New photo exhibit at the Balboa; local theaters featured in new book

Last week’s newsletter from the Balboa Theater had a couple of interesting items…

There’s a new photo exhibition in the lobby of the Balboa Theater (3630 Balboa Street). Stop in to see “100 Hours in the Dark”, a portfolio of photos by Kate Kline May. The images from the show were shot off the movie screen while vintage movies were shown at the Telegraph Repertory Movie Theater shortly before it closed.

May is a Bay Area photographer and filmmaker whose photographs have been shown at SFMOMA, at Zeit Foto Gallery in Tokyo, and at Bank of America World Headquarters here in San Francisco.

In book news, both the Balboa Theater and the 4-Star are included in a new release, Left in the Dark: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres, which chronicles the history and cultural impact of San Francisco’s independent movie houses. The book is a collection of full-color art photographs and personal essays about local theaters like the Castro, 4-Star, Bridge, Clay, Balboa and many others.

Left in the Dark is available for pre-order ($39.95) at leftinthedark.info. Only 2,000 copies will be made available beginning in October.

Sarah B.


Balboa Theater Sidewalk Lights. Photo by R.A. McBride


4-Star Theater Screen. Photo by R.A. McBride