The Enduring Nature of San Francisco’s Neighborhood Theaters | The Balboa & 4-Star 

A few years ago, I was on a flight between Honolulu and Chicago in which the plane took a direct route over San Francisco at night. Though my seat's window, as I gazed at the city lights below, I remember very clearly seeing the Balboa marquee from 33,000 feet. Just have always thought that is neat to this day.

"In a city that's constantly moving forward and ushering us towards the next new thing, they're there to hold our place in line." +9 points for creative use of figurative languages. And bringing a tear to my eye. 💙

Another important thing about neighborhood theaters is that it draws people into the area in the evening who will patronize the restaurants and shops.

Another successful Joey Yee production!!!! Informative and succinct narration!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Throughout my teenhood in the 1980s and into womanhood in the 1990s, the Alexandria played loads and loads of great films. (I saw news reports it's planned to house two swimming pools for the nearby Richmond District YMCA.) The last time I was there was in 1990, when I saw, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." The last time I was at the Balboa was in 1993, when I saw, "Groundhog Day."

Thank you for the memories. I lived near the Hibernia Bank and use to go the Balboa all the time (Yep I was at home when the SLA robbed that bank, saw it out my window). All the theaters you mentioned I was a regular. Wow the Coronet my mom took me opening night 1977 Star Wars.. Looking forward to watching more of your content. Alexandria so many great memories, the best was a Escape from NY 1981.. There was another theatre on Clement street The Coliseum..

dis guy is a Richmond native. or sounds like one.well informed.

Been to the Balboa theatre many times in the 70's. On the 38th avenue side of the back of the theatre, there was a big beautiful mural painted on the building of Playland at the Beach. Wonder if its still there???

Hi, I'm from St.-Petersburg, Russia. I was reading about San Francisco’s cinema-theaters, founded the Balboa, red it's shedule and was shocked: they show VHS-movies. After that I searched about The Balboa in RU-vid and now I'm here. Thank you for the video.

My old neighborhood move Out of San francisco , Balboa and 45 th ave.in 1986 out of State what a Great Memories.

I think I saw Three Mile Island at the Alexandria, and TRON at either the Balboa or more likely the Coronet. The titles date me. Maybe Terminator at the Alexandria? Not sure. Something really weird and disturbing at the Roxie, called Move Sweet Movie. The Seven Samurai at Castro Street Theater. Full pipe organ. Long movie, intermission, organist came out in tails and played Bach's Toccato and Fugue in D Minor. Epic!

Hey Joey... just discovered your vids a couple days ago...great stuff. Especially because I was born in SF and spent the first 10 years of my life at 543 37th Avenue between Geary and Anza, 1954-1964. Right across the street from the library (where my mom worked for a while). I always wondered why my backyard was all sand...now I know. You're very good and very comfortable on camera (except when you're walking across the GGB...haha. But what I really enjoy about your vids are the music clips...your choices and tastes are superb...( very Jerry Seinfeld-esque.. "Comedians in Cars getting coffee" style) your grasp of image and music pairing is exceptional considering your young age (that was compliment, not a dis) I have a suggestion/ request...any chance you compile about 40-45 minutes of those audio snipettes for a nice listening loop??? Hope To hear back from you.... keep up the good work, you obvious love The City, despite its current, rather unflattering public image....Carry on!

Young man you did an incredible job on that video! That was Award-winning Videography! 📽👏🎬

From age 5-10 I lived on 27th so nearly every Saturday my next door neighbor and I would walk to the 4 Star for the matinee. Loved that place!

When discussing movie theaters in the Richmond, remember the Coliseum (destroyed in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake) and The Bridge. Viva Balboa & 4 Star! Thanks for this video.

I miss your videos. Your travels around SF is the best! Come back

Remember what I said? There it is, the fog. It dampens going out. That's what drove me out of SF.

Nice review of Richmond district theaters....alas no mention of the Coliseum which offered on Saturday two features, newsreel, serial, (often a special short) and at noon before all of that an hour of cartoons! Who needed tv?

Thanks for mentioning those who go to the movies by themselves. I’m looking forward to doing it again

As someone who has spent time in all four theaters you talked about, as well as The Bridge - two as recently as last week, one while you were there at the Balboa's holiday party - I can say great Video! One little thing, you said the Alexandria was on Geary and 19th, it's on 18th and Geary. Keep making these great videos about our neighborhood!

Joeeeeeyyyy! This was great as usual!!

Wait. I don’t think you mentioned the Coliseum on this video 🤔

I think I saw the "Species" movie premier here.

Love all your uploads - content and art direction is wonderfully done. This one especially since it's my old neighborhood, thank you for creating these.

good stuff. still remember seeing grease at the alexandria, superman at the coliseum, and star wars at the coronet! look forward to seeing your next video!!

Great video

your career is soon to skyrocket my friend. ypu have the looks and the intelligence and the wherewithal to become a national STAR!

My grandfather, Edwin Bauer, was the architect for the Balboa and Bridge theaters, as well as other small theaters. He was apprenticed with Irving Morrow’s architectural firm which worked on the Golden Gate Bridge with Strauss. My grandfather designed the lights on the GGB, the toll booth area, and gave my grandmother the several designs for the now controversial fencing. After hearing him discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each design, she said, “Oh I don’t know. I just wanna see the ocean.” So, he designed the fence to disappear when traveling a certain speed. He met my grandmother, then the secretary for a theater supply company, while ordering stuff for the Balboa theater. Their first date was at Alioto’s. He was born in a house located at 19th and Guerrero. His parents were married at Old St Mary’s on California. Most of his work is on Oahu and the big island, small hotels.

Love the way you tell the stories of my neighborhood...... Thank You!

Unfortunately, 4 star just recently closed down. The Uncut Gems poster is still there :')

Hopefully they’ll survive this pandemic. Thank you for informing us of these treasures.

OMG this is my favorite theater!

Joey, great nostalgic... for me... videos. Somehow, you’re hitting so many ‘buttons’ for me and my youth growing up in S.F. Not being too weird or familiar, but I think we could be generational soul mates as S.F. natives. At 63, my time was really the 60’s and 70’s, but so many things you’re hitting on were my things... just about 30-40 years earlier. We lived, at first in the Upper Noe Valley (1957-1964), Richmond on 19th and Clement (1965-1971), Outer Sunset (1972-1976) and then The Castro and Cole Valley for a few years, before departing for the East Bay and beyond in 1982. Anyway, the 4-Star, along with the Alexandria, Balboa and Coronet, was one of my local theatres. In my day, Saturday double bill matinees were the thing. I remember seeing Old Yeller there (must’ve been a rerun, as it defs wasn’t 1957!). Can’t recall other movies, but I did go frequently. As I recall it was 25 cents entry. I saw Doctor Zhivago at the Balboa with my parents, where I embarassed my mother by asking loudly, ‘What’s he doing to her?’ during a rather tame, but not so in those days, rape scene. As pictured I lined up outside the Coronet for the original Star Wars release in 1977 (?). And the Alexandria was just around the corner from us. Good memories. Thanks.