Fox California Theater

i was just around that area. and was so sad to see not barely two blocks down the road was another theater that was of the same time frame almost. but as i see the fox in the above picture i see that it has the same front on it that it has now just painted differently. idk i dont know it as well as someone who has worked there but im all for making old theaters like new, and it makes me sad to see one like that.

here is the fox
View link

and then the theater down the streat.
View link

The rumor I heard was the original front of the building was intact and able to be seen from the attic space between the old and new front. I was lucky enough to have been managing the grand old house (3 kung-fu-action hits-LOL) and spent an entire day exploring the nooks and cranny’s of a very solid and beautiful building. No view of the original front was there, but many years of history was tossed around in both the attic and the basement. What a glorious place it must have been in its heyday.

To Save the Fox California: Been there done that. We even met with the City Manager and Mayor. Zero, zip, ziltch. Don’t forget the Silliness mentality that, since the city budget was strapped, they decided to balance the shortfall by trying to close the city libraries to save money.

Of course did ONE of the city beaurocrats ever take a pay cut? Did they ever come up with a viable means to trim the city budget? Of course not. This was all a punishment from the City to the citizens for not passing a utility tax a few years ago. If the Fox were given to the city at a “fire sale price”, they would probably take it and then spend the next 20 years trying to figure out what to do with it.

The City of Silliness has a stellar reputation for taking forever to get things accomplished.

The City of Silliness was a pain in the neck to the theatre with snap inspections, and beaurocratic BS that only ended when a fine local attny. did pro bono work for the FOX Foundation and got the City off the Fox’s back (and ours.)

We have become disgusted with the entire idea and removed the Wurlitzer pipe organ. It is going into the Indiana Theatre in Terre Haute.

Back in 1968, the City of Silliness was offered the Fox and the former Elks lodge next door. Adequately remodeled and restored, this would have provided a very nice civic facility right in the heart of the city. Rather than that, the City built the Sherwood Hall well out of the city center, with no hotels nearby, no stage house, terrible, noisy portable seating in the front half of the house—but it was new and modern, not some tired old movie theatre;
their 1968 attitude, not mine.

My guess as to what the City of Silliness would do with the Fox if they owned it? After 20 years of trying to figure it all out, tear it down so there is a pass-thru from Main Street to the parking lot behind the Fox.

Sorry for the sour attitude, but, been there, done that.

I live in Merced, Ca. I am one of those that belives we must save our local historical sites for the future. I have done “A LITTLE” Fund Raising in the past and if area residents would like to contact me I think we could put together a small 501c-3 organization to save this theater and but it to good use. My main thought would be a concert venue to raise money for youth projects and activities as well as house a youth theatre company.

We will need five people to start this project, the name of the local attorney that set the City “right”, and the willingness to push forward quickly.

You Can Contact me at

Ben;

You should come over to Monterey and see what is happening with the Golden State Theatre there. That theatre has been privately purchased and is in the middle of a major restoration as I write this. Shame on the City of Silliness for not getting its “act” together!

Tom DeLay (no, NOT the erstwhile Congressman!)

Sadly, preservation efforts have failed on the Salinas Fox. The organ is being removed and the property is for sale. The owners have been more than willing to string the theatre along to try and save the place. At ever opportunity, the City tried to place restrictions on the theatre’s use. The City has bordered on abusive until a local attorney set the City “right”. Regarless, other investors want to be rid of the structure.

The City of Silliness seems to be unable to save any historic structures. The City of Silliness needs to have a strong slap in their collective faces for NOT stepping forward to preserve this theatre. The city is continually financially strapped, but they have plenty of money to over-pay the gobs of do-nothings in City Hall. Now the city is threatening to close the libraries in this cow town. How could one expect such an overpaid city staff to ever preserve a structure such as the Fox?

As I have said for years about this town I live in, “If it does not involve a horse, cow, or head of lettuce, no one pays any attention”.
I would love for this place to prove me wrong!

My family and I recently attended Monster Bash 2, a Halloween benefit held at the Fox on October 26th. The Fox had been closed up for quite a while, so we were curious to see the theater.

The carpeting looks brand new and seems to be in excellent shape. The lobby and stairwells are also in fine condition.

It was sad to note the condition of the seats, though. Many of them had mold and mildew. We had to hunt down seats without mold on them. It was also very cold inside the theater. Don’t know if that was due to the Fox just being rented for the night, or if there isn’t any heat available, period. Looks as though the seats will wind up having to either be replaced or reupholstered… :–(

It was nice to see inside the theater again, though. Overall, everyone seemed to have a pretty good time at the event. It was very kid-friendly, and the people overseeing the event were very nice.