The Exhibitor (1959)

The West Coast s Newest Glamor Spot mm MARILYN MONROE "SOME LIKE TONY CURTIS IT HOT" JACK LEMMON NATURE’S STRANGEST CREATURES The United Artists, San Francisco's newest bright light, sports a five-line marquee, the beginning of its $250,000 face lift that earned owner Sherrill C. Corwin the city's Citation of Achievement. SAN FRANCISCO'S RENOVATED UA San Francisco, the Paris of the Pacific, added another attraction to its wealth of im¬ pressive landmarks recently when the United Artists re-opened after undergoing a thor¬ ough $250,000 renovation. Built by J. D. and Sid Grauman in 1912, the UA was closed by current owner Sherrill C. Corwin, March 17 and relighted more than a month later with “Some Like It Hot.” Done over from sidewalk to screen, the UA’s new look is evident as soon as the theatre itself becomes visible. And the new five-liner marquee, installed by QRS Neon Company with its glass by Bevelite Com¬ pany, is visible from a more than mean distance. From the marquee to the all-glass entrance doors there is a terrazo design. The old box office, which had been in the center of the outer entrance, has been moved to the right side. The shadow-box poster boxes are prominent outside the theatre and also on the mezzanine. The interior fully measures up to the promise of quality the visitor gathers from the house’s sidewalk appearance. Magnicite, sound absorbent floors covered with extra deep carpeting in red, black and beige — by F and C Floor Covering — lead to the Amer¬ ican Seating Company’s new 21 -inch lounger seats, re-spaced to measure a full three feet from back to back. To accomplish this spacious arrangement, 108 seats were elimi¬ nated, reducing the house to a capacity of 1,100. The completely new candy counter is in the center of the lobby, a more promising merchandising position compared to the old stand which was off to one side. Equipment for the counter is by Sinicrope and Sons. The persimmon colored exterior continues to a persimmon, charcoal, white and lemon interior motif throughout, with credit for the luxurious lobby due the Farrol Art Com¬ pany. As the color motif tends to create thej illusion that the theatre has drawn the side¬ walk into its lobby, the new interior side wall decorations featuring plants and small shrubs, bring some of the outdoors into the orchestra auditorium. The proscenium arch has been widened and moved to acommodate a 50 foot screen that will handle all processes except Cine¬ rama. One hundred feet of pearl grey closing curtain sweeps from side walls across the screen. Corwin, president of Metropolitan Theatres Inc., and head of the North Coast Theatres Corporation, engaged architect Carl G. Moell¬ er, decorators A. J. and Tony Heinsbergen, and construction engineer Carl Johnson for the renovation. The city, in appreciation of the glamor added by the UA’s new look, awarded Corwin a Citation of Achievement. So do we. d -e* ~ ■*. li «s s? « ~ The redecorated mezzanine lobby also shows new re¬ flector lamps of the type installed throughout the theatre. This view from the rear of the auditorium shows the This one of two facing planters is the prominent new lounge seats with the 50-foot screen, covered sidewall decoration bringina some of the outdoors by the grey closing curtain. into the auditorium. PE-8 PHYSICAL THEATRE • EXTRA PROFITS DEPARTMENT of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR July 15, 19 59