Fox California Theater

Fox California Theater, renamed the Bob Hope Theatre in 2004, is a commercial building in Stockton, California built in 1930. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[2]

This article is about the theater in Stockton, California. For the theatre in London, see The Bob Hope Theatre.
Fox California Theater
Fox California Theater
Fox California Theater is located in Northern California
Fox California Theater
Location242 E. Main St., Stockton, California
Coordinates37°57′09″N 121°17′12″W
Area0.7 acres (0.28 ha)
Built1930 (1930)
Built byBeller Construction Co.
ArchitectBalch & Stanberry
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival
Websitehttp://bobhope.theatrestockton.org/
NRHP reference No.79000540[1]
Added to NRHPJune 27, 1979

History

The site originally hosted T&D Photoplay, the first theater in Stockton. Fox West Coast Theaters leased T&D Photoplay and renamed it The California in 1921.[3] The building was demolished in 1929 and a new theater was built.[2]

The theater has a two-story Rotunda with a circular mezzanine, a theater with mezzanine seating and a capacity for 2500 people, a 90 by 30 feet (27.4 m × 9.1 m) stage that is 70 feet (21 m) high, and a lower level with choir rooms, band rooms, offices, and dressing rooms.[2]

The theater opened on October 14, 1930, showing Spencer Tracy in Up the River.[4] Approximately 20,000 people attended the opening celebration.[3]

The Fox Theater closed in 1973, although the building was used for a few events after that date. In 1979, Madeleine Lawton and Edward C. Merlo purchased the building, and nominated it to the National Register of Historic Places. The building was donated to the city in 2000.[3]

Renovation

Restoration of the Fox California Theater was partially funded by Alex G. Spanos who requested that it be renamed the Bob Hope Theatre in honor of his close friend Bob Hope.[5] Additional funds were provided by grants from the United States Congress and from the state's California Bob Hope Heritage Fund.[6][7]

Renovations included a new sound system[8] and a 1,200 square feet (110 m2) Italian marble floor mosaic.[9] The original chandelier and tile in the exterior lobby were preserved.[6]

As part of the renovation, a 1928 Robert Morton theater organ which had been used to accompany silent movies in Seattle's Fox Theater was restored by Friends of the Fox, a volunteer organization for preserving the theater, and the Sierra Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society.[10][11] The refurbished organ made its concert debut in the Bob Hope Theatre in 2005[12] and is played during classic movie showings.[6]

The refurbished theater reopened in September 2004 with a performance by Jerry Seinfeld.[6]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. Edward C. Merlo, Raymond W. Hillman (March 1979). National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Fox California Theater. National Park Service. Retrieved May 21, 2019. With 12 accompanying pictures
  3. "Bob Hope (Fox) Theatre". Visit Stockton. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  4. "Bob Hope Theatre". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  5. "Alex Spanos, Stockton Native And LA Chargers Owner, Dies At 95". No. October 9, 2018. CBS Sacramento. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  6. "Bob Hope Theatre: Historical gem in downtown Stockton". Manteca Bulletin. No. July 27, 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  7. "Art, Music and Theater". City of Stockton. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  8. "California Landmark Now Home to Hope's Legacy". MIX Online. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  9. "Fox California Theater". Downtown Stockton. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  10. Barkhurst, Steve. "Restoration of the Bob Hope Theatre Organ". Sierra Chapter, American Theatre Organ Society. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  11. "FOX CALIFORNIA THEATRE STOCKTON" (PDF). California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  12. Gilbert, Lori. "Gilbert: Stockton's 'Crown Jewel' celebrates its 88th anniversary". The Stockton Record. No. October 13, 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
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