Fox Fullerton: interior views

512 N. Harbor Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92832 | map |

Also see: Fox Fullerton - history + exterior views


The main lobby:

 

Looking in from the entrance doors in 1925. The auditorium is off to the left. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for finding this trade magazine photo for a post on Cinema Treasures. It had appeared in the November 28, 1925 issue of Motion Picture News.

 

 

 

Looking toward the entrance doors in 2012. Take a right and you're out in the forecourt. It's a photo from the Fox Fullerton Facebook page.

 

 

 

The view to the entrance in 2014. The stairs get you to the house left side of the balcony. The original men's room was around the corner just this side of the stairs. Thanks to Matt Lambros of After the Final Curtain fame for the photo. It's one of fourteen photos with his 2016 Fox Fullerton Theatre blog post. To see what he's been exploring lately visit AfterTheFinalCurtain.net and the companion Facebook page. Also see the page about his books "After The Final Curtain" and "Kings Theatre." 

 

 

 

The lobby from the house right end. A new restroom area would later be built off to the left in space that had been retail. The letters are ones that came off the roof sign. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2014

Portions of the original mural uncovered on the lobby ceiling. Thanks to Amy Cortland for her 2015 photo, one of 32 in her Visiting the Fox Theatre Fullerton album on Facebook.

 

 

Inside the entrance in 2015. Thanks to Sandi Hemmerlein for her photo. See more of her fine work with her Avoiding Regret photo essay "Fox Theatre Fullerton, 90 Years Old and Starting Over."

 

The balcony stairs, located just inside the entrance doors. The original men's room is in the gloom at the right. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - 2015

 

 

Looking in from the entrance in 2018. Note that wall at the far end of the lobby had lost its original arches. The doorway at the right is an exit to the parking lot east of the building. Photo: Bill Counter
 

Looking toward the men's room and original boxoffice area. That first doorway on the left gets you to the stairs down to the mechanical room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The manager's office. There's another space to the left of this one with another boxoffice window. Both windows are currently covered by the large display case in the forecourt. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

 In the men's room with what looks like a lovely 50s wall treatment. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A peek into the new restroom area. It sat unfinished until the next phase of work began in 2022. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

 

One of the areas of ceiling mural investigation by EverGreene Architectural Arts. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Back all the way at the house right end of the lobby. The exit to the parking lot is behind us. The displays were for an open house to discuss the next stages in the renovation project. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

 

 

Phase 2 work underway in November 2023. This shot is from a short video clip on the Fox Fullerton Facebook page with Mike Carvale of 360 Group, the contractors, explaining the lobby and restroom work underway.   

 

Still far from finished, but the theatre was open for a day of shows and a look at the restoration progress on June 21, 2024 as part of Fullerton's "Day of Music." Photo: Bill Counter 

 

 

The June 2024 "Day of Music" was not a day of "Let's Explore the Balcony." The display read: "Great staircases have always been important in Hollywood. Help us finish the Fox's iconic grand staircase. Work will include: Rebuilding the entire staircase. Refinishing walls and entry ways to original Fox restrooms. Restoring and upgrading handrails. Restoring, adding new murals and fixtures..." Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for sharing her photo.

 

 

One of the ceiling areas that will remain uncovered until funding is available for a full restoration. Photo: Bill Counter - June 2024

 

 

The west wall, with doorways to the new restrooms. Photo: Bill Counter - June 2024

 

 

 

The new men's room. Photo: Bill Counter - June 2024

 

 

Looking to house left and the entrance doors beyond. Photo: Bill Counter - June 2024 

 

 

 

Testing various wall finishes. It's one of four photos in a November 1, 2024 post on the theatre's Facebook page discussing the work begun by the firm Mural Makers. 

Up the stairs:  

On the landing with the stairs to balcony level on the left, a view back down at the theatre's main entrance on the right. The original ladies room is on the landing behind us. Photo: Fox Fullerton Facebook page - 2012

Looking down from balcony level. That doorway is to the original ladies room. The windows on the left look out to the walkway on the upper level of the forecourt. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2014 

Looking up from the main floor in 2015. Note the new drywall on the ceiling. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret

 

The vista back down to the landing and ladies room entrance in 2015. Off to our left is an exit out to the forecourt. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret

 

The ladies cosmetics room. Thanks to Mike Hume for his 2018 photo. Check out his Historic Theatre Photography site for tech data and hundreds of photos of the theatres he's explored. And don't miss his page on the Fox Fullerton.

