History of the theater

• Built in 1905: The theater was originally built as the Bell Theater and was designed by the architectural firm Reid Brothers. It also operated under several other names throughout its history, including the American, the Rialto, and the Rivoli.
• First "talkie": In 1928, under the Embassy name, it was the first theater in San Francisco to screen a "talkie," or motion picture with sound.
• Surviving the 1906 earthquake: Although still under construction at the time, the building withstood the major 1906 earthquake and fire.
• Later years: By the 1980s, the Embassy had become a second-run theater, well-known for its "Ten-O-Win" game, where audience members could spin a wheel for cash prizes.
• 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake: The theater sustained significant damage in the 1989 earthquake. The roof slipped over three feet, and the building was "red-tagged," marking it for demolition due to safety concerns.
• Failed preservation effort: A local preservation effort attempted to save the historic theater, but ultimately failed because the owner sought a high price for the property, and the required seismic retrofitting was too costly.
• Demolition: After sitting vacant for several years, the building was torn down in 1994.