The Tulsa Ritz (also an Eberson design) had an identical mezzanine drinking fountain, along with the same cast statuary and urns from Michael Angelo Studios.
Reno Burlesque was always a second rate strip joint. Hear tunes that are of better quiality than the crappy Reno Orchestra could have produced, View link
A dear friend of mine, Jeff Chapman, lived in San Francisco from 1977 through 1983. He made it his 1981 New Years resolution to go into every standing theatre structure in SF before the year was out. He almost accomplished his goal but was never able to get inside the El Ray, Harding, or Balboa. Jeff even walked around parking lots where theatres had once stood, such as the Paramount and El Capitan. At that time there were a couple of former theatres he didn’t know about because they had been converted to other uses, the Gap was one of them.
Jeff now resides in Champaign, IL.
A few of the above photos are actually those of the Market Street Granada (AKA-Paramount) … View link View link View link View link View link
rear viewhttp://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAB-3833.jpg
Have often wondered why Hollywood never filmed a biopic about the colorful life of legendary showman Sid Grauman.
Rumor says that during the Klondike Gold Rush, Sid Grauman ran a highly successful brothel in Dawson City, Alaska. When Sid heard that flickers were attracting hordes of ticket buyers he converted the downstairs saloon into a daylight nickelodeon, while still maintaining his profitable upstairs cat house. Eventually the nickel and dime cinema began to bring in almost as much loot as did his soiled doves. By Autumn of 1908 gold became tapped out and Dawson City was floundering, it was then that Grauman absconded with the funds of his fancy ladies leaving the girls flat broke to face an oncoming harsh winter alone and broke.
Sid moved to San Francisco and opened this profitable, no frills movie house. The rest of the story can be found amoungst these many pages of CT …
During the mid 1980s I lived in SF and my landlady, who was 90YOA at the time, said W.R. Hearst chose this location for his sweetheart’s theatre because from his office desk he could watch those giant “rosebud” pink neon letters spell out MARION DAVIES.
Recently I crossed paths with an Altus citizen who said that locals always called this the Dollhouse, but actual formal name was Penthouse Cinema.
In this 1979 color slide the Apollo Delman was looking a bit shopworn …
View link
Modern Aire was later renamed Admiral Drive-In Theatre …
http://tinyurl.com/35pwwr
The Tulsa Ritz (also an Eberson design) had an identical mezzanine drinking fountain, along with the same cast statuary and urns from Michael Angelo Studios.
From the map function a theatre is clearly visible sitting on Park & Adams. Is this the former RKO Downtown, or another house?
Caprice Theatre can be photo seen left …
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1952 view …
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Here is an updated link to listen to burlesque music …
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Wonderful conparison between 1950 images when this drive-in was new, and Randy’s recent photos!
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During its brief period as a burlesque house the Yale Orchestra would played this type music,
View link
This peppy album plays snappy burlesque tunes,
View link
This snazzy album plays peppy burlesque tunes …
View link
Reno Burlesque was always a second rate strip joint. Hear tunes that are of better quiality than the crappy Reno Orchestra could have produced,
View link
View link
View link
Above music comes from this snazzy album,
View link
Since the Gaiety was a first class burlesque house the house orchestra often played more sophisticaed music,
View link
and then there were also snappy burleque tunes like this,
View link
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All from this fun album,
View link
When the Grand was a burlesque house “patrons' listened to these snappy tunes while strip-tease queens pranced up and down the run-way …
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Courtesy of this album
View link
Hear a recording of one of Gypsy Rose Lee’s burlesque routines …
View link
courtesy of this web site …
http://www.unicornmeat.com/
Vintage images can be viewed here …
View link
Interior shot
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After conversion to Kress
View link
A dear friend of mine, Jeff Chapman, lived in San Francisco from 1977 through 1983. He made it his 1981 New Years resolution to go into every standing theatre structure in SF before the year was out. He almost accomplished his goal but was never able to get inside the El Ray, Harding, or Balboa. Jeff even walked around parking lots where theatres had once stood, such as the Paramount and El Capitan. At that time there were a couple of former theatres he didn’t know about because they had been converted to other uses, the Gap was one of them.
Jeff now resides in Champaign, IL.
A few of the above photos are actually those of the Market Street Granada (AKA-Paramount) …
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
rear viewhttp://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAB-3833.jpg
Actually the Winter Garden sat South of the Uptown. My error!
Have often wondered why Hollywood never filmed a biopic about the colorful life of legendary showman Sid Grauman.
Rumor says that during the Klondike Gold Rush, Sid Grauman ran a highly successful brothel in Dawson City, Alaska. When Sid heard that flickers were attracting hordes of ticket buyers he converted the downstairs saloon into a daylight nickelodeon, while still maintaining his profitable upstairs cat house. Eventually the nickel and dime cinema began to bring in almost as much loot as did his soiled doves. By Autumn of 1908 gold became tapped out and Dawson City was floundering, it was then that Grauman absconded with the funds of his fancy ladies leaving the girls flat broke to face an oncoming harsh winter alone and broke.
Sid moved to San Francisco and opened this profitable, no frills movie house. The rest of the story can be found amoungst these many pages of CT …
During the mid 1980s I lived in SF and my landlady, who was 90YOA at the time, said W.R. Hearst chose this location for his sweetheart’s theatre because from his office desk he could watch those giant “rosebud” pink neon letters spell out MARION DAVIES.
1907 exterior photo -
View link
Shot of romantic atmospheric auditorium -
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Besides the Winter Garden to the North, there was also another theatre next door West of the Uptown.
When the United Nations was razed did the marquee move over to this house?
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