Avenue Theater, San Francisco

[Joe Thompson]

Did anyone else attend Friday night silents accompanied by Bob Vaughn on the Mighty Wurlitzer at San Francisco's Avenue Theater?

http://kalw.org/post/portolas-avenue-th ... n#stream/0

[dalefullerfan2014]

I saw many silents there in the early 1980's and possibly before(maybe in the late seventies?) Lot's of MGM films some of which were Nitrate prints. There was some talk that the main projectionist Rick Marshal(since deceased) was the Zodiac killer. There's still some talk online about him. The last time I saw him was in the early 1990's when he was working at The Stanford. He's depicted(along with Vaughn) in the Robert Graysmith book and subsequent film.
Randy
PS,
Sometimes on Sat. early sound films would be played("Check & Double Check", "King of Jazz","Hello Everybody",etc.)

[salus]

I remember reading on the archives on zodiackiller.com that even Vaughn was considered a suspect by some.

[dalefullerfan2014]

It's true. He went from being a suspect to being a potential victim. Robert Graysmith who wrote the definitive book on the Zodiac(Jake Gyllenhaal plays Graysmith in the movie version of his book), believes that he was somehow involved in the murders possibly as an accomplice to Arthur Leigh Allen(deceased) who Graysmith believes to be the killer.
Randy

[Paul Penna]

Did anyone else attend Friday night silents accompanied by Bob Vaughn on the Mighty Wurlitzer at San Francisco's Avenue Theater?

Several times back in the late-70s. Once to a gorgeous Technicolor print of The Viking. His electrifying performance for The Mark of Zorro had the audience whipped up into such a frenzy at the climax that at the closing fade-out the entire sold-out house leapt as one to its collective feet cheering. That remains for me the single most thrilling group movie experience I've ever had.

[Joe Thompson]

His electrifying performance for The Mark of Zorro had the audience whipped up into such a frenzy at the climax that at the closing fade-out the entire sold-out house leapt as one to its collective feet cheering. That remains for me the single most thrilling group movie experience I've ever had.

I think I was at the same showing. Does anyone know if there are any recordings of Bob Vaughn accompanying a movie?

As to the Zodiac stuff, when I went to Drivers' Ed one summer at Lowell we were convinced that the teacher matched the composite drawing.

[azjazzman]

His electrifying performance for The Mark of Zorro had the audience whipped up into such a frenzy at the climax that at the closing fade-out the entire sold-out house leapt as one to its collective feet cheering. That remains for me the single most thrilling group movie experience I've ever had.

I think I was at the same showing. Does anyone know if there are any recordings of Bob Vaughn accompanying a movie?

Christopher Snowden's VHS/DVD label "Unknown Video" used Bob Vaughn as an accompanist on a number of titles. I also think the Theater Organ Society had recordings done of some of Bob's performances.

[Rick Lanham]

His electrifying performance for The Mark of Zorro had the audience whipped up into such a frenzy at the climax that at the closing fade-out the entire sold-out house leapt as one to its collective feet cheering. That remains for me the single most thrilling group movie experience I've ever had.

I think I was at the same showing. Does anyone know if there are any recordings of Bob Vaughn accompanying a movie?

Christopher Snowden's VHS/DVD label "Unknown Video" used Bob Vaughn as an accompanist on a number of titles. I also think the Theater Organ Society had recordings done of some of Bob's performances.

Bob Vaughn's name comes up in the write-ups for the following Unknown Video DVDs.
There might be others:

Broken Hearts Of Broadway
Memories Of The Silent Stars
The Primitive Lover
Sex
The Swan (1925)
Wagon Tracks (1919)


Rick

[azjazzman]

Bob Vaughn's name comes up in the write-ups for the following Unknown Video DVDs.
There might be others:

Broken Hearts Of Broadway
Memories Of The Silent Stars
The Primitive Lover
Sex
The Swan (1925)
Wagon Tracks (1919)


Rick

Going from memory here, but I think the Unknown Video releases of the two Mabel Normand features, "Mickey" and "Suzannah" also had scores by Bob Vaughn.

