Photo courtesy Fox Theatre.
The Fox Theatre opened almost 89 years ago on Christmas Day in 1929. That provides plenty of time to develop a mythology — tall tales that are new, some that may be true, and others that are just plain fiction. Join us as we bust a few myths and share a truth or two.
1. Myth: The plaster shop in the basement was once a shooting range.
Plausible: The holes in the plaster shop’s back wall may have been made by electrical workers testing their Ramset nail guns.
2. Myth: The feature film Gone With the Wind premiered at the Fox Theatre.
False: Gone With the Wind did premiere at a Peachtree Street theater, but it was downtown–at the Loew’s Grand at Peachtree and Forsyth streets.
3. Myth: The crystal for one of the stars in the sky was replaced with the bottom of a Coca-Cola bottle.
True: This glass piece was recently found in the auditorium’s sky (near House Left).
4. Myth: The Peachtree Street arcade was once a bowling alley.
False: There once was a bowling alley north of the Fox on Peachtree Street. People may be remembering that.
5. Myth: The arcade was built as a gymnasium or pool for the Shriners, who built the facility.
False: It’s just a grand entrance.
