Fox Theatre
1116-1128 Main Street,
Stevens Point,
WI
54481
1116-1128 Main Street,
Stevens Point,
WI
54481
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 159 comments
I was fortunate enough to see Star Wars at the Fox as a kid, along with several other movies. The latter day multiplexes are a joke in comparison. Another example of “progress”.
The daughter of the owners for many years was my second grade teacher as well. Resurrecting the downtown would start with the Fox, IMO.
way cool children of the corn is one of my favorite movies
Here is a list of moves played at the Fox Theater, January 1, 1984 to June 30, 1984.
WSPT and Rogers Fox Theater held a Weekend Theater though out the school year. They were usually on Friday and Saturday. There was a late night show at 11:30pm and a Saturday matinee at 2:30. (They will be marked as WSPT/Fox.)
The Rescuers
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
January 1st-5th
A Christmas Story
January 6th-12th
Christine (Opened on Friday the 13th at 11:30pm)
January 13th-26th
Children’s matinee 1:30
Annie
January 20th-22nd
Yentl
January 27th-23rd
WSPT/Fox
The Deer Hunter
February 3rd and 4th
WSPT/Fox
Wargames
February 10th and 11th
WSPT/Fox
Twilight Zone, The Movie
February 17th and 18th
Reckless
February 24th-March 1st
WSPT/Fox
Fast Times at Ridgemount High
February 24th and 25th
Schools out matinee
Jaws
February 26th-28th
WSPT/Fox
Pink Floyd, The Wall
March 2nd and 3rd
Harry and Son
March 2nd-15th
WSPT/Fox
The Meaning of Life
March 9th and 10th
The Right Stuff
March 16th-22nd
WSPT/Fox
Spring Break
March 16th and 17th
Children of the Corn
March 23rd-April 5th
WSPT/Fox
Wizards
March 23rd and 24th
WSPT/Fox
Flashdance
March 30th and 31st
Up the Creek
April 6th-19th
WSPT/Fox
Apocalypse Now
April 6th and 7th
WSPT/Fox
An American Werewolf in London
April 13th and 14th
WSPT/Fox
Up in Smoke
April 19th-21st
The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
April 20th-May 3rd
Easter Vacation matinee special
The Smurfs and The Magic Flute
April 21st-24th
Sixteen Candles
May 3rd-24th
Roommates
May 25th-31st
Footloose
June 1st-7th
Gremlins
June 8th-30th
interesting :)
I have been adding item’s to my Flickr account.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwilke/
I picked up an old stevens point journal from 1981 but couldn’t find any movie playing listings for the fox ;( Ed,since you are good at finding those can you post some more from 1984 on back if you are able to find any?
The address was 444 Main Street before 1965. In 1965 the City of Stevens Point renumbered all the streets.
Here is a link to a postcard with the Grand Opera House on it; it’s from the Wisconsin Historical Society.
View link
Here’s some information on the renovation of July-August 1941.
A new canopy was built (the present one).
New sound equipment and projection machines were installed.
A new air-conditioning system was installed.
A new concrete fireproof floor, with a new pitch was installed on the main floor. The front row was raised 18 inches and the back row was raised eight inches.
New seats were installed reducing the seating capacity from 898 to 772.
The main floor had 568 seats.
The front of the balcony had a smoking section with 72 seats.
The regular seating section in the upper balcony had 132 seats.
The main colors in the theater were burgundy and the lobbies were green turquoise and yellow.
The ladies rest room and lounge were enlarged.
Wow, I have just stumbled on to this site. I have been intrigued by the building since I have moved here (aug. 2001). I am married to a man who has lived here his whole life and he told me that it was closed when he was 5 and has no memory of it. I just walked by it again yesterday and I decieded to do a little research on the building. That is when I came across this message board. I am very amazed by all the info and pictures!
This is not about the Fox, it’s the answer question.
The Grand Theater in New London Wisconsin is open.
/theaters/19012/
The Brin is closed; it’s used as retail stores.
/theaters/16109/
Just out of curiousity Ed, those pictures of theaters on that page…are those theaters running? They all look very very similar to the Fox. Some good looking theaters nonetheless. I really wish they would open this theater again. It’s really a shame that nothing is going on, not even on my end. Nothing!
The theaters in Stevens Point were picketed in 1945 and 1953 by students because of price hikes.
They were also picketed by the Motion Picture Projectionists’ union 1955.
Here’s a photo of drawing of the Fox’s layout form an insurance map.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwilke/
If you watch the docu video that is available at the Portage County Library as well as at the UWSP library, the video talks about this cooking school.
I bought a program and recipe book from a local antique mall today. They came from a cooking school that was held at the Fox Theater.
The recipe book is from the third annual cooking school of February 24-26, 1937
The program is not dated. But it could be from the same year as the recipe book.
