The
Balboa Theater (opened in 1926) at 1634 Ocean Avenue had preceded the El Rey in the Ingleside Terraces neighborhood. The
Art Deco–
Moderne El Rey Theatre building was designed by local architect
Timothy L. Pflueger. It contains a tower, and the tower once contained an aircraft beacon, and neon lights. The El Rey Theatre opened on November 14, 1931, and had 1,800 seats. The opening show was
The Smiling Lieutenant (1931), starring
Maurice Chevalier. In 1949, the building was remodeled by architect Vincent G. Raney. One of the retail spaces next door to the theater was the first location of
The Gap (now Gap Inc.) in 1969. In April 1, 1977, the theater closed. In 2016, the building was sold at auction to the "Voice of the Pentecost or A Place to Meet Jesus" church, which later defaulted on their mortgage. Since 2021, the former theater building has been slated for redevelopment into a multi-unit housing building. In 2025, the building was purchased by "The Father’s House SF" church. == See also ==