San Diego's Symphony Hall opened as the Fox Theatre on November 8, 1929. Philip Gildred, a carefree young entrepreneur whose travel plans were delayed in San Diego on his way from South America to New York, liked San Diego so much that he embarked upon a plan to give the city a landmark theatre and built the Fox Theatre for $2.5 million. It is estimated that today's cost would be 20 times that amount.Originally the full city block was intended to be a hotel, a theatre and a parking garage. With the economic storm clouds approaching, Gildred altered his plans and instead surrounded the 68,000 square foot movie theatre with an office building complex, now known as Symphony Towers.
The new Fox received only the best. In order to give patrons more comfort, seating was reduced; a huge $50,000 pipe organ was built into five walled chambers of the theatre; and the interior decorative motif was cast in Rococo theme and is typical of the French Renaissance period. Many of the decorative details on the walls and ceilings were copied accurately from their original designs in the chateaux along the Loire, at Blois, Chambord, Tours and Azay le Rideau.
Built by William Simpson Construction Co., the theatre was designed jointly by W. Templeton Johnson (who also had to his credit the design of the Fine Arts Gallery, Serra Museum in the Presidio, and Lions downtown store) and William Day of the firm Weeks and Day. William Day was also credited with the design of the 1938 San Francisco World Exposition. Over the years, the interior has been preserved in its original motif. The theatre is believed to be the last surviving example of designer William Day's creative work with this decor.
In addition to a trainload of Hollywood personalities brought to San Diego for the opening night festivities in 1929, San Diegans turned out in record numbers to participate in the parade from Broadway to the theatre. The city's population was 147,000. The crowd was estimated at 100,000. Some of the guest stars on opening night were Jackie Coogan, Buster Keaton, George Jessell and Will Rogers.
On opening day the Fox became San Diego's largest movie theatre, a position it has held to this day. It was then the third largest in the state, but today stands as California's largest. Because of San Diego's cross section of population, the Fox also became a choice for motion picture sneak previews. Walt Disney loved the atmosphere so much that he opened all of his movies at the Fox.
Through an agreement with the City of San Diego, the Fox Theatre became the city's second official civic theatre. In 1984, the entire "Fox block" was sold to Charlton Raynd Development Company, who in turn donated the theatre to the San Diego Symphony. In March of 1985, a $6 million renovation project, which took six months to complete, employed people who were dedicated to the purpose of restoring the theatre and the pipe organ to its original grandeur.
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