This day in history: Film and TV star Rhonda Fleming attends grand opening of Fox Theater’s new triplex. Elk High accused of ‘dirty play’ after winning county football championships

From 1975: The Fox Theater held a “grand opening,” featuring a live appearance by “film, TV and stage star Miss Rhonda Fleming.”

How could a theater built in 1931 hold a grand opening in 1975? Because it was the grand opening of its new incarnation as a triplex. A full-page ad featured a cartoon of a stork, carrying a bundle with a sign reading “Now We’re 3 in Spokane.”

The Fox was long past its prime as a movie palace. Mann Theaters, which now owned it, decided to join the trend of multiplexes and carve the cavernous theater into three smaller auditoriums.

It was showing “Jaws,” “Rooster Cogburn” and “French Connection II.”

If you’re having trouble placing Rhonda Fleming, she was a leading lady in the 1940s and 1950s in movies that included “Gunfight at the OK Corral,” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound.”

She later was married to Ted Mann, which might explain why she was making an appearance at the Fox. Mann was the chairman of Mann Theaters.

From 1925: Elk High School had won the Spokane County football championship, but only because of “dirty play,” according to coaches and principals at other schools.

Now they were threatening to rescind the championship for the Elk team. The Central Valley coach said “we have good evidence that the Elk coach teaches his men to win by foul means.” Mead High School had refused to play Elk for that reason, and the game was forfeited.

The Elk coach strongly defended his team and his tactics, saying that had “always stood for good sportsmanship” and that he could not understand “how there can be a foul in football if the referee doesn’t call it.”

A hearing on the issue was planned.