A brand new cinema theatre company from Koren chain CJ CGV will take over the former AMC spot on Van Ness in 2020. They will feature SF’s first 4D and EX cinemas plus a giant curved screen any many other special extras that AMC & Century don’t offer in SF. They have two spots in Southern CA at this time. So glad the place will become a movie theatre again.
Thanks David for these great photos. Strange I thought the Palace was the Cinerama Theatre for Cleveland but It shows ‘Ice Station Zebra’ next door at the Loews State?
Thanks James for this classic photo. You can see under the Rivoli name they have a small sign that says A DIMENSION 150 THEATRE. This was not the case when UA took out the nice curved D-150 screen they left this sign up for many months. Now the D-150 screen is gone along with the Rivoli NYC.
Thanks for photo. Nice to see Regal has some class these days with the blue and red LED lights. AMC in SF has taken out their nice blue hall lights at the Metreon Theatre and put in bright white lights. A new UA Regal will be coming into SF CA soon. Lets hope they put in some color in the new space at Stonestown.
Thanks Chris for the inside photo. Looks like they had a large baby cry room up on the right side back.
They need to bring these rooms back today as many cinemas allow babies inside with all the crying and baby talk just like they do at home.
Thanks Cinema for this classic photo. I remember when this porn cinema burnt down in West Hollywood and the headline photos in the LA Times were ‘IS PARIS BURNING’ they had on the marquee.
Thanks for the photo Chrome**Now a condo building built inside the old Fox Parkside Theatre in SF. They even had 70mm roadshow for a short time when SF ran out of 70mm roadshow cinemas. A flat screen not curved. At one time the downstairs was a kids day care place with movies at night with balcony seating only. This was Fox West Coast Theatres only 70mm theatre in SF.
Thanks Dallas**These must have had black light glow bulbs on the art. I wonder If any color photos are still left around so we can see how they looked and did they keep them lit during the film on low. Wow can you imagine a modern USA movie circuit today having something like this in one of their large cinemas with curtains and black lights to glow the florescent art.
Thanks Dallas for this great photo. They went all out with 3 sheet cut outs and banner plus the roof sign and turning Mosses. I wonder If the barber shop got on board and offered The Ten Commands hair cut?
Thanks Mike for the print photo. Glad they used some color lights and not just white lighting. Must look great during a show or movie lit up in the dark.
Thanks Andy for this photo. Strange outside of the USA many Cinerama® Theatres advertised films being in Cinerama® Doctor Zhivago was not filmed in Super Cinerama® just a blow up from 35mm to 70mm with 6 track mag stereo. It may have been shown on their curved Cinerama® screen and must have looked nice, kind of false advertising in Europe?
Odeon needed to put in color LED lights that they could adjust the color change. Just start out with dark BLUE to start please.
Same in the USA so many new cinemas just put in bright white lights and the side wall lights all hit the corners of the screen during the pre show adds.
I wonder if the people buying ads in movie theatres like(Screen Vision) know that the ads and trailers are mostly ruined by stray white lights.
A dark low light blue light would not bother the screen that much but they won’t do anything about it in most circuits.
Thanks FAO for your photos and notes.
People need to complain and boycott the Odeon LS till they fix the lighting.
This former cinema is about to be sold again back to the owners that had the place in the 1990’s and now have the surrounding properties. Looks like It’s days of movies or music are coming to a end when a new condo building with shops on the bottom try to take over this old fun movie spot on the river.
Maybe things will change and the new owners will keep It as a movie or live event theatre for the locals and tourists to enjoy after It is fixed up or will It be torn down like so many movie theatres in California have been?
Cinemark Theatres under their Century Theatre brand has way too many cinemas in the SF Bay Area same with AMC. It’s time for a new cinema company to move into S.F.
Bow Tie & National are mainly on the East Coast.
Many new theatre operators are ready to take over old cineama’s or build new ones in California like Cineapolis opening this June in the Hillsdale area of San Mateo CA along with Maya, Showcase Icon and the new Cineworld Regal Theatre brand.
Bring on the huge X curved screens along with 4DX, Screen X & Dolby Atmos®
We are ready in San Francisco for the new guys to bring us some new movie going treats that are missing at Century.
The old AMC 14 at least had Dolby Atmos® in one of their small spaces. Whoever takes on the remodel upgrade job at the AMC SF 14 may add more new type sound systems as there are other new sound companies available besides Dolby® these days like Barco .
One bad thing the seating will be way reduced when they put in recliners. I am not a fan of these way too big sleeper seats. I’d put in some new nice hi back deluxe seats and just put in the recliners in the largest auditoriums.
If the Cineworld Group (Regal) takes on the remodel of the AMC 14 Van Ness in SF maybe we will have under one roof a Dolby Cinema®, Screen X and a 4DX. It will be a big comeback to Regal Theatres under their new owners Cineworld. Regal at one time was a huge operator in the San Francisco area. With the new Regal Theatre going into the old Macy’s spot in the Stonestown area of SF they will have two new movie spots in SF If they take on the AMC Van Ness 14 location.
