Castro Theatre
429 Castro Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94114
429 Castro Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94114
75 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 184 comments
KTVU had a story w/ video as the renovations begin
https://www.ktvu.com/news/restoration-work-at-historic-sf-castro-theatre-starts-after-years-of-contentious-debate-and-opposition
story about closing and last look at what the great theatre was from KGO 7
https://youtu.be/keOthVFq3AQ?si=BfTlB3qjMJPH-pH_
Status should be changed to “Closed” “Renovating”
Castro Closes For Renovations
Have uploaded 10 photos from last night’s showing of All Of Us Strangers. A near sell out with David Hegarty at the organ before the film. Did not know the crown of the tented ceiling had been restored - looking like night and day compared to the rest of the ceiling. Miss the smell of fresh popped popcorn in the lobby. A second concession stand is in the upstairs lobby (just popcorn and drinks).
The final film has been announced by ape on Feb 4th. a sing-a-long presentation of Victor/Victoria. Odd that as the only songs worth singing along to are “Le Jazz Hot” & “Shady Dame from Seville”
Proof how tone deaf those programming are to the illustrious history of this soon to be shell of it’s former self.
Only one movie should be the ‘final film’ , especially if they want a sing-a-long -
Clark Gable, Jeanette McDonald, Spencer Tracy in 1936’s “San Francisco” - every year on the anniversary of the great quake, the Castro would show this to a packed house. Before each movie, what does the organist end his set with? Talk about a social media moment and sending the iconic venue off than a packed house singing “San Francisco”. But no, the tone deaf apes, just don’t get it- nor have they or will they.
May the once great lady rest in peace.
The Castro is closing Feb 4, 2024 for a (scheduled ) SIXTEEN MONTH renovation project.
“APE ultimately got their way, with the SF Board of Supervisors approving their renovation plans in June. And the firm got its final approval in October to expand liquor service to the theater’s second floor.”
details at https://sfist.com/2023/12/11/castro-theatre-to-close-for-16-month-renovation/
The Castro is very much open. Events scheduled between Oct 23 and Jan 13, 2024 including both live performances and film are linked here at the APE website for the Castro:
Castro Schedule
This is marked as closed? Been showing movies on an occasional basis and then with live performances. So technically it is open, no?
One of the last hurdles for renovations to begin at the Castro Theatre was delayed by a Board of Supervisors committee Monday due to a technical amendment involving second-floor nighttime entertainment.
Without a change to the zoning for the main corridor in the city’s LGBTQ neighborhood, the new operators of the venue will not be able to have a bar on the second floor for liquor sales.
Full article - https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=bartab&sc=nightlife&id=329088
The Theatre is not able to survive as a single screen theater showing movies. Attendance has been not good for the theaters movie selection. The plan is to have concerts with film 33% of the time and concerts and maybe other events. Clearly the community wasn’t supporting the theater when they were showing films not dealing with the gay lifestyle. They had plenty of regular classic films that were poorly attended. The only future for the theater is to have concerts and other non-movie events. They’ll probably have Movies 1/3 of the time. That’s just the reality with single screen theaters now
Perhaps someone can update the penultimate paragraph in the description. This theatre is hardly ‘going strong’ , it’s the complete opposite.
48Hill.org has an article on the ensuing debacle
https://48hills.org/2023/06/promoter-gets-approval-to-turn-castro-theater-into-a-nightclub-with-few-conditions/
Looks like the old seats are going and the place will be a nightclub soon. Limited movies. The new lease APE gang does not even pop fresh popcorn. They just bring in bulk pre popped popcorn and put in little expensive brown bags and re heat in the old big Castro Theatre popcorn machine and charge big bucks. You think you are getting fresh popcorn this is not the case. The cold drinks are now given to you in cans $$$$.A sad day for movie lovers in SF. The seats are going per new commission ruling this week.
I think there ought to be a difference between the preferences of people who would prefer for fixed seating, and more film screenings, and legal landmarking, so I understand government’s wishes to landmark the theater but not obligate fixed seating. Historic preservation law is one matter. Policy & shows are another.
“SF Supervisors Vote in Support of Castro Theatre Landmark Update Without Controversial ‘Fixed Seating’ Language”
Hoodline article Here
The Castro Theatre Conservatory has realized an ambitious plan to wrest the Castro from the clutches of APE. It would leave the seating and interior as plan.
Plans call for a 365 day a year schedule. 200 days of film, 52 for film festivals.
https://hoodline.com/2023/04/castro-theatre-consevancy-releases-alternate-castro-theatre-plans-with-return-of-repertory-film-daily-events/
“On Thursday 4/6/23, the Castro Merchants voted to conditionally support Another Planet Entertainment’s (APE) proposed changes to the 100-year-old Castro Theatre.”
