Fox Theater (Spokane, Washington)
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The theater after restoration.
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Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash.
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Full name | Martin Woldson Theater at the FOX | ||||||||||
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Address | 1001 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, Washington |
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Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | ||||||||||
Owner | Spokane Symphony | ||||||||||
Operator | Spokane Symphony | ||||||||||
Type | Theatre | ||||||||||
Genre(s) | concerts, movies, theatre | ||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||
Opened | 1931-09-03 | ||||||||||
Renovated | November 2007 | ||||||||||
Construction cost |
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Architect | Robert C. Reamer | ||||||||||
Website | |||||||||||
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The Fox Theater in Spokane, Washington is a 1931 Art Deco movie theater. It was designed by architect Robert C. Reamer,[1] notable for his design of the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park. It was part of the Fox Film Corporation Empire founded by studio mogul William Fox.[2] The theater opened September 3, 1931 and showed films continuously until it closed September 21, 2000 after an engagement of the movie Gladiator starring Russell Crowe.[3]
Contents
History
Opening
The Fox Theater opened with seating for 2,350 patrons (1,450 on the ground floor and 900 in the balcony)[4] on 3 September 1931. The cost of construction was publicized as US$1,000,000 (equivalent to $15,600,000 in 2021), and the Fox opened with a live production of Fanchon and Marco's About Town,[5] followed by the film Merely Mary Ann one week later.[6] Anita Page, Mitzi Green, George O'Brien, Victor McLaglen and El Brendel attended the opening performance gala.[7] Interior decorations and appointments, designed by Anthony Heinsbergen,[8] were singled out for praise in contemporary newspaper accounts.[9]
Multiplex and Decline
In May 1961, The Fox Theater sold its organ to a Los Angeles-area collector, who disassembled it and had it shipped to California. The process of dismantling the organ took approximately one week.[10] The Fox Theater subdivided its main screen and opened as a three-screen complex (with one main screen downstairs and two balcony screens upstairs) on 14 November 1975.[11] In 1989, the theater began showing second-run movies[12] at US$1 (equivalent to $2 in 2021) per ticket.[13] When Regal Cinemas built the new 12-screen megaplex at NorthTown Mall, it sold half of its eight Spokane theaters,[14] including the Fox. The final movie, a screening of Gladiator, was shown on 21 September 2000, and a small ceremony marked the sale of the theater to the Spokane Symphony.[12]
Restoration
The adjacent Spokane Club sought to purchase and demolish the building to build a parking garage.[15] Although the club had entered into negotiations with the then-owners, Regal Cinemas, the Club dropped its plans to purchase the theater when they learned the Spokane Symphony was interested in the site.[16] The theater was saved when the Spokane Symphony purchased it[17] for US$1.1 million in June 2000.[18] Once the Symphony determined whether the renovations were feasible and the funds could be raised,[19] it began an extensive fund raising campaign to raise the budget needed for restoration.[20] Part of the funds were raised from state sources.[21] Prominent architectural features were renamed in honor of significant donors.[22]
The restoration designer was NAC Architecture of Spokane. Restorers cleaned and painted, recreated lost architectural details and lighting fixtures.[23][24][25] They also removed partitions installed in 1975 which converted the theatre into a multiplex. They reduced the original 2,300 seats to 1,700.[2] The Wurlitzer 3-manual, 13-rank theatre organ installed when the building was constructed in 1931 was removed in 1961.[15]
The total cost of the renovations was $31 million and were completed in November 2007.[26] The theatre was renamed the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox in honor of the father of a donor who contributed $3 million towards the renovations.[27] It re-opened as the home of the Spokane Symphony on November 17, 2007,[26] presided over by Washington Governor Christine Gregoire.[28] The re-opening included a special celebration featuring a performance by Tony Bennett on November 19, 2007.[29][30]
Notable performances
Notable performances at the theatre include: Katharine Hepburn, in As You Like It, as well as Marian Anderson, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra.[29] Michelle Obama, wife of the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama held a rally campaigning for her husband's presidential campaign on February 8, 2008.[31]
References
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External links
- Official Website
- Fox Theater receives $1 million donation
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- Art Deco architecture in Washington (state)
- Cinemas and movie theaters in Washington (state)
- National Register of Historic Places in Spokane, Washington
- Theatres in Washington (state)
- Buildings and structures in Spokane, Washington
- Visitor attractions in Spokane, Washington
- Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)