Fox Theatre

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Moorish architectural details of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta
Moorish architectural details of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta
Griffins atop the marquee in Detroit.
Griffins atop the marquee in Detroit.
Vacant Fox in Oakland
Vacant Fox in Oakland

Fox Theatre is the name given to several large movie theaters in the United States dating from the late 1920s either built by movie mogul William Fox or subsequently purchased by the Fox West Coast theater chain.

[edit] Architectural styles

Many of these grand "movie palaces" were built with a mish-mash of architectural styles drawn from Asian, Indian, Persian, and Moorish influences.

[edit] Restorations

The theatres still standing today share almost identical histories of decline and fall into disrepair with subsequent campaigns to save, restore and preserve the architectural relics. Some campaigns succeed, as in Tucson, Arizona, where the Fox Theatre re-opened in January 2006 after remaining closed for thirty-two years, or in Fullerton, California, where a non-profit community project is actively restoring the theatre. Several theatres, including the Fox in Atlanta, Georgia and in Visalia, California were only closed briefly before restoration began. There is also a Fox Theatre, originally named the Electric Theatre, in Springfield, Missouri which is currently used as a church.

[edit] List of Fox Theatres

See the following articles for information about specific theatres.

  • Atlanta, Georgia -- Opened 1929, closed 1974, saved 1975, restored
  • Aurora, Illinois
  • Bakersfield, California -- Opened 1930, closed 1977, saved 1994, restoration continues
  • Boulder, Colorado -- Opened 1926 as the Rialto Theatre
  • Detroit, Michigan -- Opened 1928, restored 1988
  • Fullerton, California -- Opened 1925, closed 1987, restoration continues
  • Joplin, Missouri -- Opened as Electric Theatre, recently converted to a church
  • Oakland, California -- Opened 1928, closed 1970, saved 1996, restoration continues
  • Portland, Oregon -- Opened 1911, demolished late 1990s
  • Redlands, California -- Opened 1928, vacant, for sale
  • San Bernardino, California -- Opened 1929, converted to warehouse 1955, currently begin converted back to theatre
  • San Francisco, California -- Opened 1929, closed 1963, demolished
  • St. Louis, Missouri -- Opened 1929, closed 1978, saved 1981, restored
  • Spokane, Washington -- Opened 1931, closed 2000, restoration near completion
  • Stockton, California -- Opened 1930, closed 1973, saved 1979, restored
  • Tucson, Arizona -- Opened 1930, closed 1974, saved 2000, restored
  • Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Opened 1914, in continual operation as movie theatre
  • Visalia, California -- Opened 1930, closed 1996, saved 1996, restored