Fox Performing Arts Center facts for kids
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Fox Theater
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| Address | 3801 Mission Inn Avenue Riverside, California United States |
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| Owner | City of Riverside |
| Operator | Live Nation |
| Type | Movie palace |
| Capacity | 1,646 |
| Screens | 1 |
| Current use | Live event venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1929 |
| Reopened | 2010 |
| Fox Theater | |
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| Architect | Balch and Stanbury |
| Architectural style(s) | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Reference no. | 39 |
The Fox Performing Arts Center, also known as the Riverside Fox Theater, is a beautiful building in Riverside, California. It was built in 1929 and looks like old Spanish buildings. This theater is a key part of Riverside's plan to boost arts and culture. It was fully updated and reopened in January 2010.
This theater is famous for being the very first place to show the classic movie Gone With the Wind in 1939. This film is one of the most successful movies ever made.
Contents
A Look Back: Theater History
The Riverside Fox Theater was designed by Clifford Balch and Floyd E. Stanberry. They were architects from Los Angeles. They designed many "West Coast Theaters" and later, Fox Theaters. This theater was part of a group of theaters built by Abe and Mike Gore, Adolph Ramish, and Sol Lesser. They built many local theaters in Southern California in the 1920s.
In 1928, William Fox of Fox Studios bought a large part of this theater group. It then became known as Fox West Coast Theaters. This link with Fox Studios helped movies go from being made to being shown easily. However, this partnership did not last long. The company faced money problems and went bankrupt in the early 1930s. In 1932, the theater became part of the National Theaters chain. This was the biggest theater chain in US history.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, the Fox Theater was used by Hollywood. Film companies would show early versions of their movies here. They did this before the movies were completely finished. Riverside was a good place for these previews. It was thought to be like a typical small town in America. By showing movies here, film companies could see how regular people reacted. This helped them make their movies better.
World War II and Later
During World War II, the theater helped soldiers. Many soldiers from nearby military bases needed a place to sleep. The theater manager, Roy Hunt, let them sleep on the thick carpets. In 1942, the Fox Theater added a smaller theater inside. It was called the "Lido" and could hold 536 people. This new space showed movies that had already been released.
After World War II, the area around the theater changed. This made the Fox Theater less popular. In 1978, a company called Walnut Properties bought the theater. They used the main theater to show movies in Spanish.
Today, the Fox Theater is a very important place in movie history. It is located where Mission Inn Avenue and Market Street meet. It is recognized as a historic landmark.
Modern Updates: Renovation Project
In 2006, the City of Riverside bought the theater. They wanted to create a performing arts center for the community. The renovation of the Fox Theater was a big part of the "$1.68 billion Riverside Renaissance" program. This program aimed to complete many projects quickly.
The $35 million renovation of the Fox Theater started on May 3, 2007. It was finished in late 2009.
Who Runs the Show Now?
After reopening, FX Arts Management ran the theater for almost four years. They worked with the Nederlander Corporation for two years. Then, they worked with Tom McCoy and Cathy Rigby for Broadway shows. Since December 1, 2013, Live Nation has been in charge of the theater's operations.
