Fox Theatre
309 Main Street,
Hackensack,
NJ
07601
309 Main Street,
Hackensack,
NJ
07601
4 people
favorited this theater
Opened in 1932, the Fox Theatre in Hackensack, NJ was a fairly large Art Deco style movie house. The last first-run movie there was “Jaws 2” in 1980. After that, it was closed with an "under renovation" sign outside. It never re-opened and was demolished in 1998.
Contributed by
Mark Sellitti
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Recent comments (view all 42 comments)
In December, 1930, Warner Bros. announced that it would build a new theatre of around 2,000 seats in Hackensack, NJ, employing Thomas W. Lamb as architect. No name was reported for the theatre, but I wonder if it turned out to be this one? WB might have sold the project to Fox prior to opening.
According to this stock certificate history, Fox was planning a theater in Hackensack around 1929. There may have been a later discussion with Warner Brothers:
http://tinyurl.com/2rdanw
The Warner theatre was most likely The Oritani. The Oritani was still owned by RKO-Stanely Warner Theatres, a direct successor to the old Warner Theatre Circuit, when it closed.
The Oritani opened in 1922, eight years before that announcement.
Here is a 1981 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dfu9uo
Hi folks. I honestly don’t understand that 2003 article from the Bergen Record. Demolition on the Fox was actually begun back in 1993! You can see the stripped and decapitated facade at the end of the movie trailer for “Not for Today, But for All Time…” here:
www.knightskypictures.com/Not_for_Today,_But_for_All_Time/Trailer.html
Compare that image to this 1981 photo if you have any doubt:
View link
The shot from the movie trailer is certainly not one of a building undergoing any kind of renovation. Can any northern NJ residents shed light on this?
The Fox was closed for a number of years; I seem to recall it did open, but only for one night only closed-circuit sporting events, like fights, etc. After Jaws 2, I don’t recall it being open on a consistent basis. The theatre was to be torn down and another building was to be put up, but there were many delays and the theatre just began to rot away. Today there is absolutely no trace there was ever a theatre there; same with the Oritani, which was across the street.
I too saw jethro tull at the old very small fox theater in hackensack nj back in 1971. We had second row center seats, truly amazing concert and experience. One of those things you never forget.
I too saw jethro tull at the old very small fox theater in hackensack nj back in 1971. We had second row center seats, truly amazing concert and experience. One of those things you never forget.
I saw “The Jerk” (1979) there in June of 1981 so it was operational until at least then. It was never twinned. It had a very long entrance hall as I recall. The space is now a parking lot.