FADED starlets are seldom seen again on the movie screen. Thesame is true of former cinematic he-men. But the Fox Theater willlive another day.
In an amazing restoration story, the Fox will reopen this fall,when there wasn't the slightest possibility of that occurring not somany years ago.
'It is beyond a miracle,' said Patricia Dedekian, board presidentof the Friends of the Oakland Fox. 'It's beyond my wildest dreams.The word is 'Herculean.' It's been that kind of effort.'
The Fox was a premier Oakland theater, certainly architecturally,from its opening in October 1928 until its closing in August 1966.
Since that time, the Fox had been engaged in numerous deathdances with wrecking balls, somehow managing to escape demolitionevery time. Thus, the Fox can match Harry Houdini as an escapeartist.
And, miracle of miracles, the Fox will throw open its now-chained doors with a gala October event -- exactly 80 years from itsoriginal opening, and 42 years and two months from its being shutdown with permanent overtones.
Congratulations, Oakland!
While cities across the nation have razed famous entertainmentpalaces, Oakland has renovated not one, but two marvelously ornatetheaters -- the Paramount in 1973 and now the Fox.
The new Fox won't be a movie theater, which was the original planwhen cowboy actor Tom Mix rode his horse Tony on stage for its 1928debut.
This time around, the Fox will be a live entertainment center,with musical concerts and possibly even musicals as the Fox's largestage could hold a Broadway production. But the original 3,200-seating capacity will be reduced to
2,500 to make room for dances.
Jerry Brown's successful charter concept, The Oakland School forthe Arts, moves permanently into the Fox in fall. A restaurant andbar will adjoin the Fox, adding to the growth of Oakland's Uptownnight life.
On Wednesday, I stepped inside the Fox for the very first time.It was like walking into a theater in Egypt, although itsarchitectural design is described as 'Brahminical Temple of NorthernIndia.'
The two Buddhas with their incense pots fronting the Fox's stagelet everyone know that this isn't the 'moderne' art deco look of theParamount.
The Fox's cement walls have been antique-painted to resemblewood. Part of the ceiling's lighting is projected through starburstglass shapes. Although the theater's renovation is far fromcomplete, just to observe its basic beauty, and what might have beenlost, elicits an emotional reaction.
'It's amazing,' said Ira Goldman, who's in charge of qualityassurance/control for project developer Phil Tagami. 'This buildinghas been around for a reason.'
Beauty. Business. Culture. Class. Oakland pride. All thosereasons.
And to think that many developers looked at the Fox and thenlooked away. Erma DeLucchi of Oakland bought the Fox at a 1978auction for $340,000, more so as a holding pattern, preventing thetheater from being razed.
One year later, the Fox was added to the National Registry ofHistoric Places, which secured it from demolition. In 1996, theOakland City Council bought the Fox for
$3 million, perceived at the time as a foolish gamble.
Then the city hired Tagami, a restoration artist who hadredeveloped many historic buildings in Oakland. He conceived a planto bring the Fox back to life, much like the phoenix, but bypreserving its classic look.
The Paramount's renovation ran $1 million. The Fox's restorationis costing $60 million, thereby resulting in grumblings amongOaklanders about more unwise city spending. They haven't forgottenthe Raiders fiasco.
However, the Fox won't sack the taxpayer. Private donations plusvarious federal, state and short-preservation grants will pay forthe Fox.
Four financial partners are invested in the Fox: Bank of America,National Trust for Historic Preservation, Charter School DevelopmentCorporation and the Fox Oakland Theater Corporation.
Because Bank of America has invested $19.1 million, it will ownthe Fox for seven years. After that, the city of Oakland assumesownership. The theater's marquee, Tagami has assured, still willread 'Fox Oakland' and not 'Bank of America's Fox Theater,' likethose ballparks and arenas who've embraced corporate sponsorship.
Speaking of ballparks, there was a plan to build a downtownballpark that would have placed the Fox behind center field. Brown,who knows zero about sports, killed the idea as mayor in order tobuild housing in the area. That's why the A's announced their moveto Fremont on Brown's watch.
But having the Fox back will soften the A's leaving, when and ifit happens. Tagami began work on the Fox project 11 years ago,although Turner Construction Company didn't start the actualrestoration until January 2007.
Friends of the Oakland Fox, a nonprofit civic group, was formedin 1999 to aid the Fox's recovery, including fundraising, eventhough most of its few hundred members hadn't been inside thetheater in its previous life.
'The roof was leaking, homeless people were camped inside, and itwas deteriorating,' Dedekian recalled. 'We wanted to make sure itwasn't turned into a bowling alley.'
Goldman looked behind walls and found remnants of the past -- apopcorn box, a 10-cent Mars candy wrapper, a DeCicco's bonbon box, aJujubes cover and a Baffle Bar wrapper. How many of you ever had aBaffle Bar?
Better yet, how many of you ever ate one at the Fox? Forty-twoyears is a long time ago. Maybe you necked with your sweetie in thelarge balcony. Perhaps you watched your first John Wayne movie atthe Fox. Possibly you saw your last movie there before shipping outduring World War II.
But if you're old enough to recall going to the Fox in the early1920s to watch a silent film, you're in the wrong Fox Theater. Theoriginal Fox opened Aug. 25, 1923, between 17th and 19th streets andlater was taken over by the Orpheum.
It's the second Fox Theater, at 1819 Telegraph Avenue, that isbeing restored and without losing its original Middle Easternbrilliance.
Only 'restored' doesn't seem the operative word.
'Saved' would be the more appropriate terminology.
Dave Newhouse's column appears Monday, Thursday and Sunday,usually on the Metro page. Know any Good Neighbors? Phone 510-208-6466 or e-mail dnewhouse@bayareanewsgroup.com.
