Uptown Theatre
Napa, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Check out the marquee at Napa’s Uptown Theatre. In this earlier view, the refreshed entrance was offering a little encouragement while the theatre itself remained closed. Fortunately, the renovation eventually brought more than a better-looking sign. 01-07

The Uptown opened on August 12, 1937, with Marion Davies in Ever Since Eve. Its Deco surroundings welcomed movie audiences for decades before the cinema closed in 2000.

A major restoration returned the building to a single large auditorium suited to live performances. The theatre reopened in May 2010, replacing the long wait with music, comedy, and another reason to spend an evening downtown.

UPDATE: The Uptown remains open as a live entertainment venue. Touring musicians and comedians now fill the bill beneath the restored marquee. The projector’s old job has changed, but the entrance still knows how to advertise a night out. 10-26

Parkway Theatre (Closed)
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Check out the rooftop sign at Oakland’s Parkway Theatre. This neighborhood movie house had a way of announcing itself above the surrounding buildings, giving motorists a landmark to look for before reaching the entrance. The sign was only part of what made the Parkway memorable. 10-05

Opened in 1925, the theatre later became especially well known for its Speakeasy days. Couches, pizza, and beer made moviegoing feel considerably less formal than sitting in a conventional auditorium. Apparently, dinner and a movie could share the same seat.

The Parkway closed in 2009, leaving the building without its regular evening crowds. The New Parkway opened elsewhere in Oakland in 2012, carrying the movie-and-food idea into another location.

UPDATE: The original Parkway building found a new use as Ivy Hill Cannabis, which opened in 2021. 10-26

Granada Theatre (Closed)
Morgan Hill, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here’s the old Granada Theatre in Morgan Hill, where the blade sign gives downtown a recognizable reminder of its moviegoing days. It’s the sort of entrance that still makes a passerby expect a box office and a coming-attractions display nearby. 02-06

The present Granada opened in 1952, replacing an earlier theatre destroyed by fire. Its original single auditorium seated about 635 patrons, welcoming generations of local audiences before the movie business eventually moved on.

After years of vacancy, Frank Leal purchased the building from the city in 2015. Extensive renovations gave the interior a different purpose while preserving much of the theatre’s exterior character.

UPDATE: The Granada remains active as a banquet and event venue, hosting celebrations, dinners, and entertainment. The old movie house still draws a crowd beneath its familiar entrance, although the evening may now come with a dinner table instead of a popcorn carton. 10-26

Novato Theatre (Closed)
Novato, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The old Novato Theatre once gave Grant Avenue a familiar place to catch a movie. Its modest frontage and marquee suited a downtown neighborhood house, where checking the evening’s bill could become part of an ordinary trip through town. 09-06

Opened in 1948, the theatre entertained local audiences until closing in 1991. Bringing it back proved much harder than simply turning on the projector. Years of fundraising and restoration proposals followed, but another opening night never arrived.

UPDATE: The former theatre property was sold to new owners in 2024, with plans for a café, apartments, and office space. A movie-house comeback is no longer the proposal. After decades of waiting, this downtown site is heading toward a different chapter. 10-26

Presidio Theatre
San Francisco, CA
Photo and info courtesy Gorb70

Here’s the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco’s Marina District, where the familiar marquee still offers a neighborhood movie-house welcome. Fortunately, this entrance kept its audience when closure threatened in November 2003. Independent operator Frank Lee stepped in after Century Theatres prepared to leave. 02-07

Opened in 1937, the Presidio began as a single-screen theatre before eventually expanding to four screens. The changes inside gave it more movies to offer without losing the recognizable theatre frontage along Chestnut Street.

UPDATE: The Presidio remains open under Lee Neighborhood Theatres, showing movies and hosting special screenings. The neighborhood cinema survived its threatened closing and continues welcoming audiences through the same familiar entrance. 10-26