nickelless Nickelodeon at 1226 Fillmore and a theatre called The Fair at 1234 Fillmore. See the theatres by address page for what data there is on these so far.
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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