Fox Theatre
7900 Kingston Pike,
Knoxville,
TN
37919
7900 Kingston Pike,
Knoxville,
TN
37919
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The Fox Theatre was opened in July 18, 1969 with Richard Benjamin in “Goodbye, Columbus”. It was operated by National General’s Fox Eastern Theatres. It was closed by Mann Theatres on January 7, 1979 and converted into a record store.
Contributed by
Jack Coursey
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
The Fox was a single screen box built as the downtown theatres ended their careers: late 1960’s or early 1970’s. It still stands, as a retail space, the exterior covered in E.I.F.S. and wedding dresses of questionable taste hanging in what once was the lobby.
Too bad that this theatre can’t be resurrected since Knoxville does have the Tennessee.
Patsy, I think you confuse our Fox with a much older, finer hall. This was just a plain-jane, 1960’s box on the highway: it’s nothing worth resurrecting. Only the name “Fox” connects it to the extraordinary buildings in Atlanta, Detroit and St. Louis.
Cheers
Will
Will, Thanks for the Fox explanation.
Owners:
1969-1973 NGC Cinemas
1973-1975 Mann Theatres of California
This was one of NGC’s attempt to expand across North America reaching as far of Montreal,QC.
Here is a 2009 photo of the former Fox Theatre.
Nice slideshow by Jack Coursey.
The Fox opened on July 18, 1969 and had 800 seats. The one thing that I remember about this theatre is the projection booth was only four steps above the back row of seats. They had a continual problem with people standing in the back row and playing shadow puppets in the projector’s light.
The theatre closed January 7, 1979.
I have posted articles from the Knoxville News-Sentinel of the opening and closing of the Fox in the photo section.
July 18th, 1969 grand opening ad posted