Magic has planted its roots just off Main Street in Montrose, Colorado. This is not new magic but old magic that has existed, obvious only at a superficial level, for 89 years. 1929 was the opening and it was a huge event. The magical place is the Fox Theatre with a Middle East motif that was done in a time when that location was full of mystery and exoticism and not war and strife. Walking into the theatre is like taking a walk through a portal to a different time. Sure, there are some modern amenities but if you take a moment and look at the floor you will see tile from a different time and attention to detail that makes one wonder who the Craftsman was that was in charge of putting down this tile so long ago. The roof of the building has a tall minaret and an onion dome that goes beyond iconic. How many who come to the Fox actually look up observe what perches on the roof. For decades the main floor is all that there was and it was plenty. It was and is a gateway to the world of movies, film, and the nostalgic days of cinema. Velvet curtains cover the opening to both lower theatres and the smell of popcorn permeates every inch of the place. Just below the smell of popcorn and butter is an old smell that is not musty or concerning. It is the smell of history and the presence of hundreds of thousand of people over the years.

A place like this has history and memories attached to the walls, floors, and seats. Bringing memories alive requires someone who has experienced different events within the theatre walls over the year. As a local, a few memories must be shared. They stick in the mind not so much because of what occurred but because where they occurred. One of the first memories attached to the Fox is standing outside in a huge line waiting to get tickets for Star Wars in May 1977. The first time cuing up for tickets and be willing to wait until the end of time to get those tickets is a sticky memory. A group of friends at the theatre with only one adult in charge. Ralph Files tried to get a group of us, including his son Craig, into the theatre to see Porky’s. This was an R-rated movie and apparently he could not act as parent/guardian for all of us and admission was denied. Thank you to Ralph for making the attempt. A school trip from Johnson Elementary School, the second Johnson School on San Juan and S. 5^th Street. The date was sometime in April 1980 so this would have been at the end of 4^th grade (Navajo unit!) and the class walked from the school to a special matinee showing of Private Eyes with Tim Conway and Don Knotts. The larger of the two theatres, right hand side, 3^rd row from the front, 2 seats on the aisle. Sitting next to Angela McCormick and about halfway through the movie she reached over and grabbed my hand. Angela freaking McCormick and she mad the move. Let’s be clear on that one detail. To this day I cannot see a reference to that movie and see those 3^rd row seats on the aisle without thinking of that experience.

The owner of the theatre back in the 70’s and 80’s was a flamboyant man by the first name of Stan. I cannot remember his last name but I’m pretty sure his daughter Merilee still works at the theatre and is married to Mike, the nice guy most often seen at the San Juan Theatre on East Main. Stan was a bit scary because I always thought he was in the mafia. He had a huge diamond ring on his right pinky finger and he was intimidating. During the run of King Kong (1976) with Kurt Russell and Jessica Lange, he gave me the movie poster out of the glass case in front of the theatre. Oh what I would give if I still had that poster. At the end of the run he called my and told him to bring “Robby” down to the theatre. He walked me out front, unlocked the display case, rolled up the poster, and placed it into my 6-year old hands. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t able to close my gaping mouth for several days, not until the feeling of pure joy subsided,

For many years the construction of the new upstairs Penthouse Theatre was being planned and under construction. It finally opened and the first movie I remember seeing in The Penthouse was….I think….Private Benjamin with Goldie Hawn. There were two ways to get up to The Penthouse, stairs to the left as you go into the doors, and a two level ramp to the right. At the top of the first level is a ramp is a little kiosk where you purchase your tickets. A sign is still on the wall that says, “Checks accepted with check guarantee card only”…not really sure what that is but nostalgia reigns supreme. ¾ of the way up the second ramp, as you glance up to your right, is a poster of a topless woman, perhaps from the 1920’s or 1930’s. To a young boy, seeing something such as this was a special moment indeed. That poster is still there and is sometimes covered (why I don’t know) when certain movies are playing in The Penthouse. There is a small third ramp that goes up towards the restrooms. Outside of the restrooms is a velvet couch. The place absolutely wreaks of old school Hollywood and the posters on the wall of Laurel and Hardy, Mae West, among others pay homage to this time and place. During the run of 9 to 5 with Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin I remember having to be taken home early because the fulminating case of pneumonia that had been festering for days had finally taken a firm grip and things were very, very bad.

Going to this place of magic and wonder never gets old. It is my most favorite place in town and is an absolute mecca for movie lovers of all ages.