Fox Theater (Westwood Village)

Fox Theater (Westwood Village) is a historic theater located in the Westwood Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, near the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, which is also close to the Hammer Museum and the Geffen Playhouse. The theater was designed by renowned architect Stiles O. Clements and built in 1931, during the same period as the construction of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The Fox Theater has hosted various events, including film premieres, concerts, and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) events, often attended by celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, and Clark Gable. The theater's proximity to UCLA and Westwood Village has made it a popular destination for students and locals, including those visiting the nearby Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Getty Center.

● History

The Fox Theater was built during the Great Depression, a time when many other theaters, including the Orpheum Theatre (Los Angeles), were also being constructed in the Los Angeles area. The theater's construction was overseen by Fox West Coast Theatres, a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, which also owned the Grauman's Egyptian Theatre and the El Capitan Theatre. The Fox Theater quickly became a popular destination for film premieres, hosting events for movies such as It Happened One Night (1934), starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), starring Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone. The theater also hosted concerts and live performances, featuring artists such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which is also based at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Fox Theater's history is closely tied to the development of the American film industry, with many notable filmmakers, including Cecil B. DeMille, D.W. Griffith, and John Ford, attending events at the theater.

● Architecture

The Fox Theater was designed in the Art Deco style, which was popular during the 1920s and 1930s, and is characterized by its use of geometric shapes, metallic materials, and ornate decorations, similar to the style of the Chrysler Building in New York City. The theater's exterior features a distinctive neon sign and a terrazzo floor, while the interior includes a large auditorium with a proscenium arch and a Wurlitzer organ, similar to those found in the Radio City Music Hall and the Palace Theatre (New York City). The theater's design was influenced by the work of architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan, and is considered a notable example of Art Deco architecture in Los Angeles, along with the Eastern Columbia Building and the The Broadway Hollywood Building. The Fox Theater's architecture has been praised by critics, including Ada Louise Huxtable and Vincent Scully, who have written about the theater's design in the context of the broader Los Angeles architectural scene, which includes notable buildings such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Los Angeles Central Library.

● Notable_events

The Fox Theater has hosted many notable events over the years, including film premieres, concerts, and Academy Awards ceremonies, which have been attended by celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlon Brando. The theater has also hosted live performances by notable musicians, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley, who have also performed at other notable venues such as Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition, the Fox Theater has been used as a filming location for numerous movies and television shows, including The Big Sleep (1946), starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, and The X-Files, which has also filmed at other locations in Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles City Hall and the Union Station (Los Angeles). The Fox Theater's events have been covered by media outlets such as Variety (magazine), The Hollywood Reporter, and the Los Angeles Times, which have written about the theater's history and cultural significance in the context of the broader American film industry.

● Restoration

In the 1980s, the Fox Theater underwent a major restoration project, which was overseen by the Los Angeles Conservancy and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The restoration aimed to preserve the theater's original Art Deco design and restore its historic features, including the neon sign and the Wurlitzer organ, which are similar to those found in other historic theaters such as the Orpheum Theatre (San Francisco) and the Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California). The restoration project was supported by local preservationists, including Norma Talmadge and Cecilia DeMille Presley, who have also worked to preserve other historic buildings in Los Angeles, such as the Greystone Mansion and the Ennis House. The restored Fox Theater was reopened in 1989, and has since continued to host events and screenings, including the Los Angeles Film Festival and the American Film Institute's (AFI) AFI Life Achievement Award ceremonies, which have honored notable filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola.

● Current_use

Today, the Fox Theater is owned and operated by Regency Theatres, a chain of movie theaters based in Los Angeles. The theater continues to host film screenings, concerts, and live performances, and is also available for private events and rentals, making it a popular destination for UCLA students and locals, as well as tourists visiting Los Angeles. The Fox Theater's current use is a testament to its enduring cultural significance, and its importance as a historic landmark in Los Angeles, along with other notable buildings such as the Dolby Theatre and the Kodak Theatre. The theater's events are often covered by local media outlets, including the Los Angeles Daily News and the LA Weekly, which have written about the theater's history and cultural significance in the context of the broader Los Angeles arts and culture scene, which includes institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Getty Center.

Category:Theatres in Los Angeles