"Prosperity for 1932!"
    Such is the slogan of the Fox West Coast Theaters in Medford, and in line with this thought the management of both the Fox Craterian and Fox Rialto theaters have completed plans for several important changes of policy, anticipating not only banner throngs for the coming year, but offering an unusually high caliber of service in every way.
    Starting next Sunday, January 24, an entire new schedule of admission prices go into effect, offering a huge savings in entertainment expenditures. Instead of separate prices for various sections of the theaters as in the past, such as the loges, one single price will prevail for all seats.
    A definite policy of program change days in both theaters will also become effective on the same date. At the Fox Craterian, new programs will be offered each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, thus constituting three separate presentations weekly. The Fox Rialto will offer four changes with Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as the program change days.
    Feature picture productions from among the world's outstanding studios will be regularly presented at both theaters. Most of the first-run pictures will be offered by the Fox Craterian, while the Fox Rialto will specialize in second showings. Saturday of each week at the latter theater will be almost entirely devoted to "western" pictures, which are among the most popular type of screen entertainment.
    Matinees will be presented in both theaters daily. At the Fox Craterian, the matinee performance begins at 2 o'clock p.m. Sunday performances will be continuous from 2 p.m. Evening shows are scheduled for 7 and 9 o'clock p.m. Doors open for the evening performances at 6:45 p.m.
    A carefully trained and courteous staff in each theater will offer excellent service with a view toward promoting the utmost comfort to patrons.
    The Fox West Coast management here appreciates any suggestions or constructive criticisms pertaining to its operation or entertainment.
Medford Mail Tribune, January 22, 1932, page B1


    George Hunt, former owner and manager of the Craterian and Rialto theaters, will take charge of the theaters again today, according to announcement made last night. The lease of the Fox theater chain was canceled last week by an order of the federal bankruptcy court and the theaters turned back to the former operator.
    Leases on the two theaters were given the Fox company in September of 1929, and have been operated by the Fox company since that time. Hunt has been purchasing pictures for a group of theaters covering Northern California, Oregon and parts of Washington, and will operate the local theaters under provisions of the group.
    "We will continue to operate the theaters much as they have been operated," Hunt said, "and will show only the best pictures available. No drastic changes will be made, at least for the present."
    Hunt will make his home here, he said, and will have active charge of the Craterian. Eino Hemmila will continue as manager of the Rialto. Hemmila has been manager of the Rialto for more than a year, and has made many friends.
    The Craterian Theater was built for Hunt, who operated it until 1929, and made it one of the most popular playhouses in Southern Oregon. A few immediate changes will be made, Hunt said, to the policies he found profitable to the theater and pleasing to the people of Medford when he formerly operated the theater.
    "I am glad to get back to Medford to make my home here and to conduct my business," Hunt said.
Medford Mail Tribune, May 7, 1933, page 1


    George Hunt, owner and manager of the Rialto and Craterian theaters, announced today a new policy for both houses, effective tomorrow at the Rialto and Thursday at the Craterian.
    The Craterian will show the "cream of the crop," in a manner of speaking, using only the very best pictures available and for longer runs than has been the policy for the past two or three years. Where the policy of the house has been three complete changes each week, hereafter there will be only two, thereby allowing everyone a chance to see the shows.
    Some of the pictures soon to be shown at the Craterian are "The Picture Snatcher," with James Cagney; Maurice Chevalier's latest release, "A Bedtime Story"; Mary Pickford in "Secrets"; "Tugboat Annie," which brings Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery together again; "Forty-Second Street," Warner Brothers' smash musical revue with Warner Baxter, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Bebe Daniels and a host of other stars; and a long list of other notable attractions.
    The Rialto Theater, for a long time a favorite with show-goers, will inaugurate a straight first-run policy, showing pictures from all the leading producers. The first picture in the new policy at the Rialto is "Out All Night," starring Slim Summerville and Zasu Pitts in the third of their co-starring comedies. It has been said that this latest picture surpasses even their two previous vehicles, "The Unexpected Father" and "They Just Had to Get Married," both of which hung up box-office records wherever they were shown.
    "The reason for the change in policies for the two theaters is quite obvious," said Mr. Hunt, "and we intend bringing to Medford the very best that the entertainment world has to offer in an effort to make the two theaters once again known all up and down the coast for the superior entertainment offered."
    "Besides bringing the best product available for showing in our two theaters, we also intend making changes in the equipment, bringing it up to date, and otherwise making the theaters modern in every respect. 'The Working Man,' which we are now showing at the Craterian, and which has, incidentally, been making a decided hit with everyone, is only the beginning. Other big pictures will follow. The producers in Hollywood realize that the days of any old thing bringing crowds to the theaters is a thing of the past--that people are demanding better shows. The result is that all the major studios are putting forth all their efforts and a great deal of their money into better stories, more careful direction, the right casting of stars and all the other details that go to make good pictures."
Medford Mail Tribune, May 16, 1933, page 3


