This may not be what you are looking for in your writing, but you may still find it interesting to read.
Back in 1973 I worked at the California Theater as an Usherette. At that time we had a well dressed regular customer by the name of Willie Williams. He was a small framed black man about 5'3" tall, and looked to be about 70-80 years old. He was allowed to walk into the theater anytime he desired and was always given free popcorn and a drink. He was allowed these amenities because he and his wife (at this time deceased)were regulars from the first Grand Opening of the California Theater. When I learned this about him, I began asking him questions about his history with the theater. He told me about the old modeled cars parked across the street from the movie house, how everyone who came dressed up in their best clothes, and how theater doormen stood at each door in their (red?) uniforms with (gold colored?) tassels on their shoulders in order to open the doors for each customer. He also talked about how exciting it was to attend the theater, and the many vaudeville shows & actors he and his wife saw over the years.
As one of many young employees in 1973 we used the theater as a party room on holidays and played the old organ for music. We girls dressed in white nurse’s uniforms and shoes. The boys dressed in dark slacks, dress shirts, and ties. We were required to get to work 15 minutes early and use the upstairs dressing rooms in order to change our clothes.
When a new employee was hired, he or she was always initiated in the same manner. Once the “newby” was in uniform and left the dressing room, their street clothes were snuck out and carefully placed on the movie stage. Once that employee finished his or her shift, they went back to the dressing room to find their clothes missing! At this point they were usually upset, but told they could get them back. Then they were instructed to go out on to the upstairs balcony and look down in front of the movie screen. I can still remember the shock I felt when I saw my clothes neatly laid out in the flickering movie light in front of hundreds of people! The only way to get them back was to either wait until the movie ended or go back stage and carefully reach for them from under the movie curtain without being seen by the audience!
Most movie goers were unaware of this crazy activity because they were so distracted by what was on the screen. However, our friendly projector man usually saw everything from that huge box in the back, where he spent all day looking out to make sure everyone was enjoying the picture show.
Yes, the Roxy was heavily damaged during the 1969 earthquake. I was a high school student at the time of the quake. I still recall seeing newspaper photos of the southeastern corner (seen here on the left front side of the building) it crumbled to the ground. At that time it had been strictly an X-rated theater, and people in Santa Rosa were happy it was gone because of the low-rated films, unlike the California theater just a few buildings down north of this one on B street.
Terry Katzman
This may not be what you are looking for in your writing, but you may still find it interesting to read.
Back in 1973 I worked at the California Theater as an Usherette. At that time we had a well dressed regular customer by the name of Willie Williams. He was a small framed black man about 5'3" tall, and looked to be about 70-80 years old. He was allowed to walk into the theater anytime he desired and was always given free popcorn and a drink. He was allowed these amenities because he and his wife (at this time deceased)were regulars from the first Grand Opening of the California Theater. When I learned this about him, I began asking him questions about his history with the theater. He told me about the old modeled cars parked across the street from the movie house, how everyone who came dressed up in their best clothes, and how theater doormen stood at each door in their (red?) uniforms with (gold colored?) tassels on their shoulders in order to open the doors for each customer. He also talked about how exciting it was to attend the theater, and the many vaudeville shows & actors he and his wife saw over the years.
As one of many young employees in 1973 we used the theater as a party room on holidays and played the old organ for music. We girls dressed in white nurse’s uniforms and shoes. The boys dressed in dark slacks, dress shirts, and ties. We were required to get to work 15 minutes early and use the upstairs dressing rooms in order to change our clothes.
When a new employee was hired, he or she was always initiated in the same manner. Once the “newby” was in uniform and left the dressing room, their street clothes were snuck out and carefully placed on the movie stage. Once that employee finished his or her shift, they went back to the dressing room to find their clothes missing! At this point they were usually upset, but told they could get them back. Then they were instructed to go out on to the upstairs balcony and look down in front of the movie screen. I can still remember the shock I felt when I saw my clothes neatly laid out in the flickering movie light in front of hundreds of people! The only way to get them back was to either wait until the movie ended or go back stage and carefully reach for them from under the movie curtain without being seen by the audience!
Most movie goers were unaware of this crazy activity because they were so distracted by what was on the screen. However, our friendly projector man usually saw everything from that huge box in the back, where he spent all day looking out to make sure everyone was enjoying the picture show.
Yes, the Roxy was heavily damaged during the 1969 earthquake. I was a high school student at the time of the quake. I still recall seeing newspaper photos of the southeastern corner (seen here on the left front side of the building) it crumbled to the ground. At that time it had been strictly an X-rated theater, and people in Santa Rosa were happy it was gone because of the low-rated films, unlike the California theater just a few buildings down north of this one on B street. Terry Katzman