The address is given as 444 Main Street in this 1959 article:
Fox-Wisconsin Chain Sold To Zilber, Realtor
The Fox Theater, 444 Main St., Stevens Point’s only year-around movie house, was transferred to new ownership in a major business transaction announced this weekend at Milwaukee. The Fox, along with three theaters at Milwaukee, two at Janesville and one at Wausau, comprised the holdings of the Fox-Wisconsin Amusement Corp., which was purchased from the National Theater and Television Corp., of Los Angeles, Calif. The new owner is Joseph J. Zilber, Whitefish Bay, president of the Towne Realty Co., one of Milwaukee’s major real estate developers.
The purchase price was not disclosed, but industry sources were quoted at Milwaukee in estimates of more than $250,000. Zibler said the chain will be renamed Wisconsin Theaters Inc. About 125 employees of the organization will be affected by the change of ownership, he said. Zilber will head the new firm, with S. Daniel Tishberg, Milwaukee attorney, as vice president, and Albert Frank, Milwaukee, who was district manager for the former owners, as general manager. Gerald McMillan, Whiting, is manager of the Fox Theater here.
The chain includes the Wisconsin, Palace and Strand Theaters in Milwaukee, the Jeffris and Myers in Janesville and the Wausau in Wausau. Also included is the Layton Park at Milwaukee, now leased to another operator, as well as the Fox Theater here. The Myers is closed at present. The only real estate transaction believed in the sale is the building that houses the Wausau. Zilber’s company already owned the Carpenter Building at Milwaukee, the location of the Wisconsin.
The building housing the Fox Theater here has been owned by the Andrae family since the land was purchased by the late G. F. Andrae from John and Henry Curran in 1893. In September 1894, Andrae opened the Grand Opera House, and this provided the stage for many community events for many years, home talent productions, vaudeville, minstrels, graduation exercises and other stage presentations besides movies. For a six-year period prior to 1920, it was closed. In 1923 the Midwest Theater Corp. leased the theater and operated the showhouse until 1928, when Fox-Wisconsin took over the lease. Meanwhile ownership of the building remained with the Andrae family. The present owner is Mrs. Donald Sanders, who resides in the Andrae family homestead at 541 Clark St. Fox-Wisconsin also held a lease on the Lyric Theater here, which was closed on Oct. 1, 1957. The
building is owned by Myron T. Clifford of Phoenix. Ariz., a former resident of Stevens Point.
yeah I seen those of the marquee you emailed those to me
I was talking about the pictures you were asking about; I don’t have any other ones than what are at that link (as well as some pictures of the new marquee I took myself; but you’ve seen the new marquee I’m sure).
yeah but he comes up with good stuff
None more than what are there.
another gem from our Ed :)
This is an article from the Stevens Point Journal.
May 6, 1954
Installing Big Screen At Fox For Cinemascope
A screen more than double the width of the present one is being installed at the Fox theater in preparation for the showing of cinemascope movies.
The new screen is 37 feet wide, according to the theater Manager Gerald McMillan compared to the old screen’s 15-foot width.
The first widescreen movie to be shown here “The Robe†will be Friday. McMillan said there will be no change in prices. The present admission schedule for standard movies, including early bird prices will be retained for cinemascope showings.
In addition to the wide, curved screen, “stereophonic sound†is being installed. New speakers are being placed behind the screen and along the walls, to heighten the viewer’s impression that he is “part†of the action. Sound will come part of the screen where action is taking place, McMillan said.
Cinemascope involves the use of a special “anamorphic†lens on both movie camera and the project. A wide angle view is condensed on film and then projected to its original width on the screen.
No special glasses are necessary to view cinemascope.
“The Robe†will run through next Thursday, with matinees every day, McMillan reported. “Prince Valiant,†another widescreen movie will follow, he said, and all showings for the next few weeks will be cinemascope.
After that, McMillan said, some standard movies will be shown until the movie industry builds up a backlog of cinemascope shows. When standard movies are shown, he said, drapes will cover the unused part of the screen.
This is an article from the Stevens Point Journal.
May 6, 1954
Installing Big Screen At Fox For Cinemascope
A screen more than double the width of the present one is being installed at the Fox theater in preparation for the showing of cinemascope movies.
The new screen is 37 feet wide, according to the theater Manager Gerald McMillan compared to the old screen’s 15-foot width.
The first widescreen movie to be shown here “The Robe†will be Friday. McMillan said there will be no change in prices. The present admission schedule for standard movies, including early bird prices will be retained for cinemascope showings.
In addition to the wide, curved screen, “stereophonic sound†is being installed. New speakers are being placed behind the screen and along the walls, to heighten the viewer’s impression that he is “part†of the action. Sound will come part of the screen where action is taking place, McMillan said.
Cinemascope involves the use of a special “anamorphic†lens on both movie camera and the project. A wide angle view is condensed on film and then projected to its original width on the screen.
No special glasses are necessary to view cinemascope.
“The Robe†will run through next Thursday, with matinees every day, McMillan reported. “Prince Valiant,†another widescreen movie will follow, he said, and all showings for the next few weeks will be cinemascope.
After that, McMillan said, some standard movies will be shown until the movie industry builds up a backlog of cinemascope shows. When standard movies are shown, he said, drapes will cover the unused part of the screen.
any other interior pics than the library of congress file?