Looking back out to the landing. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

Up a couple steps to the former ladies toilet area. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

Looking up from the landing in 2018. The doorway at the left gets you to the balcony lobby and the vomitory going to the house left side of the balcony. The stairs beyond go up to the top of the balcony. Out to the right is an exit via outside stairs in the forecourt. Photo Bill Counter

A wide angle look from the landing. Take the stairs and you're up to the house left side of the balcony. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

The stairs from the landing to the top of the balcony. We're looking into the booth via an emergency exit on the house left end of it. It's about 3' above the level of the floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018


The balcony lobby:

Looking into the balcony lobby in 1925. It's a photo from a two page article profiling the new theatre in the October 17, 1925 issue of Motion Picture News. Thanks to Mike Hume for finding the article on Internet Archive. The issue is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art Library.

A more recent view from the house left end of the space. On the left it's a sunken smoking lounge area. At the end of the space take a left to get to the house right end of the balcony crossaisle. The double doors straight ahead lead to a fire escape. Photo: Fox Fullerton Facebook page - 2012

The balcony lobby in 2014. The murals around the perimeter by John Gabriel Beckman are original. Photo: Matt Lambros

A view across the ceiling from house left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

One of the balcony lobby murals. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2014

Another of John Gabriel Beckman's ceiling panels. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

One of the ceiling's corners. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Another panel of the ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The recessed lounge area tucked in under the slope of the balcony. The main stair landing is out there at the end of the lobby. The door, and a matching one behind us, get inside the balcony. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

Inside the house left side of the balcony. It's an air handling plenum serving the mushrooms under the balcony seats. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Another view house left, looking down through one of the grilles to the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

A peek inside from the house right access door. There are some major steel trusses supporting the balcony but much of the framing is wood. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Another look inside the balcony house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The house left vomitory into the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The house right vomitory into the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

 

A look down the stairs from the house left side of the top of the balcony. On the house right balcony exits you're just out onto the fire escape. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - 2015. See more of her fine work with her Avoiding Regret photo essay "Fox Theatre Fullerton, 90 Years Old and Starting Over."

 

The auditorium:

A proscenium view from the October 31, 1925 issue of Motion Picture News. Thanks to Mike Hume for locating it on Internet Archive. The issue is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art Library.

The house left wall. Photo: Motion Picture News - October 17, 1925

The rear of the auditorium. Photo: Motion Picture News - October 17, 1925 

 

 

A c.1940 view to the rear. Note the original seats still in place. It's an image used in "Fox Theatre Progress 2024," a four minute video on Facebook chronicling the theatre's history and restoration program.

 

A c.1940 house left shot in the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation collection.

 

A detail of the murals taken from the previous photo. 

 

 

A cropped but sharper version of the c.1940 house left shot that appears in the "Fox Theatre Progress 2024" video. 

 

A c.1940 view by Western Photo Service that's in the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation collection. 

 

A detail from the c.1940 shot above that's used in the "Fox Theatre Progress 2024" video. 

 

The scope screen and draperies out in front of the proscenium. Any protruding plasterwork in the organ grille area got removed for the installation. It's a photo from the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation collection.

 

A house right view taken sometime after the Cinemascope screen installation. Photo: Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation collection

The theatre's proscenium before removal of the screen frame and speakers that were out in front. That's the asbestos down behind the speakers. It's a photo buried somewhere on the site WN.com.

A 2007 view house right with a look at the asbestos curtain. It's a photo from the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation.

A 2007 chandelier relamping party. It's a photo from the Fox Fullerton Facebook page.

A 2008 photo by Don Bartletti taken for the L.A. Times. It appears on Christoper Crouch's Fox Fullerton page on his OC Cinema site with about 20 other photos of the theatre. For more on Orange County theatres also see Christopher's Cinelog.

A balcony sidewall view taken before roof repairs. The photo once appeared on the Fox Fullerton website.

 

A balcony view before ceiling and proscenium work. Photo: Fox Fullerton Facebook page - 2013

A look in from house right. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2014

A middle of the main floor view of the battered proscenium and organ grille areas. Note that test patch up above the proscenium to show what the surface would look like after cleaning and restoration. The 2013 photo by Josue Rivas appeared on a blog post by Jesse La Tour advertising an autism fundraiser held at the theatre.

The rear of the house in 2013. Note that bracing for the balcony. It's part of a seismic upgrade done by the City of Fullerton. The plan is to demolish the back wall and extend the lobby forward to meet the new steelwork. Thanks to Jenny Goodwin for her photo on the LAHTF Facebook page. 

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation is actively involved in the study and preservation of the vintage theatres in the Los Angeles area. The group frequently supports events and offers theatre tours. www.lahtf.org | group Facebook page | official FB page

Another look to the rear before ceiling restoration. The photo appeared as part of a June 2014 Celluloid Junkie post titled Daily Cinema Digest.

