The theaters, which were one block apart from each other, featured Chinese opera, often with top stage talent from China.

[6][7] Though the Chinese operas were as long as five hours, many patrons chatted, ate snacks, and read the newspaper during the performances.

[9] In 1959, the San Francisco Examiner wrote that the Great China Theater was the last active Chinese opera house in the United States.

[12] In 1974, the San Francisco Examiner wrote that the theater filled up for its showings of Kung Fu movies.

[16] In 2010, business partners George Kaskanlian Jr. and Kenny Montero, both real estate developers, took on a 10-year lease and refurbished the aging theater.

[21] Rosenbloom had worked in San Francisco arts for decades, and starting in 1996, he maintained a magazine called SF Source with information about local events, which was compared to Pariscope.

[24] The theater hosts films and alternative events, such as a Star Wars strip show.

[24] It was featured the documentary "A Moment in Time," about Chinese movies in San Francisco directed by Ruby Yang and Lambert Yam.