Opening night, April 11, 1930, proved to be the biggest party the small community of Tucson had ever seen. With Congress Street closed and waxed for dancing, four live bands, a live radio broadcast and free trolley rides downtown, the party was one not to be missed. Those lucky enough to have bought tickets in advance—3,000 or so people—enjoyed the show inside as well as out. The film "Chasing Rainbows", a Movietone short, and a Mickey Mouse cartoon were well received by both audiences that evening, and the Fox Theatre began its 40-year life as the center of Tucson's entertainment world.