Somewhere around here I have some old flyers from the Avenue Theater and a nice Obit/Tribute to Bob Vaughn by the ATOS. If I can find them, I'll scan and post here.

[Joe Thompson]

Thank you for the tips about Unknown Video. I will take a look.

[dalefullerfan2014]

From what I remember the prints on Friday nights were all 35mm with some of the MGM prints being on Nitrate stock. For me the score that stands out is the one Robert provided for "Scarmouche(1923). I also remember "The Navigator","Twelve Miles Out"1927,"The Flying Fleet"1928,"Desert Nights",1929 and"Showboat" 1929. It was a mix on Sat. nights with the early sound films with a good portion being 16mm.
Randy

[silentfilm]

Here is an on-line interview with Bob Vaughn, shortly before he died.

And here is a DVD of What No Man Knows (1921) with a music score by Robert Vaughn. It was recorded at the Cinesation Film Festival.

[greta de groat]

I grew up in an East Bay suburb from which The Avenue Photoplay Theater was tantalizingly out of reach. For years I read the schedules in the newspaper and despaired that I'd ever get to see those films. Probably seen most of them by now, some are sitting on my shelf. Never would have believed It.

Greta

[wich2]

(Bob Vaughn) went from being a suspect to being a potential victim ... Robert Graysmith ... believes that he was somehow involved in the murders possibly as an accomplice to Arthur Leigh Allen

Yow.

If that true, it sure puts the, :but he played neat music for fun movies" factor in the shade...

[wich2]

(Bob Vaughn) went from being a suspect to being a potential victim ... Robert Graysmith ... believes that he was somehow involved in the murders possibly as an accomplice to Arthur Leigh Allen

Yow.

If that's true, it sure puts the, "but he played neat music for fun movies!" factor in the shade...

[dalefullerfan2014]

Graysmith doesn't think Robert Vaughn was involved in the Zodiac murders, but that Rick Marshall was.
Randy

[dalefullerfan2014]

Somehow in one of my posts I forgot to include Rick Marshall's name as a possible accomplice to Arthur Lee Allen.Graysmith
doesn't think Bob Vaughn knew anything about the murders. If you google Rick Marshall zodiac suspect you can read up more on Marshall.
Thanks,
Randy

[dalefullerfan2014]

From what I can gather the police investigated Vaughn as a possible suspect but didn't see anything there.
Randy
PS,
I know that at one point the movie of Robert Graysmith's book was going to include scenes inside the Avenue but it never happened. Charles Fleischer(the voice of Roger Rabbit in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit") portrays Vaughn in the film.

[Paul Penna]

(Bob Vaughn) went from being a suspect to being a potential victim ... Robert Graysmith ... believes that he was somehow involved in the murders possibly as an accomplice to Arthur Leigh Allen

Yow.

If that's true, it sure puts the, "but he played neat music for fun movies!" factor in the shade...

It isn't true, though; the apparent implication in that post is due to sloppy writing: that last "he" wasn't referring Bob Vaughn.

[bkengland]

I'm trying to figure out when The Avenue started showing silent movies in the mid 1960s. Probably around '65 or '66, but i'm trying to find out the actual date. Anyone know?
Thanks!
Bruce

[dalefullerfan2014]

Hi Bruce,
There's an article in this morning's San Francisco Chronicle about the City spending $300,00 on restoring the theater's facade and marquee. 99 pieces of glass. The letters of The Avenue sign are four feet tall and light up one by one which is known as a "speller" The article states that the theater opened in 1927 and in the mid-1960"s it was taken over by the Lyric Photoplay Society that operated it until December of 1984.
Randy
PS,
The article states that actor Kevin Spacey bought the theater's entry doors with it's depiction of topless nymphs. You can see a video of the theater sign lighting at http://bit.ly/2xC17K" target="_blank

[bkengland]

Thanks for the tip! I'm checking out the article now.
Cheers,
Bruce

[dalefullerfan2014]

Very good,
Randy