So nice this long closed cinema will shine again. Only theatre in town so It will do well. Let the neon glow again!!!! just off the Bart train stop Lafayette CA.
Dennis thanks for the photo. Must have been for the 4th Of July or Memorial Day. You won’t find movie circuits these days having any flags up for a holiday.
Let’s hope they put in some curtains that open and close and install some color lights up on the ceiling. It’s time for the water falls to be fixed and going also.
Must have been hard to watch a film on the large scope screen and see the image from the second screen on the left. They needed to plant some large trees to block the view.
A recent visit a few weeks ago was not a good time for me at the Fox Atlanta. We saw ‘The Shining’ The Fox run some ads in the local art/entertainment free newspapers and tell about the Coke Film Festival Night. They show the time starting at 7:30PM. What they don’t tell you about all the wonderfull things going on during the pre show at 6 45PM. The pipe organ, cartoons, news, plus trailers all in 35mm film. Most of the main features are DCP video. Not the best look with such a long throw from the back high up balcony projection booth. They did not close the curtains like they did in the past after the organ or between the main feature. So many ads cover the above the screen section and projected on the walls. This gave the place a junkie look, not like a first class classic movie theatre. What was so sad many people came in at 7:30PM or later and blocked screen view looking for their seats and talking. Most had no idea about coming early I think or looking for a place to park. They ran so many screen ads before the video main feature started I thought I was at a Regal Theatre. The lady at the boxoffice told me they open at 6 PM. She was wrong I had to wait in the hot heat till 6 30PM. I did talk to some sort of manager lady in the lobby and told her how important the curtains are with some color lights on them like they did in the past. She did listen to me so let’s see If they can get a stage person backstage to open and close them at the correct time (slowly) as they do adjust the screen masking by hand for flat or scope. The screen they use is way smaller then the huge CinemaScope® screen they had in the 50’s. The Fox need’s to change the name to Coke Video Festival as they don’t show 35mm or 70mm film on the main features they book. Glad the place is still open and let’s wish they bring some showmanship back on these great movie/video nights and change the newspaper ads to show what is going on before the main feature plus mention COME EARLY and open at 6 PM. They now have metal detectors out side the front doors so you will be checked to enter just like at the airports. This adds some time also to get in. Watching a movie is not like going to a rock show.
I worked at the Fox Paramount in the mid 60’s. The manager was Robert Apple, a great showman. This is were I saw my first CinemaScope® film in the early 50’s. They had many true studio sneak previews. I worked the time they showed the sneak preview of ‘Mollie Brow’ in 4 track mag stereo. When the movie was released at the Paramount later on they only sent a mono print. MR Apple was very upset I remember ‘Mollie’ had some great surround sound effects and the Paramount had plenty of surround speakers in the balcony also. So nice It’s still open and they do show movies once in a while.
To bad the current people that have this old theatre took down the nice neon marquee. You can still go in and see It was a great little cinema in the 50 and 60’s.
If you see a music event here and sit up stairs you won’t see the stage as most people stand up and block the view. The music is way to loud. Bring ear plugs. They even sell them in the lobby at the Fox Oakland Theatre. The manager needs to check all the people smoking up stairs and have them sit down. They were not smoking cigarette’s. A fire danger and the ushers don’t care. No seats downstairs, you pay a high price and have to stand all during the show. Nice job on all the color lights when they have them on. Hope some day they show some movies on 35mm film or DCP and put in a large screen and get the curtain to work. APE the gang that books the place offers nothing for seniors to enjoy. Check the Fox out and take the Bart train to almost the front door. Don’t forget your ear plugs!!!!
The downstairs RKO#1 curved Cinerama screen was just put in the back of the wide stage and It did not have the impact as the Orpheum Cinerama up the street that had wrap around curtains. Yes SF had two Cinerama type theatres during this time. The upstairs RKO#2 was one of the worst keystone screens ever.
Thanks Dennis for the photo. Did your cinema ever have 70mm film on the screen? Did the screen have the same look as many Showcase theatres hade at that time with no curtains and more of a box set screen back in the wall. Thanks again.
To bad they tore this semi Cinerama type curved screen theatre down a few years ago. Many people tried to save her but the owners wanted to cash out. Thanks so much Texas2 for the memories.
I saw this as a kid at the huge Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland Ca. Steve Reeves was on the giant stage in person opening week. They had up on the marquee ‘Oakland Own’s Steve Reeves In Person’ Mr Mac Dougal the manager went all out with the front 3 sheets and newspaper advertising in Oakland. Thanks CC for this great ad. They even had a MR Hercules contest on stage for local bodybuilder type guys.
