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Overview

The Reid Brothers architectural firm designed this 856-seat, neighborhood movie theatre for movie exhibitor Samuel H. Levin and his San Francisco Theatres Incorporated, chain. As noted by the Cinema Treasures.org web site, San Francisco Theatres, Incorporated, also owned the Alexandria, Coliseum, Harding, Balboa, Vogue, and Coronet Theatres between the 1920s and 1950s. The Metropolitan Theatre #3 opened on 04/23/1924, with the Famous Players-Lasky film, "The Fighting Coward" (1924), starring Cullen Landis, Mary Astor, and Noah Beery, Sr., and directed by James Cruze. Alterations occurred to the building in 1941. It became known as the United Artists Metro c. 1990, but it functioned as a single-screen theatre until 10/2006.

Alteration

The Metropolitan Theatre #3 was remodeled just before World War II, its second grand opening occurring on 06/07/1941. Its marquee reflected its shortened name, the "Metro Theatre." Theatre historian Joe Vogel cited the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission's Landmark Nomination Report on the Cinema Treasures web site regarding the architect of the 1941 renovation: “While architect Timothy L. Pflueger (1892-1946) has long been associated with the 1941 renovation of the Metro Theatre, his involvement is less clear than that of architect Otto A. Deichmann (1890-1964). A city permit, dated 1941, for interior work and plumbing lists the name of the architect as Otto Deichmann, 321 Bush Street. Historical consultants involved with the 1998 renovation of the theatre believe that Deichmann worked with Timothy Pflueger during the renovation. Research has not confirmed that Deichmann worked in the offices of Pflueger’s firm, Miller and Pflueger, but the two men were associates and overlapped on important projects...." (See Joe Vogel, Cinema Treasures, "Metro Theater 2055 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94123," accessed 06/30/2016.)

PCAD id: 17534