The soft red glow that has long marked the Vogue Theater‘s place on San Francisco’s Sacramento Street is about to shine brighter.
Next month, the historic Presidio Heights cinema will switch on its fully restored marquee and neon signage – a return to its mid-century brilliance after months of meticulous work by local preservationists and neon specialists.
The public lighting ceremony, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, will feature Mayor Daniel Lurie cutting the ribbon before the lights come up on the renewed façade.
A free screening of the 1936 classic musical-drama “San Francisco,” starring Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, will follow.
San Francisco’s Vogue Theater will unveil its fully restored 1940s neon marquee next month with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and free community screening. (CinemaSF)
The restoration was financed through a grant from the Miner Family Foundation and overseen by CinemaSF, the nonprofit that operates the Vogue along with the Balboa and 4-Star theaters.
Jim Rizzo and his crew at Neon Works spent five months replacing transformers and neon tubing, while salvaging as much of the original equipment as possible, to “maintain the tone and feel of the original color scheme,” according to project organizers.
“This is a thrilling milestone for us and the Vogue,” said Adam Bergeron, who helps operate the theater and has long championed its preservation.
The lighting marks the latest chapter in the life of one of San Francisco’s oldest surviving cinemas.
The Vogue opened in 1912 as the Elite Theater. It later cycled through names – including the Rex – and became the Vogue in 1939. Known for a programming mix that leans foreign, independent and classic, it has remained a favorite for filmgoers seeking a quieter, old-San Francisco experience.
Adam Bergeron, the operator of the Vogue Theater in San Francisco, poses for a portrait in a file photo from Dec. 5, 2022. (Jessica Christian/The Chronicle)
The theater nearly joined the list of shuttered neighborhood screens in the 2000s, when single-screen houses were closing throughout the city. Instead, in 2007, the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation purchased the building and stabilized its sagging marquee.
A partnership with CinemaSF in 2012 further solidified its role as a community anchor and home to festivals, including the annual Mostly British Film Festival.
Today, the 220-seat theater remains a draw for cinephiles seeking repertory classics and for nearby residents who prefer walkable entertainment over multiplex frills.
With the marquee restored to its 1940s glow, organizers say the Vogue’s renewed presence is as much about neighborhood identity as moviegoing.
As Bergeron put it, the restoration ensures the theater “once again shines on Sacramento Street as a beacon of the neighborhood.”
This article originally published at A San Francisco theater just brought its historic neon glow back to life.