I was amazed how large the backstage was. They had room to put a much larger curved type 70mm screen on the massive stage not the flat one they used for all the 70mm roadshow films that played like ‘Sound Of Music’ and ‘The Bible’ (D-150) in a flat semi small Todd-AO 70mm screen. At least the stereo surround sounded good here as they had plenty of surround effect speakers and kept them way up for 6 Ch 70mm mag stereo! SF has torn down so many nice theatres in the past 30 years and now this one is gone. Not even a photo or article in the SF Chronicle this week as I sent them all mine to use. Many older people now went here in the 50’s and 60’s for reserved seat roadshow films.
Thanks CC for this great photo. To bad the city of SF did not keep this huge theatre. Many other cities kept their Fox Theatres. The Shuberts needed to take It over and give some West Coast competition to the Nederlanders.
terrywade
commented about
ROYALon
Jul 15, 2016 at 1:02 pm
Thanks Don for this classic photo. To bad the Nasser family did not keep the neon sign up when they went condo. Some of the front is still in place on Polk St in SF. They could call It the ‘Condos Royal’
Thanks Dallas for the info. It’s so strange how these movie companies way over done how much the screen came out into the audience just like the ads for early CinemaScope® Most of them did not come off the stage like shown. I hope some day someone will come out with a Blue Ray of this ‘Thrillarama’ film like on a Smilebox type DVD curved system. Must of looked great with just one crease in the middle. Thanks again for the demo photo.
Thanks Dallas for the photo. This cinema looks like It was set up to be a D-150, Todd-AO or Cinerama type of curved screen but looks like they went with a semi flat regular screen. The stage and curtains are curved but the screen is not.
It was so sad when Ray Syufy cut the big C21 theatre down the middle to make more money. You could hear all the bass sound from the other side of the wall plus the screen was way smaller and the seats not placed well. It’s all dust now.
This is the best movie theatre in the Reno/Sparks area. Large curved screens and great sound plus a Imax screen. I hope soon they will up grade the surround sound in the large Imax cinema as now they just have two big box speakers in the back corners. The new Imax stereo system has more surround speakers down the side walls. The neon looks so hot at night outside.
So nice this long closed cinema will shine again. Only theatre in town so It will do well. Let the neon glow again!!!! just off the Bart train stop Lafayette CA.
Dennis thanks for the photo. Must have been for the 4th Of July or Memorial Day. You won’t find movie circuits these days having any flags up for a holiday.
So nice they still use curtains that open and close. The screen in the large downstairs cinema has a slight curve to It.
Thanks Dennis for the photo. I wonder If that is neon light behind the glass blocks? A great looking boxoffice and doors.
Let’s hope they put in some curtains that open and close and install some color lights up on the ceiling. It’s time for the water falls to be fixed and going also.
To bad they had old white lights on. A nice touch would have been blue or green bulbs. Thanks Ken for the great photos. Is the place still open?
Must have been hard to watch a film on the large scope screen and see the image from the second screen on the left. They needed to plant some large trees to block the view.
A recent visit a few weeks ago was not a good time for me at the Fox Atlanta. We saw ‘The Shining’ The Fox run some ads in the local art/entertainment free newspapers and tell about the Coke Film Festival Night. They show the time starting at 7:30PM. What they don’t tell you about all the wonderfull things going on during the pre show at 6 45PM. The pipe organ, cartoons, news, plus trailers all in 35mm film. Most of the main features are DCP video. Not the best look with such a long throw from the back high up balcony projection booth. They did not close the curtains like they did in the past after the organ or between the main feature. So many ads cover the above the screen section and projected on the walls. This gave the place a junkie look, not like a first class classic movie theatre. What was so sad many people came in at 7:30PM or later and blocked screen view looking for their seats and talking. Most had no idea about coming early I think or looking for a place to park. They ran so many screen ads before the video main feature started I thought I was at a Regal Theatre. The lady at the boxoffice told me they open at 6 PM. She was wrong I had to wait in the hot heat till 6 30PM. I did talk to some sort of manager lady in the lobby and told her how important the curtains are with some color lights on them like they did in the past. She did listen to me so let’s see If they can get a stage person backstage to open and close them at the correct time (slowly) as they do adjust the screen masking by hand for flat or scope. The screen they use is way smaller then the huge CinemaScope® screen they had in the 50’s. The Fox need’s to change the name to Coke Video Festival as they don’t show 35mm or 70mm film on the main features they book. Glad the place is still open and let’s wish they bring some showmanship back on these great movie/video nights and change the newspaper ads to show what is going on before the main feature plus mention COME EARLY and open at 6 PM. They now have metal detectors out side the front doors so you will be checked to enter just like at the airports. This adds some time also to get in. Watching a movie is not like going to a rock show.
