Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Filipino Films in the US: Richelieu Cinema, San Francisco


Foreign language specialty theatre located at 1075 Geary Street, San Francisco; screened two Luis Nepomuceno films in late 1972.

From Cinema Treasures: "The Richelieu Cinema opened on March 13, 1963 with Fernandel in “The Cow and I”. It was located in the space formerly used as the Richelieu Casino, on the Geary Street side of the Richelieu Hotel on the Southeast corner of Geary Street and Van Ness Avenue. Over the years its policy was mostly foreign and revival programming, employing a rear-view projection system in which the projector is located behind the screen, and the image is thrown upon the screen by the use of a mirror. It closed in June 1981."

Following Nepomuceno's successful screenings of Igorota and The Beggar at the Grand Theatre in 1970, he returned to San Francisco in 1972 with two previously-unseen titles, Because Of A Flower (a subtitled version of Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak, 1967) and A Time For Dying (Filipino title Pipo, 1970). Press interest in Charito Solis' nude turn in Igorota generated column space for Because Of A Flower, but journalists presented with a sexless and VERY Filipino melodrama were naturally less responsive: 

San Francisco Examiner, 21st September 1972, p.30

San Francisco Chronicle, 21st September 1972, p.49



September 20 to October 3, 1972 – Because Of A Flower [with English subtitles]

The second film, a much more salacious offering with war atrocities and gratuitous nudity, failed to even rate a passing mention. San Francisco's love affair with Igorot princess Charito Solis, it seemed, was over.

September 29 to 30 [sneak peek], October 11 to 17, 1972 - A Time For Dying [sneak preview] 


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