Clay Theatre

It opened around 1913 to 1914 as The Regent, a nickelodeon that often showed Mary Pickford films; it became The Avalon in 1931 and The Clay International in 1935 under Herbert Rosener, showing foreign film. The exterior was heavily modified in the 1950s, when the ticket booth was moved and the archway entrance changed, and the house latterly held 325 seats. The Clay joined the Landmark Theatres chain in 1991 and closed in January 2020. It is San Francisco Landmark No. 302, designated on 6 May 2022. In February 2024 the theatre and the adjacent building were bought by investment trusts linked to Neil Mehta. In June 2025 the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project announced plans to reopen the Clay as a 200-seat repertory cinema after renovations to upgrade its facilities and improve fire safety and accessibility.