Stephen Bracco has details in his hoodline article
https://hoodline.com/2023/04/another-planet-entertainment-s-proposed-castro-theatre-plans-conditionally-approved-by-neighborhood-group/
Christopher Beale’s podcast on history and possible for the future of the Castro
https://www.kqed.org/news/11942942/san-franciscos-castro-theatre-a-cultural-temple-facing-a-fight-for-its-future
An extremely foolish decision if they vote landmark the interior of the theater. If they do this yes another planet won’t be able to Take out the seats that are there now most likely. They proposed a very good expensive compromise. Still they would be able to have a raked floor for the movies. Then for live events they could take out the rake of the floor. The commission is listening to uninformed people who don’t want any changes inside the theater. Landmark in the interior will be the beginning of the end for the Castro theater. It hasn’t been making money showing movies for years. 60% of each dollar goes back to the movie companies when you show a new film like Bros. If you’re showing a older movie you have to pay the movie companies $350 just to run the film. Then there’s other costs like utilities staffing etc. Making it hard to even break even when you show older movies depending on how many people come. The future of places like the Castro theater are live events along with movies when there are no live events happening. I hope the commission does not go through with a very shortsighted foolish decision to landmark the interior of the theater. They are kowtowing too Well-meaning people who are uninformed about the business side of running a theater like the Castro
More on the Commission’s recommendations in an SFist article (no paywall)
https://sfist.com/2023/02/01/castro-theatre-gets-landmark-recommendation-from-city-hall-in-big-setback-for-another-planet-entertainment/
From the SF Chronicle Datebook section on the Landmark Commission’s vote to recommend to the full SF Board of Supervisors that the interior be landmarked:
“After an impassioned public hearing that lasted for more than five hours and included hundreds of speakers on Wednesday, Feb. 1, the commission voted 6-0, with one recusal, to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that it pass a Castro Theatre landmark designation amendment initiated by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman “to include both exterior and interior character-defining features, and update the statement of significance to include LGBTQ historical associations.”
That recommendation, which the Board is scheduled to consider next month, would appear to throw a hurdle in the way of Another Planet’s latest plan for removing some seats and leveling the raised floor of the Castro District venue.
But the Berkeley-based promotion company said on Thursday that it was happy with the recommendation, which did not include language that specified the fixed orchestra-level seating should be protected."
Not sure if you need a Chronicle subscription to see this link to the full story:
Datebook
Notes on the community hearing held on 2/1/23
https://hoodline.com/2023/01/community-group-holds-castro-theatre-town-hall-ahead-of-historic-preservation-commission-meeting/
Today (2/1/23) is the historic preservation committee hearing. Taking place at 12:30pm at City Hall. They’re encouraging everyone to wear red to show unity and represent the seats 🟥
Can’t make it in person? You can still livestream the hearing from home, and even call in to make comments. Full details here: https://sfplanning.org/event/historic-preservation-commission-94
I had read that the landmarks commission. We’re going to vote soon or meet to decide if they were going to declare the inside of the theater in landmark. I think that means that they can’t remove the seats that are there now. I think it would be a good idea to go ahead and remove the seats and replace them as proposed. We’ll see what happens. I hope people in the community there are still going out and attending films when they are scheduled in good numbers. I visited San Francisco many years ago but didn’t get a chance to go to the theater.
I am linking the SF Planning Landmark Designation Amendment Recommendation below. It is lengthy and voluminous but filled with historical information, photos through the decades, reasons why SF Planning is recommending the amended landmark designation, original architectural drawings and the history associated with the Castro’s LGBTQ neighborhood plus more.
SF Planning
Difficult to understand what you mean in the first 2 sentences. The Landmarks Commission has once already delayed a decision on whether to landmark. The current seat are not original. If I recall correctly they have were replaced in the orchestra section in around 2001. The chandelier and proscenium are also not original. In any case the proposed new seating arrangement removes 6 rows of seats lowering the seating capacity (which may or may not be a good thing depending on what is programmed). This new arrangement seems like a compromise since suitable sight lines for films were a major issue with the previous terraced proposal so it may have a better chance. There are a lot of passionate people in SF who dedicate themselves to historical preservation and what has been saved (everything from the cable cars to Victorian (and other architecture) help make SF a special place and in some cases define neighborhoods. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I doubt the Nassars are interested in landmarking the interior. The 2 retail businesses at each side of the theatre are owned by the Nassers and the rent from both has helped offset the cost of lower attended film showings over the years. Pre covid I was seeing 3-6 films a month. Some were attended in large numbers, others not.
If they choose to landmark the interior of the theater the commission. Then nobody will be able to remove those seats the original seats. This could be a real blow to the future of the Castro theater. Removing the old seats and putting in motorized seating with the raked floor will be exactly the same as it is now just new seats. They can move the seats away when they need to, for live events. Or whatever else they need to get the seats out of the way for. With the raked floor and the motorized seats movie going will be exactly the same sightlines as it has been in the past.If they choose to landmark the interior of the theater it’ll hamper anyone coming in to try to do more than just Movies. Theatre hasn’t been making money on Movies for many many years. With 50 to 60% of each dollar going back to the movie companies. The people protesting removing the seats are very shortsighted and really don’t know much about the business side of Theatre’s obviously