1930 4
The Fox - Orpheum Theatre was the first Fox theater in Oakland, opening in August 1923 as the Fox Oakland at 1730 Broadway. In December 1924, due to financial difficulties experienced by William Fox, the theater was sold to the Orpheum chain. 1,2,3 It was formally re-opened as the Orpheum in February 1925, becoming the new Oakland base of Orpheum Theatres, and replacing the earlier Orpheum Theatre which was renamed the 12th Street Theatre. 4,9 It was acquired by Fox West Coast Theaters in 1932 becoming the Fox - Orpheum.
The theater had 2,700 seats 9 (Theatres of Oakland says 2,561 5) Maury Diggs was the architect. 8
In February 1931, the Orpheum was threatened by a massive fire in the building next door. Much credit was given to head usher Charles Moran for preventing a major panic. When smoke began to enter the theater, a patron jumped on stage. Moran quieted him and calmly had the 500 theatergoers exit the theater. The theater suffered only minor damage because of the concrete wall between the buildings. 6
The theater closed for good in 1952, and was vacant until being torn down in 1967, apparently because it would be too expensive to reinforce the building to survive the construction of the BART system, especially the 19th Street Station directly underneath the theater building. 10
Links and References
- Orpheum Circuit Buys Fox Theater Oakland Tribune November 23, 1924
- Orpheum Takes Over Fox-Oakland Dec. 21 Oakland Tribune December 9, 1924
- Fox Buys Paramount Coast Chain Oakland Tribune December 15, 1930
- Fox Orpheum Theater page on HistoricMemphis.com (see p.34)
- Theatres of Oakland by Jack Tillmany and Jennifer Dowling, Arcadia Publishing
- Usher Is Hero At Orpheum Oakland Tribune February 25, 1931
- ohrphoto.oaktheaters.035 Oakland History Center, Oakland Public Library
- Skyscraper Project For Broadway Oakland Enquirer May 17, 1921
- Fox Oakland, Finest In the West, To Open Tomorrow Oakland Tribune August 24, 1923
- Sunlight in the Loges Oakland Tribune May 5, 1967
