This is the theatre where the actress Eve Arden got her start. After working in a stock company at this theatre Eve went to Los Angeles where years latter she would star in the TV show Our Miss Brooks.
Designed by William B. David who also did the Eureka Theatre in Eureka, California and the Tower Theatre in Klamath Falls, Oregon. For information on these theaters check out:
I am leaving this message on 1/15/2002. This morning I had the chance to drive to Bakersfield form where I was staying near by and when I turn onto H Street I was stunned by the beauty of the Fox. I sat across the street for almost an hour just looking at it. I just wish I could have gone inside. Anyone in the area needs to see this true masterpiece. I was not going to allow my self to travel 380 miles for a doctors appointment without seeing it.
The Golden Gate had been almost destroyed by the time of the renovation. The interior of the auditorium had to be rebuilt but the original design had to be partly guessed at. The only remaining section of the interior is the ceiling of the lobby, which was found when the modern lobby was removed. The interior of the auditorium is cheap looking with acoustic tiles taking the place of where murals and the chandelier would have been originally. It is a sad place to go for people that want to see true beauty. It would be wonderful if the interior could be redone to live up to the standards that the exterior of this building sets. The Golden Gate is currently used to house the touring companies of Broadway Shows.
The Paramount opened in 1931. Construction was started by Publix Theatres but financial difficulties forced the sale of the uncompleted building to Fox-West Coast Theatres. The Paramount was rescued by the Oakland Symphony, the City of Oakland and numerous private donors in 1972. The Oakland Symphony turned the building over to the City of Oakland in 1975. The Theatre was restored/remodeled, which included the reconstruction of the lower half of the marquee and the auditorium seats were replaced by wider ones so that modern day people can fit comfortably in them (seeing that our hind-ends seem to keep getting bigger). The Paramount offers tours on the first and third Saturdays of each month with admission currently (2001) being $1 a person. The Paramount is used for live stage shows, the Oakland Symphony, the Oakland Ballet, as well was showings of classical movies. I have attended showing of “Casablanca” and “The Wizard of Oz” and can tell you that the Theatre is sold out for these events. The Paramount of damaged after the 1989 earthquake but has been restored.
In the late 1990s the orphuem went through a major remodeling in which the stage was extended into the seating area, a new marquee was put on the front of the building, and the back stage area was greatly expanded. One of the reasons this was done was so that the Broadway Show Miss Sygon could be played here. This is a very beautiful Spanish style theatre. One of the best in the world, truly.
When I lived in Fairfax in 1996-97 it had only been split into 2 theaters. The seats in the back of the large theater leaned back, but some of them where broken. There were plans in 1998 to ass 2 more theaters in the parking lot area.
The Rafael was built in 1920 as the first run movie house Orpheus. It was enlarged and a new screen was added in 1926. After a 1937 fire gutted the victorian style auditorium it was remodeled in the art deco style and reopened as a second run movie house. It even served time in the 1960s as a Disney Family Theater. It was heavily damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and was closed. In 1998 the majority of it was gutted with half of the building being demolished. It was rebuilt as a triplex in 1999 and shows art and foreign films.
There was a major fire in 1994 that ruined any chances that the Embassy could be saved.
This is the theatre where the actress Eve Arden got her start. After working in a stock company at this theatre Eve went to Los Angeles where years latter she would star in the TV show Our Miss Brooks.
The Embassy was demolished due to structural damage caused by a fire in the early 1990s, not due to the 1989 earthquake.
Designed by William B. David who also did the Eureka Theatre in Eureka, California and the Tower Theatre in Klamath Falls, Oregon. For information on these theaters check out:
http://www.rediscoveredpaper.com/eureka.html
Photos and history fo the Capitol can be found at:
View link
I am leaving this message on 1/15/2002. This morning I had the chance to drive to Bakersfield form where I was staying near by and when I turn onto H Street I was stunned by the beauty of the Fox. I sat across the street for almost an hour just looking at it. I just wish I could have gone inside. Anyone in the area needs to see this true masterpiece. I was not going to allow my self to travel 380 miles for a doctors appointment without seeing it.
Thanx,
frenchjr25
Photos of the demolition can be found at:
View link
For those interested there is a wonderful photo of this theatre in “The Best Remaining Seats” by Ben M. Hall.
This Theater is discussed in the book “Lost Broadway” by Hoogstraten as well as “Lost New York” by Silver.
The Golden Gate had been almost destroyed by the time of the renovation. The interior of the auditorium had to be rebuilt but the original design had to be partly guessed at. The only remaining section of the interior is the ceiling of the lobby, which was found when the modern lobby was removed. The interior of the auditorium is cheap looking with acoustic tiles taking the place of where murals and the chandelier would have been originally. It is a sad place to go for people that want to see true beauty. It would be wonderful if the interior could be redone to live up to the standards that the exterior of this building sets. The Golden Gate is currently used to house the touring companies of Broadway Shows.
The Paramount opened in 1931. Construction was started by Publix Theatres but financial difficulties forced the sale of the uncompleted building to Fox-West Coast Theatres. The Paramount was rescued by the Oakland Symphony, the City of Oakland and numerous private donors in 1972. The Oakland Symphony turned the building over to the City of Oakland in 1975. The Theatre was restored/remodeled, which included the reconstruction of the lower half of the marquee and the auditorium seats were replaced by wider ones so that modern day people can fit comfortably in them (seeing that our hind-ends seem to keep getting bigger). The Paramount offers tours on the first and third Saturdays of each month with admission currently (2001) being $1 a person. The Paramount is used for live stage shows, the Oakland Symphony, the Oakland Ballet, as well was showings of classical movies. I have attended showing of “Casablanca” and “The Wizard of Oz” and can tell you that the Theatre is sold out for these events. The Paramount of damaged after the 1989 earthquake but has been restored.
The story of this wonderful theater can be found at foxoakland.org and there are some amazing photos as well.
According to The Last Remaining Seats the tower was removed from this building due to structural problems.
There is a wonderful photo of this theater in Ticket To Paradise.
In the late 1990s the orphuem went through a major remodeling in which the stage was extended into the seating area, a new marquee was put on the front of the building, and the back stage area was greatly expanded. One of the reasons this was done was so that the Broadway Show Miss Sygon could be played here. This is a very beautiful Spanish style theatre. One of the best in the world, truly.
This theatre, The Noyo, is in the town of Willits, CA., not Willis.
Thank you,
William French
When I lived in Fairfax in 1996-97 it had only been split into 2 theaters. The seats in the back of the large theater leaned back, but some of them where broken. There were plans in 1998 to ass 2 more theaters in the parking lot area.
The Rafael was built in 1920 as the first run movie house Orpheus. It was enlarged and a new screen was added in 1926. After a 1937 fire gutted the victorian style auditorium it was remodeled in the art deco style and reopened as a second run movie house. It even served time in the 1960s as a Disney Family Theater. It was heavily damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and was closed. In 1998 the majority of it was gutted with half of the building being demolished. It was rebuilt as a triplex in 1999 and shows art and foreign films.