The San Francisco call., 1910-12-03
SHOW HOUSES
help BUSINESS
IN Many Lines
EMPRESS Theater a Model of
Structural Strength, Safety
and Beauty

The finishing this week OF the new
Empress theater. in Market street near
Fifth. and the completion in the near
future Of the American music hall in
Ellis street hack Of the Orpheum, win
make notable ADDITIONS to the down
town playhouse district
The new houses restore 10 a eonsid-
erable extent the conditions that pre-
vailed before the, FIRE. Theatrical men
srea2ize that much money has been lost
by failure to provide sufficient play
houses downtown.
People. across the bay who would
gladly come TO thsaters here viii not
90 out TO Fillmore street and therefore
their patrona sc Is lost, not only TO the
7theaters. but 20 the stores. restaurants
an5 cafes. whera theater gpers invaria-
bly spend considerebla money. The
opening Of TWO new downtown theaters
viii cause general, satisfaction among
large class Of San Francisco business
sruen and property owners.
. Transbsy residents have not lost
sheir love for attending shows here
+ and il is believed that the Happy
crowds that wilT be drawn 10 the the
mote good feeling and bring about a
Greater san Francisco sentiment.
e. The Empress r2eaters Is character
tzed by beauty. .Cornferr. sanitation and
safety The buiIding is surmOunted
HvttLs a lighthouse. tower and lantern
. rhat produces noiel effects when hlu-
minated The EpteriOr Of the building
is finished in w5lite filing and studded
2 with thousands OF incapdescent lights
p The entrance to the theater Is
through a broad .vestibule.. .paneled
and wainsc0tUed with costly marble.
The auditorium has p seating capacity
Of 1000 on thes-O orchestra floor and as
many more in tae balcony.
RICHNESS OF INTERIOR:
-. The interior Of the. house has the
appearance Of great richness. The color
scheme is pOmpciSan- red and gold. The
lighting is done mostly by =clCsters Of
ceiling and prosceniuGn arch, and pro-
ducing'a soft golden glow that is more
like autumn sunE gbt than artificial il
= Illumination.
Under each seat is a ventilator that
forces fresh air from below, while the
foul is drawn of. through ventilators
In the ceiling
The appearance Of: the structure is
that Of a high class theater. both in
ornanentation and spacious arrange
menr- The decorator is: John H. Kieffe,
one Of the most noted artists in this
line On the Pacifc coast.
TIE building IS steel frame with
reinforced concrete and brick and tile
walls. 1t is regarded as absolutely
earthquake and fire proof At all the
exits are patent doors which open au-
"tOmaticslly On pressure and give a
crowd instant egress.: 10 both Mark ct
and Stevenson streets
he building is equipped with an
automatic sprinkler system by which
the entire theater or any portion of IL
can be flooded with water in an instant
from a huge. IA nix. on the roof The
building cost $3750O0 John Galen
Howard is the architect The property
e belongs to- the Sp&eckels estate.
The -theater VIII be conducted as a
high class vaudeville house by Sydney
Grammar and George A. Bouyer, the
latter representing the theatrical firm
OF sullivan & Constable. whose attrac-
tions wiIli be staged. The theater viii
be opened: TOMORROW afternoon for the
first performance:
g NEW MUSIC HALL
The other new theater for the down
town district, the American music hall
in Ellis just east. Gf Powell, is being
completed rapidly. The heavy steel
frame. work shows that it viii be OF
prodigio0s strength The architects
are Henry H. IIedger OF this city and
Henry ives Cobb of New York Long
d Hoyt are the contractors.
The front Of the building will have
handsome stuecoe finish. -Four flaming
torches VIII be mounted- on the root
above the main. eptrapce and this glare
Of light viii he distinctive feature
It is expected that the theater win bt
finished and opened about January. Il
will be operated by. the William Morris
theater company. under the manage
nent cf Walter HoH. SeeIy.