I worked at the Fox Paramount in the mid 60’s. The manager was Robert Apple, a great showman. This is were I saw my first CinemaScope® film in the early 50’s. They had many true studio sneak previews. I worked the time they showed the sneak preview of ‘Mollie Brow’ in 4 track mag stereo. When the movie was released at the Paramount later on they only sent a mono print. MR Apple was very upset I remember ‘Mollie’ had some great surround sound effects and the Paramount had plenty of surround speakers in the balcony also. So nice It’s still open and they do show movies once in a while.
To bad the current people that have this old theatre took down the nice neon marquee. You can still go in and see It was a great little cinema in the 50 and 60’s.
If you see a music event here and sit up stairs you won’t see the stage as most people stand up and block the view. The music is way to loud. Bring ear plugs. They even sell them in the lobby at the Fox Oakland Theatre. The manager needs to check all the people smoking up stairs and have them sit down. They were not smoking cigarette’s. A fire danger and the ushers don’t care. No seats downstairs, you pay a high price and have to stand all during the show. Nice job on all the color lights when they have them on. Hope some day they show some movies on 35mm film or DCP and put in a large screen and get the curtain to work. APE the gang that books the place offers nothing for seniors to enjoy. Check the Fox out and take the Bart train to almost the front door. Don’t forget your ear plugs!!!!
The downstairs RKO#1 curved Cinerama screen was just put in the back of the wide stage and It did not have the impact as the Orpheum Cinerama up the street that had wrap around curtains. Yes SF had two Cinerama type theatres during this time. The upstairs RKO#2 was one of the worst keystone screens ever.
Thanks Dennis for the photo. Did your cinema ever have 70mm film on the screen? Did the screen have the same look as many Showcase theatres hade at that time with no curtains and more of a box set screen back in the wall. Thanks again.
To bad they tore this semi Cinerama type curved screen theatre down a few years ago. Many people tried to save her but the owners wanted to cash out. Thanks so much Texas2 for the memories.
I saw this as a kid at the huge Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland Ca. Steve Reeves was on the giant stage in person opening week. They had up on the marquee ‘Oakland Own’s Steve Reeves In Person’ Mr Mac Dougal the manager went all out with the front 3 sheets and newspaper advertising in Oakland. Thanks CC for this great ad. They even had a MR Hercules contest on stage for local bodybuilder type guys.
I was amazed how large the backstage was. They had room to put a much larger curved type 70mm screen on the massive stage not the flat one they used for all the 70mm roadshow films that played like ‘Sound Of Music’ and ‘The Bible’ (D-150) in a flat semi small Todd-AO 70mm screen. At least the stereo surround sounded good here as they had plenty of surround effect speakers and kept them way up for 6 Ch 70mm mag stereo! SF has torn down so many nice theatres in the past 30 years and now this one is gone. Not even a photo or article in the SF Chronicle this week as I sent them all mine to use. Many older people now went here in the 50’s and 60’s for reserved seat roadshow films.
It is now being worked on to bring It open again as a bar/club with arcade games.
Thanks CC for this great photo. To bad the city of SF did not keep this huge theatre. Many other cities kept their Fox Theatres. The Shuberts needed to take It over and give some West Coast competition to the Nederlanders.
Thanks Don for this classic photo. To bad the Nasser family did not keep the neon sign up when they went condo. Some of the front is still in place on Polk St in SF. They could call It the ‘Condos Royal’
Thanks Dallas for the info. It’s so strange how these movie companies way over done how much the screen came out into the audience just like the ads for early CinemaScope® Most of them did not come off the stage like shown. I hope some day someone will come out with a Blue Ray of this ‘Thrillarama’ film like on a Smilebox type DVD curved system. Must of looked great with just one crease in the middle. Thanks again for the demo photo.
Thanks Dallas for the photo. This cinema looks like It was set up to be a D-150, Todd-AO or Cinerama type of curved screen but looks like they went with a semi flat regular screen. The stage and curtains are curved but the screen is not.
Let’s hope this nice old movie theatre opens It’s doors again for a new generation to enjoy.
It was so sad when Ray Syufy cut the big C21 theatre down the middle to make more money. You could hear all the bass sound from the other side of the wall plus the screen was way smaller and the seats not placed well. It’s all dust now.
This is the best movie theatre in the Reno/Sparks area. Large curved screens and great sound plus a Imax screen. I hope soon they will up grade the surround sound in the large Imax cinema as now they just have two big box speakers in the back corners. The new Imax stereo system has more surround speakers down the side walls. The neon looks so hot at night outside.
This theatre now has a for sale sign outside. Great marquee still left and the place needs to turned back to a single theatre again.