I worked as Loge man at the Fox Oakland just before it closed. Still have my letter from the union and the crazy manager Jack Mc Dougal that the Theatre was about to close. When Jack left to go home for dinner we turned all the great neon on outside. The Fox west Coast people in LA loved Jack McDougal. He ran the Fox Oakland cheap. Turned off many lights and watched a tight ship in the candy counter. Even tried to put us kids on the National General Fox West Coast payroll for doing his yard work in his Piedmont home. A class act this manager was. Long passed on Jack did get invited the the grand opening of the Paramount when it re opened in the 70’s. I will never forget the big hits the Fox Oakland had when I worked in this great Theatre. All the american Int'l Beach films played the Fox in the 60’s. Lines around the block formed for Muscle Beach Party. Jack McDougal was also a great showman. He had a live Muscle Man Mr Oakland contest on the huge Fox stage with the showing of Muscle Beach Party. He had John Ashley and the girl Candy on stage for the showing of Bikini Beach Party. The biggest crowd was for little Stevie Wonder when he was in film. The time I watched What A Way To Go over and over I new all the lines. I hope the New people at the Fox Oakland will still show some 35mm movie prints. If the Paramount up the strret is no longer going to do it on some Fridays because they think the little outdoor movie nights in town are going to hurt there business. Go for it at the Fox Oakland put in a big curved cinemascope screen and fly it with a huge Dolby Digital sound system with hidden surround speakers, show classic science fiction, horror, or old musicals have theme nights you will pack them in at the Fox.People want to get out of the DVD world and when first timers see the inside of the new Fox Oakland with It’s huge inside (I hope you replace all the color lights inside) under the balcony lit up blue or other colors during the movies. The ceiling had these great hidden dark blue lights that looked great. When new music bookers come into a old theatre like the Fox many just put in white lights bulbs. Please keep the great color lights the Fox had inside.
The manager of the Rex had a patch over one eye. He saved me movie posters in the mid 1960’s when I was in High School. To go to the Rex, Lux and Broadway seemed like a danger place to be. But know certain streets in San francisco are far worst. To bad the little theatres are not still open in downtown Oakland. They can still show second run films. Kids today go to the Multiplex and miss the Grindhouse feel these Oakland Theatres projected.
The Paramount in Oakalnd Ca has been out of it for years. Now they are crying about the Fox Oakland re opening. At one time they were both run by Fox West Coast Theatres and got along. The Paramount still has many thing going for it. The organ and Its 35mm projectors and large Cinemascope screen. The Fox Oakland can have the rock shows and live events. I’d rather go to the Fox Oakland or Paramount any day then the bad needle area the San Francisco Fox Warfield is located on the worst area of SF’s Market St. When both the New Fox in Oak and the Paramount have shows many people from all over the bay area will just take Bart trains to the doors. The Oakland Paramount needs to put in a main lobby bar and let people drink in the main theatre. Bring first run movies back from time to time. The Oakland area is very undersceened. You watch in a few years with all the condos going up near the Fox Oakland & Paramount you will see a Century -Regal multiplex shoebox going up. I know for a fact real estate people have told me a large circuit is looking in the Grand Ave/Broadway area of Oakland for a big no showmanship multijunk theatre. Both the Paramount and new people at the Fox Oakland need to book events for all the Bay Area. Don’t forget the seniors. They will come in droves to both Theatres to see classic events and memories of these two great movie palaces. As San Francisco does not even have a indoor arena (and please the dumpy Cow Palace is not even in SF) many hunger for different entertainment they are not getting in SF they will go to both Oakland Theatres to see events. For the second year in a row the famed Ringling Bros Circus is not in the Cow Palace but going to a new arena in Stockton Ca.this Sept. So bring on the shows at the Fox Oakland and Paramount and watch downtown Oakland come alive, It’s been sleeping way to long.
I worked as Loge man at the Fox Oakland just before it closed. Still have my letter from the union and the crazy manager Jack Mc Dougal that the Theatre was about to close. When Jack left to go home for dinner we turned all the great neon on outside. The Fox west Coast people in LA loved Jack McDougal. He ran the Fox Oakland cheap. Turned off many lights and watched a tight ship in the candy counter. Even tried to put us kids on the National General Fox West Coast payroll for doing his yard work in his Piedmont home. A class act this manager was. Long passed on Jack did get invited the the grand opening of the Paramount when it re opened in the 70’s. I will never forget the big hits the Fox Oakland had when I worked in this great Theatre. All the american Int'l Beach films played the Fox in the 60’s. Lines around the block formed for Muscle Beach Party. Jack McDougal was also a great showman. He had a live Muscle Man Mr Oakland contest on the huge Fox stage with the showing of Muscle Beach Party. He had John Ashley and the girl Candy on stage for the showing of Bikini Beach Party. The biggest crowd was for little Stevie Wonder when he was in film. The time I watched What A Way To Go over and over I new all the lines. I hope the New people at the Fox Oakland will still show some 35mm movie prints. If the Paramount up the strret is no longer going to do it on some Fridays because they think the little outdoor movie nights in town are going to hurt there business. Go for it at the Fox Oakland put in a big curved cinemascope screen and fly it with a huge Dolby Digital sound system with hidden surround speakers, show classic science fiction, horror, or old musicals have theme nights you will pack them in at the Fox.People want to get out of the DVD world and when first timers see the inside of the new Fox Oakland with It’s huge inside (I hope you replace all the color lights inside) under the balcony lit up blue or other colors during the movies. The ceiling had these great hidden dark blue lights that looked great. When new music bookers come into a old theatre like the Fox many just put in white lights bulbs. Please keep the great color lights the Fox had inside.
The manager of the Rex had a patch over one eye. He saved me movie posters in the mid 1960’s when I was in High School. To go to the Rex, Lux and Broadway seemed like a danger place to be. But know certain streets in San francisco are far worst. To bad the little theatres are not still open in downtown Oakland. They can still show second run films. Kids today go to the Multiplex and miss the Grindhouse feel these Oakland Theatres projected.
The Paramount in Oakalnd Ca has been out of it for years. Now they are crying about the Fox Oakland re opening. At one time they were both run by Fox West Coast Theatres and got along. The Paramount still has many thing going for it. The organ and Its 35mm projectors and large Cinemascope screen. The Fox Oakland can have the rock shows and live events. I’d rather go to the Fox Oakland or Paramount any day then the bad needle area the San Francisco Fox Warfield is located on the worst area of SF’s Market St. When both the New Fox in Oak and the Paramount have shows many people from all over the bay area will just take Bart trains to the doors. The Oakland Paramount needs to put in a main lobby bar and let people drink in the main theatre. Bring first run movies back from time to time. The Oakland area is very undersceened. You watch in a few years with all the condos going up near the Fox Oakland & Paramount you will see a Century -Regal multiplex shoebox going up. I know for a fact real estate people have told me a large circuit is looking in the Grand Ave/Broadway area of Oakland for a big no showmanship multijunk theatre. Both the Paramount and new people at the Fox Oakland need to book events for all the Bay Area. Don’t forget the seniors. They will come in droves to both Theatres to see classic events and memories of these two great movie palaces. As San Francisco does not even have a indoor arena (and please the dumpy Cow Palace is not even in SF) many hunger for different entertainment they are not getting in SF they will go to both Oakland Theatres to see events. For the second year in a row the famed Ringling Bros Circus is not in the Cow Palace but going to a new arena in Stockton Ca.this Sept. So bring on the shows at the Fox Oakland and Paramount and watch downtown Oakland come alive, It’s been sleeping way to long.