The balcony loges. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2014

A detail of the area at the top of the proscenium before its partial restoration. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2014

A look onto the stage as scaffolding comes into the building. It's a January 2015 photo from the Fox Fullerton Facebook page.

The auditorium scaffolded for ceiling restoration. It's one of five photos on a January 31, 2015 post on the Fox Fullerton Facebook page.

Restoration of the ceiling by Jeff Greene's Evergreene Architectural Arts began with a preliminary survey documenting existing conditions. The photo appears with seven other images in a 2015 story about the project on Vulume.

A look at one of Evergreene's workmen applying panels of giclee printed ornament to the restored ceiling. Photo: Vulume - 2015
 

Auditorium views after the 2015 ceiling restoration:

 

The ceiling after restoration work and installation of LED lighting. Photo: Stephen Russo - LAHTF Facebook page - 2015

 A portion of the restored ceiling. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - 2015

A ceiling photo on the Fox Fullerton Facebook page taken when the theatre was open during a May 2015 "Speakeasy Days" celebration.

 

 

 

The partially restored proscenium area. The white areas are yet to be restored -- they're where protruding plaster ornament was knocked off when the Cinemascope screen was installed in the 50s out in front of the proscenium. Thanks to Stephen Russo for his 2015 photo appearing on the LAHTF Facebook page.

 

The top of the proscenium. Photo: Stephen Russo - LAHTF Facebook page - 2015 

A house left proscenium and organ grille detail. Note one of the the wild creatures at right guarding the stage from the top of the proscenium column. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - 2015
 

 

 

A bit of grillework on the balcony soffit. Note some of the original decorative painting uncovered by Evergreene Architectural Arts. Thanks to Amy Cortland for her 2015 photo, one of 32 in her Visiting the Fox Theatre Fullerton album on Facebook.

 

 

 

Up in the balcony again. It's a 2017 Matt Lambros photo. 

 

 

A look to the rear of the house before a June 2018 screening of "Jaws." Thanks to Amy Cortland for sharing this photo as well as seven others from that event on a Facebook post.

 A view in from the back of the house. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A look across to house left. The plan is to enlarge the lobby with the new wall at the line of that seismic bracing. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

 

One of the missing balcony soffit grille areas. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A detail of the ornament above the house left organ grille.Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

The proscenium guardian house left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

The house right organ grille area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A closer look house right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

The agonized gentleman guarding the proscenium house right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

Another look at one of the retrofitted chandeliers. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A detail of one of the house left murals. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

A house right mural. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The view from the loge section house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Looking back toward the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

 

At the top of the balcony house left. The exit straight ahead goes out to the upper level of the forecourt. At the left are the stairs back down to the landing at the level of the balcony lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The view back to the booth from house right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018 

One of the very curious pilaster capitals. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018 

The view from the top. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

 

 

Jeff Greene of Evergreen Architectural Arts discusses the techniques his firm uses in restoration and offers a preview of what's next for the project. Photo: Mike Hume - February 2022 

The theatre was open for a day of free shows on the Summer Solstice as part of Fullerton's "Day of Music" Festival. Photo: Bill Counter - June 21, 2024

The Troy High School Orchestra rehearsing before their "Day of Music" set. Photo: Bill Counter - June 21, 2024

 

 

A view to the rear of the house before the show. Lots of work yet to do. Photo: Bill Counter - June 21, 2024

Up in the booth:

A 2007 photo from the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation that once appeared on the theatre's website. The theatre was hosting a film festival at the time.

One of the XLs in the booth in 2007. Photo: Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation

A look across the poor booth in 2014. Thanks to Matt Lambros for his photo. To check up on his latest explorations visit AfterTheFinalCurtain.net and the companion Facebook page.

Looking in the booth's emergency exit house left. It's a few feet above balcony floor level. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A peek in the main booth door -- and underneath the booth floor. Steps up to the booth floor level are around the corner to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A motor-generator set in the electric room. The stairs back down to balcony level are on the left. The doorway seen through the ladder goes to a storage room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Stuff in the storage room on the house right end of the booth area, including pieces of neon from the marquee that was removed in 2011. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018  

 The temporary house light dimmer setup. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The front wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A look back from the house left side. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The view out the house left booth emergency exit down the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

In the attic: 

Volunteers working on one of the chandelier winches. It's a 2007 photo from the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation that once appeared on the theatre's website. 

Another bit of action with the winch. Note all the wood frame construction. Photo: Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation - 2007

The orchestra pit:

The pit and stage suffered fire damage sometime before the theatre's closing in 1987. Here they're getting ready to pour a new floor. It's a c.2007 photo from the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation that once appeared on the theatre's website. 

