UPDATE: The public hearing before the Board of Supervisors is now March 15, 2005 at 4:00 pm.
In a positive development for the Harding, the Board of Supervisors rescheduled the Feb. 15 hearing so that the Board can consider whether the Planning Commission complied with the state environmental quality act (CEQA). This and growing support from neighborhood and preservation organizations significantly improve the prospect that the project will be sent back to the Planning Commission for environmental review and community dialogue over the use of the theater.
The public hearing before the Board of Supervisors has been rescheduled for March 15, 2005 at 5:00 pm.
E-MAIL THE SUPERVISORS.
Copy/paste the following email addresses for the SF Board of Supervisors:
, , , , ,
, , , , ,
Please BCC a copy to so that your support can be noted. Be sure to list your name and street address so that Supervisors know that your support is real.
SIGN OR PICK UP A PETITION OR FLYERS TO DISTRIBUTE:
Madrone Lounge-after 6pm (Fell/Divisadero)
The Film Yard (Fulton/Divis)
Distractions (Haight/Ashbury)
CONTACT
Call David Tornheim at
415-668-2353.
Central City Progressives
c/o David Tornheim
1890 Grove # 5,
San Francisco, CA 94117
The Franklin opened as a playhouse, the Bishop, under the management of Henry W. Bishop and contained a revolving stage. In 1918, Bishop sold out to George Ebey (who had previously managed the Oakland Orpheum) and dancer/actress/scenario writer Maude Fulton and renamed the Fulton (after Maude Fulton). Under that name it became the chief legitimate theater in Oakland, operating as a “one-week run” playhouse until 1926, when “The Best People” ran for 10 weeks and “The Patsy” for 13 weeks the following year; afterwards plays ran as long as their popularity and the market would allow.
The theater was purchased by Henry Duffy (of Dufwin [q.v. as Roxie]Theatre fame) on August 9, 1929, but Duffy’s efforts failed; by the following year Ebey had resumed control but the Fulton closed in 1931, reopening as a short-lived stock company showhouse in 1932. In 1935 it reopened as the Franklin, a motion picture house under the Carroll-Blumenfield management. In 1937 Carroll retired and was succeeded by Laws. The Franklin would spend the remainder of its operating life as a first-run movie house. Its final years (post-1942) were as the Telenews (not to be confused with the Telenews [q.v.] on Broadway and 19th Street a few blocks away).
The building in back of the strip mall (across Broadway from Oakland Tech)referred to by xtopher 1974 was the former Rockridge Showcase West, which was an offshoot of the Showcase depicted here (see the ROCKRIDGE SHOWCASE WEST entry elsewhere in CinemaTreasures). The shopping center that once housed the original Showcase is a block further up Broadway (towards College Avenue).
ALERT: Condo developers have obtained permits to demolish San Francisco’s historic Harding Theater. Neighborhood merchants are lobbying to save the theater and adapt it for reuse. They will meet with the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, February 1, 2005, at City Hall, Room 244, One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place (Polk Street between Grove and McAllister Streets), San Francisco, 3:30 pm. (415) 568-3306.
It was located in a building whose historic name is Luke’s Nickelodeon Building, and, according to a Berkeley Daily Planet article (January 4-6, 2005), is among several being considered for the National Register.
In 2004, the center changed its name to the Malonga Casqueloard Center for the Arts in honor and memory of a recently-deceased benefactor of its activities. This should be called MALONGA CASQUELOARD CENTER FOR THE ARTS THEATER.
The original UA screen was to the left side of the building (as you go inside; in other words, the screen’s back was to Bancroft Way. I believe the fly tower is intact (as least visually from the outside).
At some point after its closure (this was a single-screen theatre), the building was subdivided into two storefronts (2064 and 2072) and, at least much of the time since then, the two spaces have been occupied by separate and varying businesses over the decades. An Indian restaurant occupies the site today, using both spaces (and lists its address as 2072).
It did have screens the one time I went there (for the SF Film Festival preview of “Bull Durham” in 1988). Though in my opinion, the screen may have been too large and draping for the theater(!)
Correction to the above—-the block where the Orpheum/12th Street Theater stood is now part of the Ronald Dellums Federal Building.
UPDATE: The public hearing before the Board of Supervisors is now March 15, 2005 at 4:00 pm.
In a positive development for the Harding, the Board of Supervisors rescheduled the Feb. 15 hearing so that the Board can consider whether the Planning Commission complied with the state environmental quality act (CEQA). This and growing support from neighborhood and preservation organizations significantly improve the prospect that the project will be sent back to the Planning Commission for environmental review and community dialogue over the use of the theater.
The public hearing before the Board of Supervisors has been rescheduled for March 15, 2005 at 5:00 pm.
E-MAIL THE SUPERVISORS.
