Fox Theatre
309 Main Street,
Hackensack,
NJ
07601
309 Main Street,
Hackensack,
NJ
07601
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 42 of 42 comments
In the 70’s this was the UA Fox.
Article regarding the approval for demolition here.
Now that I think of it, that Shop Rite isn’t there any more either.
Bill: I used to take the #102 in both directions. As a teen, I worked at the Shop Rite on Park Avenue, and if I was too lazy to walk from Carlstadt I’d hop on the bus.
David: The #102. I haven’t thought about that bus number in years. It’s the #76 now, but of course there are no more Fox and Oritani to go to.
I used to take the Public Service Bus Company #102 from Carlstadt to Hackensack to see movies at Fox and the Oritani. I can’t remember what movies I saw at each place, I remember seeing Marooned, Little Big Man and the first Airport movie at either of these places. I think I also saw the Led Zeppelin film “The Song Remains the Same” as well as the movie of Pink Floyd in Pompeii.
As big and beautiful as the Fox was, it was also the place where I had my worst-ever moviegoing experience. It was in 1975, the first week of “Jaws”, a matinee. The place was filled with kids who wouldn’t stop talking out loud – thousands of them. And apparently they’d all seen it already because anytime one of the big scenes came up they would announce it: “Watch this, his head’s gonna come out of that hole”, etc. It was so bad I had trouble following what was going on in the movie, and I left the theater feeling like I hadn’t even seen it. A happier Fox experience was the first time I ever took a bus away from my home town (Rutherford, NJ) by myself just to see a movie: “The French Connection”, 1971.
more parking lots, more corp. takeover…what is wrong with this world?
In 1980 I saw the AC/DC concert film “Let there be Rock” at this theater. It was more of a full-blown concert experience than a concert film. There were T-Shirts and programs being sold outside and in the lobby and the admission tickets were printed out like concert tickets. There was also quite a bit of smoking going on in the audience despite the “No Smoking” sign. (wink wink)
An image of the Fox in its heyday can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/munday_s/page13.html
(the Oritani Theatre can be seen across the street, on the left)
Sorry, we’re too late. (I guess somebody at the bank reads our postings.) The building was demolished today, June 14, 2004.
This building is still up and the city of Hackensack wants to tear it down?!! Are they out of their minds? Historically and architecturally this is maybe one of the two or three most important buildings in Hackensack. I’m sure the bank can find many places in the city for parking. How about a few of the million car dealerships nearby?
The approval to demolish the building came through on 9/12/03. The plan is to create a 53-space parking lot (12 spaces for the bank and 41 which will be leased out to neighboring businesses) and a bank drive-through. Previously, in 1996, the city had approved zoning of the Fox property for a hotel. Obviously, this fell through, as did the city’s more recent attempt to have the theater redeveloped, which resulted in a lawsuit by the bank.
Apparently, the theater was also used occasionally in the early 80s, after it motion picture exhibition days had come to an end, to show closed-circuit boxing.
The Fox closed in 1981. Recently, the neighboring Oritani Savings Bank received approval from the city of Hackensack to tear down the Fox to create parking for their location, though the demolition has not yet occurred.
A beautiful art-deco theater. When I saw Hello Dolly there in ‘70 it was still intact with great lighting setting off its stunning interior. When I returned years later to see Deer Hunter it had turned into a dark, depressing hulk. During so many years the powers that be talked about reviving downtown Hackensack so they do it by putting in red bricks at crosswalks(will someone banish to hell the man or woman who came up with that idea?)and they tore down one of their proudest buildings.
The Fox Theatre was located at 309 Main Street.
I would love to see some photos or stories of this and the Oritani Theater which used to be right across the street.