Roxie released?

LAST WEEK THE Roxie Cinema was on the brink of extinction. This past Sunday night it was the place to be. With showmanship worthy of the moment, Roxie programmer Elliot Lavine stepped up to the mic and became the evening's MC for a more-than-sold-out rent party. The local cinerati were all on hand, from Philip Kaufman to Emiko Omori, Roko Belic, Dayna Goldfine, Lynn Hershman, Marc Huestis, and Karen Larsen, accompanied by the blinding lights of Channel 2 and Channel 4 news. The Brass Monkey Brass Band played on the sidewalk for those being turned away, among whom could be found even the "Mayor of Valencia Street," Craig Baldwin. Later a crowd of faux-fur-and-boa-draped patrons loitered outside the theater alongside post-performance belly dancers in a very-16th-Street-style homage.

By morning the theater had steered itself away from disaster, counting almost $25,000 in donations by press time, from about 800 San Franciscans. They were still awaiting contributions from a few local big names who'd promised assistance as well. Board of Supervisors president Tom Ammiano, who, along with Sup. Chris Daly, unexpectedly showed up for the party, took the stage and did a few lines of stand-up before promising help from city hall. By Monday morning, Ammiano hadn't come up with a clear plan but said he hoped to meet with Roxie owner Bill Banning and talk about options, including aiding the theater in a conversion to nonprofit status. "The Roxie is hallowed ground," Ammiano said, echoing his sentiments of the previous evening. "We need to save it."

Twenty-four hours after the cameras left the premises, the Roxie staff was still reeling. "Just seeing those faces," Lavine said, "faces I see over and over and over buying tickets, just having them say the things they said makes working for low money living on the edge completely worth it."

Banning's immediate goal is to talk with the landlord and electrician and settle the financial problems. They're also talking about getting loans and revisiting the list of what he calls "deep-pocket angels" who might assist. The May calendar – including Jay Rosenblatt and Caveh Zahedi's Underground Zero – is now moving forward, as planned. (Susan Gerhard)