90 Years of The Fox Fullerton Theatre

You know I love a good movie palace. I regularly visit those in LA and even made a point to catch a flick at one in Palo Alto. This weekend I added a new spot to my list – The Fox Fullerton Theatre.

The Fox Theatre was built in 1925 to showcase vaudeville performances and silent film. Once talkies were introduced it became a premier movie house. But as happened to many theatres of the golden age it eventually fell into decline and was closed in 1987. For about two decades it languished until the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation stepped in to restore it. It’s been a long process that I’ve followed over the years.

This past weekend the theatre celebrated it’s 90th birthday with a celebration called Speakeasy Days. On Friday night, the rooftop sign was relit and on Saturday a party was held. There was entertainment, food and drink and, best of all, theatre tours.

The Fox Fullerton is still a work in progress. Restoration of this magnitude takes much time and money. But, I’m happy to see that it’s coming along beautifully.

So, so lovely. Not only has the ceiling been painted but the lighting is complete. We were given a preview of the systems capabilities and it’s pretty impressive.

I can only imagine how the theatre’s going to look when it’s finished. For instance, underneath the wall paint is a detailed mural that will one day return (the dark rectangle in the middle of the wall is an uncovered portion). How incredible will that be?

One day, the Fox Fullerton will be a showcase for concerts, theatre and, of course, film. I can’t wait to attend a performance.