Looks like It may be the Mexican Theatre group CINEPOLIS that may be moving into the AMC 14 Van Ness spot in SF. They love 4DX and will be the fist for SF. Many new theatre companies are coming in California for the fist time like Showcase Icon with two brand new openings a few months ago in Mountain View CA and a location near San Jose CA in Century Theatre land. Cinepolis is opening a new movie theatre in San Mateo CA near the Hillsdale Center.
Thanks Gary for the news. 4D will do well in SF since the other two big chains in SF did not bother getting in sooner. Lets hope the new lease owners put a marquee up in the front of the building so you even know it is showing movies inside. The new guys also need to put in a giant curved screen with the best sound in SF,even better then Dolby Atmos®. AMC was pulling equipment out the last few months like their surround speakers and just left a few on the side walls. Lets see if the MAYA chain moves into the old AMC spot and does the remodel work AMC did not do. The area had many cinemas over the years and is on a very busy street in SF. At last some competition for Cinemark/Century and AMC. Regal Theatres will soon open a brand new spot in the Stonestown shopping area in SF at the old Macy’s location to replace their twin a few feet away.
Thanks for the great CinemaScope® notes. I was always surprised by these first Fox CinemaScope® ads. You will never find the CinemaScope® Magic Mirror semi curved screen going that much into the first 15 rows like the drawing ad claimed It did. Many people seeing the advertisement were probably a little taken back. The Cinerama® people needed to take Fox to court to block this copy cat look as their curved screen did in most theatres come off the stage into the seat area with wrap a round curtains and way better stereophonic sound. Still It was the best thing for me as a kid to go to the Fox West Coast Paramount Theatre in Oakland Ca to see The Robe in 1953. They did a great job with showmanship and opened up the giant semi curved CinemaScope® screen curtains to a blue lighted screen and a recorded speaker came on to welcome everyone to the first showing of this magic wonder to the East Bay for the first time. Then they closed the curtains waited 2 minutes and then started the film with the opening. Great days for me and still too this day I can remember the seats we sat in on the middle left. The Paramount Theatre Oakland CA is still going but the drop down scope screen is way smaller then the original was. Thanks again Greg & film for the article.
A brand new cinema theatre company from Koren chain CJ CGV will take over the former AMC spot on Van Ness in 2020. They will feature SF’s first 4D and EX cinemas plus a giant curved screen any many other special extras that AMC & Century don’t offer in SF. They have two spots in Southern CA at this time. So glad the place will become a movie theatre again.
I see no mention of CINERAMA in this photo. Did they just pack up and leave?
Thanks David for these great photos. Strange I thought the Palace was the Cinerama Theatre for Cleveland but It shows ‘Ice Station Zebra’ next door at the Loews State?
Thanks James for this classic photo. You can see under the Rivoli name they have a small sign that says A DIMENSION 150 THEATRE. This was not the case when UA took out the nice curved D-150 screen they left this sign up for many months. Now the D-150 screen is gone along with the Rivoli NYC.
Thanks GD for the photo of this former Todd-AO 70mm roadshow house still open. I wonder if anyone has any photos of the inside curved screen?
Thanks for photo. Nice to see Regal has some class these days with the blue and red LED lights. AMC in SF has taken out their nice blue hall lights at the Metreon Theatre and put in bright white lights. A new UA Regal will be coming into SF CA soon. Lets hope they put in some color in the new space at Stonestown.
Thanks David those lights are something else.
Thanks Woody-I can’t believe this cinema is even still open showing porn? Can you imagine what the inside looks like!
Thanks Chris for the inside photo. Looks like they had a large baby cry room up on the right side back. They need to bring these rooms back today as many cinemas allow babies inside with all the crying and baby talk just like they do at home.
Thanks Cinema for this classic photo. I remember when this porn cinema burnt down in West Hollywood and the headline photos in the LA Times were ‘IS PARIS BURNING’ they had on the marquee.
Thanks for the photo Chrome**Now a condo building built inside the old Fox Parkside Theatre in SF. They even had 70mm roadshow for a short time when SF ran out of 70mm roadshow cinemas. A flat screen not curved. At one time the downstairs was a kids day care place with movies at night with balcony seating only. This was Fox West Coast Theatres only 70mm theatre in SF.
Thanks JJ for this classic Cinerama® San Diego photo. I wonder If anyone kept the neon sign or did Pacific Theatres trash the whole thing?
Thanks Mike. Wow what a tilt from this hi up projection booth. I wonder if the screen was tilted a little up also.
Thanks Dallas**These must have had black light glow bulbs on the art. I wonder If any color photos are still left around so we can see how they looked and did they keep them lit during the film on low. Wow can you imagine a modern USA movie circuit today having something like this in one of their large cinemas with curtains and black lights to glow the florescent art.
Thanks Dallas for this great photo. They went all out with 3 sheet cut outs and banner plus the roof sign and turning Mosses. I wonder If the barber shop got on board and offered The Ten Commands hair cut?
