Milton Theatre in June 1956
The Milton Theatre unveiled its brand-new balcony April 11 after more than a year of construction.
The Fox Theatre, named after theater manager Ida Fox, was built in 1914 and opened in 1919 on Union Street. It was an Art Deco movie house featuring silent films and later sound pictures. During World War II, the theater was used for fundraising efforts and sold war bonds and stamps, and collected vinyl records to send to troops.
The two-story building has also served as a basketball court, fire station, restaurant, social center and community stage.
Following the Storm of ’62, which flooded downtown Milton, the theater was taken over by the Scott family and renamed Roxie.
In the 2000s, the theater became a nonprofit organization, but the effort ended in foreclosure. It was during this time the balcony was removed.
Fred Munzert, an experienced theater director, took over operation of the theater in 2014, breathing new life into both the theater and downtown Milton. Several upgrades have been made over the last 10 years, including an upgraded sound system. In 2019, the theater acquired an adjacent lot along the Broadkill River and created an outdoor space called Quayside.
This image from the Delaware Public Archives shows what Milton Theatre looked like in June 1956. Perhaps they were watching Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” which was released June 1 of that year.
