Fox Cineplex Theatres

This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as "Skouras-ized For Showmanship" which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the 'Skouras style' in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as 'Art Moderne meets Streamlined.' The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either "Marquee" or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link "PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List" and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The "Marquee" magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall ('portrait') format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long ('landscape') format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]

Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.

Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at: execdir@historictheatres.org
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)

Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM--4PM, CT)

Fox Cineplex Theatre Photo
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Chuck1231/California%20Theatres/FoxCineplexTheatre60W.jpg

Many more photos of this theater are here.

I was told that this old theatre is actually designed and was used originally for live theatre.

This is a more recent photo of the Fox Cineplex Theatres.

This venerable house opened as the Banning Theatre on May 23, 1928, and only later became part of the Fox-West Coast circuit. The opening of the Banning Theatre was featured in an article in Exhibitor's Herald & Moving Picture World issue of June 9, 1928. Equipped with a stage and fly tower, the house could host Vaudeville and other live theatrical events in addition to showing movies. According to local Banning history buff Kenneth Holzclaw, it once hosted a live broadcast of Bob Hope's radio show.

A Robert-Morton theater organ size 2/3 was installed in the Banning Theater in 1928.

Here is a website for the Fox Cineplex.

A September 2008 photo can be seen here.

Having moved to the area nearly 3 years ago,(I live in nearby Calimesa)I've been here several times. It's not a favorite,sad to say.

The lobby is small and cramped,there's a game room to your left as you enter the building that looks like it was a lounge.

The two screens in the front half half of the place are small,but not that bad. the sound is ok.

That third screen,where they move certain movies from the main screens,is a nightmare. Located in the back of the building and accessible,at least for wheelchairs,through a side door in the parking lot with help from an "usher".

It's tiny(about 200 seats,i guess)and smells.

It looks like it used to ba an office or something.

It's a bargain,though,at $5.00 general admission.

The

1982 photo of the Fox Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c5%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=2&catpagesize=25&ProductID=23549

The theatre will close August 28 for renovations and have planned an early November reopening.

The renovations are complete: the story can be read here: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_fox20.4218e7d.html