Why We Think the Fox Theater Chain and Holly Theater Are a Menace to Medford and Vicinity and to Us--the Independent Theater Owners…
    We think the past operation of the Fox Theater Chain in Medford is enough to put the stamp of disapproval forever upon them, for their whole purpose and aim seems, to us, to be along one line of thought, and that is to control all the theaters here.
    They purchased, last year, all the major film product, forcing the closing of the Holly. George Roy, who was operating the State Theater, was forced to quit, and the Roxy was forced to show pictures at ten cents and was barely able to remain open. They were unable to pay any decent salaries and were in a most precarious condition.
    This was all done by Fox with staggering losses to themselves; so we believe that if ever there was such a thing as unfair competition, this is it.
    We believe that every admission paid into the Holly Theater is a direct thrust at our very vitals, and appeal to you--the citizens of our own city--to spend your money with the independent, home-owned theaters.
    Both Mr. Newman and Mr. Rosenberg called upon George Hunt, agreeing to maintain the same policy and prices as Hunt's Craterian when they opened the Holly Theater. This agreement they have already broken by double billing and, really, you can expect anything. You have heard of "bread wars'' when bread was sold as low as one cent per loaf and, frankly, it is possible that theater admissions might go that low in Medford.
    They may show pictures that you wish to see, but in this case, we ask you to wait for their showing in our second-run theaters, which will show them shortly afterward.
Medford Mail Tribune, December 18, 1933, page 5

    To the editor: This is in reply to a recent "Letter to the Editor" concerning the Ashland and Medford theaters and their usherettes.
    The woman who wrote the letter doesn't seem to realize that children, referred to by her as "monkeys," are also entitled to their rights as theatergoers. She forgets that an usherette's life is a difficult one, and if these small children were stopped from their "every-five-minute" pilgrimage to the restrooms the results would be disastrous.
    The Saturday matinee is "their day," and they pay what they consider a large price to see whether their serial "queen" will get away again or not.
    Since when has the education for children begun at the theater? I always thought that a child was taught its manners at home and its manners reflected its environment. We, the usherettes, do not consider ourselves as part-time teachers, nor do we overlook the fact that this situation is becoming bad. If we browbeat these small charges of ours, not only do we run the chance of losing our job but we also have a flock of irate mothers on our necks complaining that "little Johnny or Janie" was mistreated.
    Why doesn't this woman address her letter to the mothers whose duty it is to train their children, instead of the already misunderstood and overworked usherettes?
    We would also like to add that the younger generation will try to be better when asked--it's the older patrons who are very difficult to handle and become most indignant when spoken to.

    Tuesday, Oct. 21, 1924. The first movie shown at Hunt's Craterian is "In Hollywood," a comedy with Norma and Constance Talmadge.
    The theater, on Central Avenue near Main, opened the night before with a stage show, the actor Elliott Dexter in a dramatic reading.
    Thursday, Aug. 23, 1984. The last Hollywood movie to be shown is "Sheena," a fantasy about a woman who rules jungle animals.
    About 60 days short of 60 years after the Craterian opened, Maestri Management Corp., San Francisco, has decided to close the theater, except for an occasional special program. Spanish-language movies will continue at the Craterian on Sundays. An evening repeat of the usual Sunday Spanish matinee has been added on a trial basis.
    Robert Maestri, president of MMC, said Thursday from San Francisco that a number of factors governed the decision to close the theater. Most are related to poor attendance brought about in part by the increase in the number of movie theaters in southern Oregon in the last five years.
    In 1979, Medford had three indoor one-screen theaters: the Holly, the Craterian and the Cinema Center, all operated by subsidiaries of MMC, which also owns and operates the Starlite Drive-in.
    Now, in Medford, the Medford 4 Cinemas and Cine 4 have eight screens between them. In White City, The Movies operates six screens under one roof. In Ashland, the Varsity has four, including a 16-millimeter theater. The Rogue River Cinema in the city of Rogue River has one screen. Medford 4 Cinemas is owned and operated by a subsidiary company of MMC. The others are competing theater interests.
    Another reason is the scarcity of suitable "product" to divide among the theaters. Maestri said that he has had increasing difficulty in trying to find the kind of picture he'd like to book into the Craterian. He said that booking family-type pictures into the theater hasn't worked as well as it once did, because families usually go now to the smaller, newer theaters which have more modern equipment and convenient parking.
    The Craterian, Holly, Starlite and Cinema Center are operated by Oregon-California Theaters Inc. Don I. Evans is the district manager in Medford.
    Oregon-California leases the Craterian from Central Avenue Properties Inc. and the Rogue Valley Art Association, which each own undivided half interest in the building. Principals in Central Avenue Properties are Mrs. Shirley Lowry and Medford lawyers Otto Frohnmayer and William Deatherage.
    Evans said the lease between Oregon-California Theaters and the building owners expires in January 1985.
    Maestri said that projected operating overhead during the winter months is high in comparison with the theater's thin box office receipts, so he decided to close it.
    "Otto Frohnmayer's been about the most wonderful landlord we could ever have," Maestri said, adding, "We're just not getting enough people to go there."
    Jean Boyer Root, speaking for the art association, said Thursday that announcement of any plans for future use of the theater would be premature at this time.
    Evans has previously said that should the theater be used for stage shows, extensive remodeling would be required to bring the structure up to code. He said the stage would have to be reinforced, among other necessary renovations.
    The Craterian seats about 800 people, about 50 fewer than the Holly. Maestri said that the single-screen design of both theaters limits the programs they can offer.
    Maestri said he has no plans to close the Holly. He said that MMC redecorated the interior and exterior of the Holly a few years ago. The corporation owns the Holly, at the corner of Holly and Sixth streets, and rents office and shop space in the theater building.
    The Robert L. Lippert Co., predecessor to Maestri, began operating theaters in Medford in 1947. Other theaters included the Esquire, once located on the south side of East Main Street near the Bear Creek bridge, and the Rialto, on West Main Street in the present location of the Weeks and Orr furniture store. Maestri's father was Lippert's partner. He acquired the company after Lippert's death.
    Maestri said, "I think we've reached kind of a textbook case in this particular instance. Old downtown theaters just become old."
Medford Mail Tribune, August 24, 1984, page B3