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]
| El Capitan Theatre and Hotel | |
|---|---|
 El Capitan Theatre and Hotel in 2015 | |
| Location | 2353 Mission Street, San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 37°45′34″N 122°25′09″W / 37.759436°N 122.419117°W |
| Built | 1928 |
| Designated | March 3, 1996[1] |
| Reference no. | 214 |
  Location of El Capitan Theatre and Hotel in San Francisco County  El Capitan Theatre and Hotel, San Francisco (California) | |
History edit
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 edit
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 affected the façade.[3] Still remaining are the hotel, the stores, the marquee, and the façade.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d "San Francisco Landmark #214: El Capitan Theatre and Hotel". noehill.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ^ a b c d Tillmany, Jack (2005). Theatres of San Francisco. Arcadia Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-7385-3020-8.
- ^ a b de F. Szoenyi, V. Alexandra (February 13, 2017). "Then & Now: 5 Classic Movie Palaces Of The Mission District". Hoodline.
- ^ "Gone with the wind". SFGATE. April 12, 1999. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ^ a b c "El Capitan Theatre in San Francisco, CA". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ^ Garcia, Ken (September 14, 1999). "Stretching The Truth Till It Breaks / Mayoral candidates miss the mark on the Mission". SFGATE. Retrieved 2024-03-07.