Thanks Mike for the print photo. Glad they used some color lights and not just white lighting. Must look great during a show or movie lit up in the dark.
Thanks Andy for this photo. Strange outside of the USA many Cinerama® Theatres advertised films being in Cinerama® Doctor Zhivago was not filmed in Super Cinerama® just a blow up from 35mm to 70mm with 6 track mag stereo. It may have been shown on their curved Cinerama® screen and must have looked nice, kind of false advertising in Europe?
Thanks David for this classic photo from the Winter Garden Theatre in NYC that is not used much these days.
Odeon needed to put in color LED lights that they could adjust the color change. Just start out with dark BLUE to start please. Same in the USA so many new cinemas just put in bright white lights and the side wall lights all hit the corners of the screen during the pre show adds. I wonder if the people buying ads in movie theatres like(Screen Vision) know that the ads and trailers are mostly ruined by stray white lights. A dark low light blue light would not bother the screen that much but they won’t do anything about it in most circuits. Thanks FAO for your photos and notes. People need to complain and boycott the Odeon LS till they fix the lighting.
This former cinema is about to be sold again back to the owners that had the place in the 1990’s and now have the surrounding properties. Looks like It’s days of movies or music are coming to a end when a new condo building with shops on the bottom try to take over this old fun movie spot on the river. Maybe things will change and the new owners will keep It as a movie or live event theatre for the locals and tourists to enjoy after It is fixed up or will It be torn down like so many movie theatres in California have been?
Cinemark Theatres under their Century Theatre brand has way too many cinemas in the SF Bay Area same with AMC. It’s time for a new cinema company to move into S.F. Bow Tie & National are mainly on the East Coast. Many new theatre operators are ready to take over old cineama’s or build new ones in California like Cineapolis opening this June in the Hillsdale area of San Mateo CA along with Maya, Showcase Icon and the new Cineworld Regal Theatre brand. Bring on the huge X curved screens along with 4DX, Screen X & Dolby Atmos® We are ready in San Francisco for the new guys to bring us some new movie going treats that are missing at Century.
The old AMC 14 at least had Dolby Atmos® in one of their small spaces. Whoever takes on the remodel upgrade job at the AMC SF 14 may add more new type sound systems as there are other new sound companies available besides Dolby® these days like Barco . One bad thing the seating will be way reduced when they put in recliners. I am not a fan of these way too big sleeper seats. I’d put in some new nice hi back deluxe seats and just put in the recliners in the largest auditoriums.
If the Cineworld Group (Regal) takes on the remodel of the AMC 14 Van Ness in SF maybe we will have under one roof a Dolby Cinema®, Screen X and a 4DX. It will be a big comeback to Regal Theatres under their new owners Cineworld. Regal at one time was a huge operator in the San Francisco area. With the new Regal Theatre going into the old Macy’s spot in the Stonestown area of SF they will have two new movie spots in SF If they take on the AMC Van Ness 14 location.
Looks like It may be the Mexican Theatre group CINEPOLIS that may be moving into the AMC 14 Van Ness spot in SF. They love 4DX and will be the fist for SF. Many new theatre companies are coming in California for the fist time like Showcase Icon with two brand new openings a few months ago in Mountain View CA and a location near San Jose CA in Century Theatre land. Cinepolis is opening a new movie theatre in San Mateo CA near the Hillsdale Center.
Thanks Gary for the news. 4D will do well in SF since the other two big chains in SF did not bother getting in sooner. Lets hope the new lease owners put a marquee up in the front of the building so you even know it is showing movies inside. The new guys also need to put in a giant curved screen with the best sound in SF,even better then Dolby Atmos®. AMC was pulling equipment out the last few months like their surround speakers and just left a few on the side walls. Lets see if the MAYA chain moves into the old AMC spot and does the remodel work AMC did not do. The area had many cinemas over the years and is on a very busy street in SF. At last some competition for Cinemark/Century and AMC. Regal Theatres will soon open a brand new spot in the Stonestown shopping area in SF at the old Macy’s location to replace their twin a few feet away.
Thanks for the great CinemaScope® notes. I was always surprised by these first Fox CinemaScope® ads. You will never find the CinemaScope® Magic Mirror semi curved screen going that much into the first 15 rows like the drawing ad claimed It did. Many people seeing the advertisement were probably a little taken back. The Cinerama® people needed to take Fox to court to block this copy cat look as their curved screen did in most theatres come off the stage into the seat area with wrap a round curtains and way better stereophonic sound. Still It was the best thing for me as a kid to go to the Fox West Coast Paramount Theatre in Oakland Ca to see The Robe in 1953. They did a great job with showmanship and opened up the giant semi curved CinemaScope® screen curtains to a blue lighted screen and a recorded speaker came on to welcome everyone to the first showing of this magic wonder to the East Bay for the first time. Then they closed the curtains waited 2 minutes and then started the film with the opening. Great days for me and still too this day I can remember the seats we sat in on the middle left. The Paramount Theatre Oakland CA is still going but the drop down scope screen is way smaller then the original was. Thanks again Greg & film for the article.