Fox Performing Arts Center
3801 Mission Inn Avenue,
Riverside,
CA
92501
3801 Mission Inn Avenue,
Riverside,
CA
92501
13 people
favorited this theater
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Opened as Riverside by West Coast theatres. Grand opening ad below and in photo section.
Riverside Theatre opening 10 Jan 1929, Thu Riverside Daily Press (Riverside, California) Newspapers.com
This post with vintage photo & fade to today courtesy of the What Was There Facebook page.
On September 9, 1939, a secretive “sneak preview” of Gone with the Wind is shown to a surprised audience in Riverside, CA months before its official premier in Atlanta. The film’s producer, David O. Selznick, his wife, Irene, investor John “Jock” Whitney and film editor Hal Kern drove to Riverside to preview the film at the Fox Theatre. It was still a rough cut at this stage, missing completed titles and lacking special optical effects, and it ran for four hours and twenty-five minutes (it would later be cut down to under four hours for its proper release). A double bill of Hawaiian Nights and Beau Geste was playing at the Fox, but after the first feature it was announced that the theater would be screening a preview. The audience was informed they could leave but they would not be readmitted once the film had begun, nor would phone calls be allowed once the theater had been sealed. When the title appeared on the screen the audience cheered (many had been reading about the making of the film for over two years), and after it finished it received a standing ovation. Here’s the Fox Theater in 1929.
Fade to now: http://www.whatwasthere.com/b/13414
This was THE theater for movies in the 60s. I loved going to this theater as a kid. I’m really glad the city has given it new life.
Original stage dimensions: Proscenium—38 feet; depth—32 feet.
Congrats about the reopening… the creep who ruined that beautiful theater should be fined for destruction and theft of “public” property and confined to a mental institute.
It seems that the original estimate of about $30m went to $40m, wow!
After seeing the photo of the “copper” ticket, I wonder if the “brass” plaque regarding the original screening of GWTW is still on the facade? Glad I took a snapshot of that.
Two photos I took of the Fox this week:
View link
View link
I must say, though I’ve only seen the theatre with one of the new vertical signs in place, that the building looks ten times better — and actually functional.
New vertical signs, replicas of the originals. were recently installed: View link
Loved, loved, LOVED getting to see Gone With The Wind in the theater last weekend. I really hope they screen more old movies in the future. What a great date night!!
Good to see that its reopened.
I was just looking at my photo of a cultural heritage landmark plaque on the side of this building. It refers to the architects as “Batch and Stanberry” — they misspelled both of their names!
Re-opened. Jesus Christ Superstar opens April 1, 2010!
New official website is:
http://www.foxriversidelive.com/
The theater is offering free tours to the community this Saturday and Sunday January 16-17.
1-8-10 Press Riverside article on history & renovation:
View link
Interested in knowing if any one has any idea when a copper souvenir
ticket was made for the Riverside Theater. It is a copy of an opening night ticket in 1928. here is a link to a photo…… http://www.twitpic.com/dtcfi Any information would be most interesting.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Maggie
.com
First to Maureen951. The opening gala is January 15 (as described above) and if you call 951.826.5312 and ask for information about the Fox, they will connect you.
I posted in October, 2008 about a book I was planning about the Fox Theater. That book, which is titled “Riverside’s Fox Theater: An Intimate Portrait,” is about to go to the printer, and will appear in December, 2009 at many downtown museums and stores, at Barnes and Noble, at Borders, and at my gallery at 3850 Lemon St. in downtown Riverside.
I am still in the process of raising funding for this project, and if you are interested in advance purchase of boxed-set books, 10 or more regular books at a 30% discount, an art print from the collection, or just in donating to the project, for which you will receive books and a mention on the Donors Page, please contact me at This address is also good if you would like to reserve between 1-9 books at the retail price of $34.95 plus tax and shipping (where applicable). I will post a link to an image of the book cover as soon as it is available. Thanks to those who have given me encouragement all along with this exciting project.
relinking
Hi does anyone know a phone number where I can reach someone who can tell me more about the fox theater, like when it will be opening again and reserving a date for it…I’ve tried calling the phone number above 909-684-2831 but a woman answered it who told me I had the wrong number. SO if anyone call help me with this I’d really appreciate it!! Thank you!!
According to Broadway in Riverside, “Annie” will be the first production to show in the restored Fox, scheduled for February 2010, followed in March by “Jesus Christ Superstar”, and “Hairspray” in April.
Here is a link to a substantial photographic history of the Fox with a November 2008 issue date:
View link
Also, “the city has scheduled a Jan. 15 grand-opening gala fundraiser and free public walk-throughs Jan. 16-17, said Councilman Mike Gardner. He promised a big-name artist for the grand-opening performance on Jan. 22, though he said he did not yet know who it would be.”
Posting to get this theatre back on my “notifications” list….
This is a July 2008 article. I’ve been out there twice in the past few months, and as far as I can tell they are far from done.
http://tinyurl.com/cd8mul
Here is a December 2007 article and photos regarding the renovation:
http://tinyurl.com/d89ylm
Thanks ken mc for posting the photos. Interesting that you have listed two drive ins back east in New Jersey among your favorites — I grew up in Atlantic City and went to the drive ins through high school with lots of my friends. Obviously you are here in Riverside now — what do you do (or what DID you do, if you’re retired). My e-mail address is above if you want to send a note.
Here are two photos from the LA Library, dated 1929 and 1970, respectively:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics08/00023562.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics08/00023561.jpg
Here are some photos taken yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/6sg38b
http://tinyurl.com/894856
http://tinyurl.com/7db4cp
http://tinyurl.com/8msdt4