Copy/paste the following email addresses for the SF Board of Supervisors:
, , , , ,
, , , , ,
Please BCC a copy to so that your support can be noted. Be sure to list your name and street address so that Supervisors know that your support is real.
SIGN OR PICK UP A PETITION OR FLYERS TO DISTRIBUTE:
Madrone Lounge-after 6pm (Fell/Divisadero)
The Film Yard (Fulton/Divis)
Distractions (Haight/Ashbury)
CONTACT
Call David Tornheim at
415-668-2353.
Central City Progressives
c/o David Tornheim
1890 Grove # 5,
San Francisco, CA 94117
Status should be changed from “Open” to “Closed/Demolished.”
The Broadway opened (in its latter-day incarnation) on August 9, 1930.
The Eastmont 4 was opened and originally operated by AMC (American Multi-Cinema).
The Franklin opened as a playhouse, the Bishop, under the management of Henry W. Bishop and contained a revolving stage. In 1918, Bishop sold out to George Ebey (who had previously managed the Oakland Orpheum) and dancer/actress/scenario writer Maude Fulton and renamed the Fulton (after Maude Fulton). Under that name it became the chief legitimate theater in Oakland, operating as a “one-week run” playhouse until 1926, when “The Best People” ran for 10 weeks and “The Patsy” for 13 weeks the following year; afterwards plays ran as long as their popularity and the market would allow.
The theater was purchased by Henry Duffy (of Dufwin [q.v. as Roxie]Theatre fame) on August 9, 1929, but Duffy’s efforts failed; by the following year Ebey had resumed control but the Fulton closed in 1931, reopening as a short-lived stock company showhouse in 1932. In 1935 it reopened as the Franklin, a motion picture house under the Carroll-Blumenfield management. In 1937 Carroll retired and was succeeded by Laws. The Franklin would spend the remainder of its operating life as a first-run movie house. Its final years (post-1942) were as the Telenews (not to be confused with the Telenews [q.v.] on Broadway and 19th Street a few blocks away).
This Supervisors meeting has been postponed to Tuesday, February 15 at 4 pm.
The building in back of the strip mall (across Broadway from Oakland Tech)referred to by xtopher 1974 was the former Rockridge Showcase West, which was an offshoot of the Showcase depicted here (see the ROCKRIDGE SHOWCASE WEST entry elsewhere in CinemaTreasures). The shopping center that once housed the original Showcase is a block further up Broadway (towards College Avenue).
ALERT: Condo developers have obtained permits to demolish San Francisco’s historic Harding Theater. Neighborhood merchants are lobbying to save the theater and adapt it for reuse. They will meet with the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, February 1, 2005, at City Hall, Room 244, One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place (Polk Street between Grove and McAllister Streets), San Francisco, 3:30 pm. (415) 568-3306.
For info: www.sfbg.com/39/17/x_alerts.html
Nice picture, but the article got the date wrong—-the Parkway wasn’t built until about 1927.
The T&D’s style was Art Nouveau, a rare architectural style for theatres.
Uh, brucec—– The Golden Gate is on Golden Gate (Avenue) and Taylor; Jones and Taylor are one block parallel to each other.
Oops—-forgot about Bombay Cinema too.
Shouldn’t this be “Closed” instead (as a movie theater)?
It was located in a building whose historic name is Luke’s Nickelodeon Building, and, according to a Berkeley Daily Planet article (January 4-6, 2005), is among several being considered for the National Register.
The Fine Arts was originally The Cinema; later it was known as Mitchell Brothers Cinema, Berkeley Adult Cinema, and Horizon Cinema.
To clarify things, the Opal was located in the 2107 storefront in the F.D. Chase Building.
Screens should be changed to “Multiplex-4 screen” (and hopefully the acchitecture won’t be too badly obliterated).
In 2004, the center changed its name to the Malonga Casqueloard Center for the Arts in honor and memory of a recently-deceased benefactor of its activities. This should be called MALONGA CASQUELOARD CENTER FOR THE ARTS THEATER.
The original UA screen was to the left side of the building (as you go inside; in other words, the screen’s back was to Bancroft Way. I believe the fly tower is intact (as least visually from the outside).
The Laurel opened on March 17, 1939. The opening features were “The Great Waltz” and “Service De Luxe.”
At some point after its closure (this was a single-screen theatre), the building was subdivided into two storefronts (2064 and 2072) and, at least much of the time since then, the two spaces have been occupied by separate and varying businesses over the decades. An Indian restaurant occupies the site today, using both spaces (and lists its address as 2072).
The Red Vic seats 143 people.
As much-noted avobe, status should be “Closed.”
It did have screens the one time I went there (for the SF Film Festival preview of “Bull Durham” in 1988). Though in my opinion, the screen may have been too large and draping for the theater(!)