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El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, San Francisco

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Coordinates: 37°45′34″N 122°25′09″W / 37.759436°N 122.419117°W / 37.759436; -122.419117
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Not to be confused with El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.
El Capitan Theatre and Hotel
El Capitan Theatre and Hotel in 2015
Location2353 Mission Street,
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Coordinates37°45′34″N 122°25′09″W / 37.759436°N 122.419117°W / 37.759436; -122.419117
Built1928; 96 years ago (1928)
DesignatedMarch 3, 1996[1]
Reference no.214
El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, San Francisco is located in San Francisco County
El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, San Francisco
Location of El Capitan Theatre and Hotel in San Francisco County
El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, San Francisco is located in California
El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, San Francisco
El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, San Francisco (California)
El Capitan Theatre and Hotel in 2007

El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, or The Cap, is a historic 1928 building containing a hotel, shops, and a former luxury vaudeville and movie theater in the Mission District of San Francisco, California.[2][3] It has been listed by the city as a San Francisco Designated Landmark (no. 214), since March 3, 1996.[1]

History

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It is a Spanish colonial revival style with a Mexican baroque façade, designed by architect Gustave Albert Lansburgh.[1] When it was built for the Ackerman and Harris vaudeville circuit, it was the second largest theater in San Francisco with 3,100-seats.[2][4][5] It opened on June 29, 1928, with Edward Sloman's silent film We Americans (1928) starring George Sidney,[5] Patsy Ruth Miller, and George J. Lewis. The theater contained a Wurlitzer theatre organ (style 235) to accompany silent films.[5]

The building later became part of Fox West Coast Theatres (now Fox Theatres) as the "Mission Street Showcase" theater, and by 1950, they introduced CinemaScope and stereophonic sound.[2] It closed on December 15, 1957.[2]

Closure and modern history

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In 1961, the theatre portion of the building was demolished, and turned into a parking lot by 1965.[1][6] In 1994, the remaining portion of the building experienced a fire, which did not affect the façade.[3] Still remaining are the hotel, the stores, the marquee, and the façade.

See also

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, San Francisco.
  1. ^ a b c d "San Francisco Landmark #214: El Capitan Theatre and Hotel". noehill.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  2. ^ a b c d Tillmany, Jack (2005). Theatres of San Francisco. Arcadia Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-7385-3020-8.
  3. ^ a b de F. Szoenyi, V. Alexandra (February 13, 2017). "Then & Now: 5 Classic Movie Palaces Of The Mission District". Hoodline.
  4. ^ "Gone with the wind". SFGATE. April 12, 1999. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  5. ^ a b c "El Capitan Theatre in San Francisco, CA". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  6. ^ Garcia, Ken (September 14, 1999). "Stretching The Truth Till It Breaks / Mayoral candidates miss the mark on the Mission". SFGATE. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
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