Fox Oakland Theater

October 27th, 1928 grand opening ad in the photo section.

If you see a music event here and sit up stairs you won’t see the stage as most people stand up and block the view. The music is way to loud. Bring ear plugs. They even sell them in the lobby at the Fox Oakland Theatre. The manager needs to check all the people smoking up stairs and have them sit down. They were not smoking cigarette’s. A fire danger and the ushers don’t care. No seats downstairs, you pay a high price and have to stand all during the show. Nice job on all the color lights when they have them on. Hope some day they show some movies on 35mm film or DCP and put in a large screen and get the curtain to work. APE the gang that books the place offers nothing for seniors to enjoy. Check the Fox out and take the Bart train to almost the front door. Don’t forget your ear plugs!!!!

This article about the restoration of the Fox Oakland Theatre is by Kurt Schindler, principal of ELS Architecture and Urban Design, the Berkeley firm that did the plans for the renovation of the theater.

The firm’s web site also offers this page with several photos of the Fox.

In addition to the Fox, ELS has designed the restorations of the Grand Theatre in Tracy, California, the California Theatre in San Jose, and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, formerly the Portland Theatre, in Portland, Oregon. More recently, ELS handled the renovation of the old AMC Kabuki multiplex for Sundance Cinemas.

A 2010 photo can be seen here.

Friday was my 70th birthday, and I wanted to see the Fox. My kids took me there. I haven’t been inside the Fox Oakland for 50 years. amd it was just absolutely stunning inside. There were a lot of things missing, like the chandeliers in the ceiling and a mural of the bay bridge, treasure island and the bay when you first walked in. The staff and security was incredible, they were everywhere, and very friendly. The music was very good, a band called OMD, but the acoustics in the theater were terrible. The sounds bounced off the walls like echoing thuds, and it gave me a headache (age I guess), so I went to the mezzanine to relax for a bit. I was sitting there for less than 10 minutes and two different times, staff asked to see my ticket. The security was checking everyones tickets to make sure they were in the section they were supposed to be in. After being asked twice to see my ticket, I got irritated, and they didn’t ask me anymore. I don’t see how these kids can afford the high priced drinks in there, My son got a screwdriver and it was over vodka’d. It was so good to be in there again, it brought back a lot of memories. The audience was good mannered and everyone was having a great time. The staff and security were just wonderful, just pesty and doing their job. I asked if they could get the statues to spew smoke again someday, they didn’t know that it the statues did that. Aside from the terrible sound system, it is just beautiful inside. I sure miss Capwells, Milens Jewelers, and the Newberry’s. But the area sure looks nice and its bustling again.

Another great Barto and Mann photo,thanks for posting Brad.

Went there a few times, all the movies I saw there were widescreen except one time we went in to see The Little Shop of Horrors. The screen didn’t have a black border around the movie, but a projected border that looked like gold squares of the statues on the sides of the stage. Those statues were beautiful, how during the movie they would periodically spew smoke from the bowls and the back would flash green like a little explosion. I would love to see the inside again oneday, if only something decent was there. Terry and Simon were right, they should also show films and have performances for us seniors.

The people that lease the Fox Oakland are missing out entertainment and movies for the older adult crowd. As they just book rock mainly. To bad, write to them and lets see If we can get them to book some acts that the seniors will enjoy. So easy to just take the BART train almost to the front door. Book in some family shows also.

Took the anniversary tour on Friday night — was happy to see that the restoration was a success, with beautiful painted ceilings, redone plaster bas relief, reproduction lighting and fully restored and working electric and neon marquee. Was sad that showing films is no longer an option (other than digital projection on a tiny screen) and that the Wurlitzer and all original fixtures were sold off to the highest bidders ever so long ago. But the Fox Theater is lovely again. Do wish I could enjoy a historic-style cinema or vaudeville-type experience, instead of a loud rock concert, tho.

(pre- and post-restoration photos taken by Paula Wirth, including night shots of the Fox Theater marquee)
View link

A real jewel of a theatre! Even before restoration, the Fox Oakland grabbed attention from blocks away. A “little bit of Bagdad” on Telegraph Ave., as Ben Hall might have said. But—-when do we get
an interior tour…? Any hopes of a tour sans the modern loud musick…?

The Fox Oakland is a jewel again!
Thanks to Jerry Brown, Phil Tagami, Jeff Chew, Patricia Dedekian, the Friends of the Fox Oakland and a cast of 1000’s.

Please see the 100’s of images of the re-construction and galas of this wonderful theater reborn on my community website-
http://www.nathanbennettphoto.com

I think I got the ‘cinema’ bug, I want more
(I just saw the Fox Detroit- wow!)

Cheers- Nate

Here are three more from the Conclave:

View link – closeup of Fox Office Bldg entrance
View link – Proscenium
View link – organ screen detail