The rear wall of Riverside's Fox Theater took its final bow with a bang Wednesday when two 100-ton excavator machines inside the gutted picture palace knocked it to the ground.

The demolition of the wall, 60 feet high, 90 feet wide and 8 inches thick, will allow construction crews to extend the intact stage another 27 feet for future theater productions.

"It was OK for vaudeville but not fit for modern-day productions," said Robert Wise, project manager for the city of Riverside, CA.

This bit of drama, which sent up plumes of dust and plaster and triggered car alarms from the impact, was the latest phase in the $30 million renovation of the historic theater. The debris should be broken up and hauled away by Friday, said Jasen Mattingly, project manager for U.S. Demolition.

Santa Ana-based Bayley Construction is converting the structure into a 1,600-seat performing arts center.

Officials christened it the Riverside Theater when it opened Jan. 11, 1929, at 3801 Seventh St., now known as Mission Inn Avenue.

More than the local movie house, the Fox attracted vaudeville singers and dancers but is probably best remembered for previewing "Gone With the Wind" in 1939.

The rehabilitation, which started Oct. 8, is on schedule to be completed by the first quarter of 2009, Wise said. Upcoming work includes earthquake-proofing, rebuilding the orchestra pit and lobby, adding restrooms, a bar, cafe area, and backstage dressing rooms and administrative offices.

Wise said there were a few surprises: Workers plan to save and reuse the fan portion of the building's air cooling system. And because the outdoor arches were safer than expected, the crew can replaster the unreinforced masonry rather than fiber wrap it.

To discourage transients, the old freestanding box office has been boarded up. Wise said he doesn't know yet if it will remain.

Project officials say they see the Fox, which was acquired through eminent domain, as the jewel of their downtown revitalization, which focuses on transforming Riverside into a regional arts and culture hub. It is one of the largest projects in the Riverside Renaissance Initiative, the city's plan for $1.8 billion worth of projects in the next five years.