The new pit floor. Photo: Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation - c.2007

In the pit underneath the temporary decking looking from stage right. There used to be an entrance from the trap room to the pit over on the stage left end but it's been filled in. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

In the pit toward stage right. The wall on the left between the pit and the plenum is new. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Backstage: 

A look off to stage right c. 2007. Note the open floor over near the dimmerboard. It's a photo from the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation that once appeared on the theatre's website.

The view to stage right in 2018. No that's not scenery. The stage was being used as a display area as part of a Fullerton Art Walk. The lines down the wall aren't rigging. We're seeing streaks from a concrete pour that replaced a section of the hollow tile wall. Photo: Bill Counter

Offstage right. Part of the seismic retrofit work was adding a shear wall on the backstage side of the proscenium firewall. Here where the dimmerboard was there's now a doorway into a nook beyond. Above, we're looking into the organ chamber. The rigging was also removed during the seismic work. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A peek into the area behind where the dimmerboard once was. That wood chute is surrounding the windline going up to the organ chamber. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Looking across to stage left. There seems to be no loading door at the moment but there's a big parking lot right behind that stage left wall. The door we see on the back wall goes to a passage between the theatre building and the Italian restaurant just north of the theatre. The stairs to the basement are behind that black cage upstage left. There is no basement access from stage right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The stage left proscenium wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

The rear of the house from stage left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

 

 

A view from stage right as the "Snappy Tappers" tap group heads onstage for their set during the "Day of Music" festival. Photo: Bill Counter - June 21, 2024 

 

 

A look up to the grid with stage right at the top of the image and the proscenium wall on the left. The asbestos curtain was removed when they were doing seismic work. It was a hemp house, operated stage right, with a wood grid using three lift lines per batten. The loft well beams, purlins, and grid decking are wood. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

 

 

A closer look at the house right end of the grid. The orange steel is the lower of the two headbeams. Some of the angled hemp headblocks are still in place. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

The stage basement:

A wide angle view of the stairs upstage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018

A c.2007 trap room view taken at the time the stage was being rebuilt. All the dressing rooms were in the basement but the walls have been removed. Photo: Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation  

In the basement stage right c.2007. We're looking up at the dimmerboard and the organ chamber entrance. Also note a few dangling tension blocks.  Photo: Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation

A trap room view across to stage right in 2018. The doorway near that sheet of plywood goes into the orchestra pit. The doorway on the far wall, now closed off, goes into the basement of the restaurant building in front of the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter

In the trap room looking back to stage left. At the lower left note some indication on the floor where dressing room walls once were. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The basement mechanical room:

The stairs down. The journey begins in the lobby house left via a doorway underneath the stairs to the balcony. In the hall just beyond the basement stairs are the original boxoffice, a manager's office, a janitor's closet, and the men's room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

A peek by flashlight into the air handling plenum under the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The main supply fan. It now has a new motor with a variable frequency drive for speed control. The original wound-rotor motor is that one off to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

Looking into the main fan. The fan is drawing its air up from a duct under the room's floor slab. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Filter frames. All the copper heating and cooling coils have been removed by scrappers. When the theatre opened there were also nozzles in this area for an air washer using well water. A 1925 Motion Picture News article boasted that even during the hottest summer days the theatre temperature wouldn't exceed 69 degrees. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Another look at the filter frame area at the main supply fan. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The boiler, sitting disconnected behind the main supply fan. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The gas jets at the bottom of the boiler. All the copper coils in the unit have been stripped out. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Theatre explorer Steve Gerdes is deciphering a missive on an electrical panel. To his right, that opening on the wall goes to the supply air plenum under the main floor. The stairs up to the lobby are farther off to Steve's right,  behind that curious piece of ductwork. Photo: Mike Hume - 2018. Thanks, Mike! Check out his page on the Fox Fullerton for many more photos and a fine history of the building.

An air conditioning compressor sitting disconnected in the middle of the room. That item of ductwork marked with the orange cones is the first thing you run into coming down the stairs.  Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Looking down inside that bit of ductwork near the compressor. There's a fan up at the top out of the frame, presumably the supply fan for the balcony. At the bottom note that, like with the main supply fan, air is coming in from a duct below the floor slab. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

 

 

A last look toward the supply fan prior to demolition work. The photo appeared with the three views below as a May 2022 post on the Fox Fullerton Facebook page.  

 

 

Equipment demolition underway. Photo: Fox Fullerton - May 2022

 

 

The area cleared. Photo: Fox Fullerton - May 2022

 

 

A closer look at the former supply fan location. Photo: Fox Fullerton - May 2022

The stairs back up to the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

The Fox Fullerton pages:  history + exterior views | back to top - interior views | 

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