Comments about Fox Theatre in San Francisco, CA

aarundell on February 26, 2006 at 5:37 pm

Ken, that long line in the photo is probably the crowd attending the 30th anniversary celebration in July of 1959. The formal celebration was on the night of June 28th, as I recall, and the film opened on July 1st. I was a young fashion designer in San Francisco and was commissioned to create dresses for the six hostesses for the occasion. We were photographed seated on the steps of that fabulous grand staircese. It was a night to remember…….

“FOX THEATRE IS PEOUD TO CELEBRATE ITS
30TH ANNIVERSARY BY OFFERING YOU THIS
GAY PROGRAM”

“FOX MOVIETONE NEWSREEL OF 1929 STAR-
STUDDED OPENING OF THE FOX THEATRE.”

“SAY ONE FOR ME” – 20th Century Fox’s Cinema-
Scope DeLuxe Color Musical – starring
Bing Crosby
Debbie Reynolds
Robert Wagner

“HERE COME THE JETS” – 20th Century Fox’s first
story of commercial jets in test – starring Steve Brodie.

AND EXTRA ATTRACTION****
GEORGE WRIGHT at the FABULOUS FOX PIPE ORGAN
George Write, who became inspired at the age of 9
when he witnessesd the opening of the Fox Theatre and
the playing of the organ, determined then to become
a great organist. Today he has his own organ recording
studio in Hollywood and has made the organ popular
again with his two hit albums “George Wright’s
"SHOWTIME” and “THE ROARIN” TWENTIES" both
recorded on the San Francisco Fox’s organ.
(George Wright played at the Fox Theatre, 1940 – 41)

Hostesses -
Nancy Taylor – Coronet Modeling Students, appearing
in Lin Barkhurst Original Creations.
(insert – The name I was using at that time)

TAPED INTERVIEWS OF SPECIAL GUESTS by RADIO
STATION KYA – Listen for them.
KYA repeats history tonight when they again cover
a big event at the Fox Theatre, just as they were on
hand to air the parade of 100 Hollywoodd stars and the
grand opening of the Fox Theatre back in 1929.

Miss Beth Virus – Portrait Artist in Lobby –

The back of the folded page program has this opening speech by
MAYOR JAMES ROLPH JR. AT THE FOX THEATRE OPENING IN 1929…….

MY FELLOW CALIFORNIANS

The modern school house and the modern theatre, both keeping pace with the world"s progress, make for America a better educated people who can never take a backward step nor be dispossessed of their citizenship or liberty.
On the 28th of June an event of historic importance will take place in the City of San Francisco.
This city, over which I have the honor for nearly twenty years to preside as Mayor, is famous for its schools, its playhouses and places of healthful amusement.
But on June 28th something is to occur which will surpass anything of the kind in the world’s history.
On that day William Fox, builder of the world’s finest playhouses, is to throw open the doors of the greatest theatre in the world; in San Francisco. It is to be a red letter day in the istory of San Francisco.
The Fox Theatre, adjoining beautiful Civic Center of San Francisco, is the most remarkable playhouse ever built. Constructed at aa cost of $500,000, it has a seating capacity of 5,000.
The ceremonies to occur within the theatre and at the Civic Center adjoining will be historic. It will be a scene never to be forgotten.
As Mayor of San Francisco I invite you to visit our city June 28 to join with us in the festivities of the day, and be a living part of the historic ceremony.
Come to our city; wander in admiration along the broad avenues of our Civic Center with its flower-beds all aglow with the blooms of spring. I will be at the Fox Theatre personally to welcome you in the name of Mr. Fox and the City of San Francisco.

Ziggy on January 4, 2006 at 2:19 pm

Ken, those are fantasic photos. Thank you for putting them on this site. It seems that the first photo for the December 11 post is misidentified. The theatre is clearly not the Fox (the sidewalls are different, and the balcony support posts suggest a theatre of an earlier date than the Fox). There seems to be a date of 1906 in the corner of the photo, so this is possibly a photograph of a San Francisco theatre damaged in the earthquake.

Patsy on January 4, 2006 at 12:08 pm

And glad to read that the restored organ is now in the Disney owned theatre, El Capitan in LA.

Patsy on January 4, 2006 at 12:07 pm

And glad to read on the El Capitan link that the restored organ is now in that Disney owned theatre!

Patsy on January 4, 2006 at 12:05 pm

What is located on the former Fox Theatre site now? An office complex or a parking lot?

Patsy on January 4, 2006 at 11:39 am

Bryan: Your Nov. 29, 2003 post with link to a b/w photo of the Fox facade still standing is very very sad to view and the preservationists back then certainly dropped the ball and let the wrecking ball swing!

Patsy on January 4, 2006 at 11:35 am

Then on page 166 there is an old ad entitled “TWIN'EM!” The company is the Forest Bay Construction Corp.located in Woodmere NY with the phone number,516-295-0099. I wonder if this company is still in existence? I’m sure they are not still ‘twinning’! Any comments will be ‘entertained’!

Patsy on January 4, 2006 at 11:30 am

I just finished sitting down and viewing my copy of Cinema Treasures and was appalled by the demolition of this Lamb Fox theatre in 1963! The ornate front facade is clearly seen in the book on page 56 and then in the book on page 136 the devastating demolition! Shame! shame!

kencmcintyre on December 12, 2005 at 7:40 pm

The last shot – a hole in the ground where the Fox once stood:

View link

kencmcintyre on December 12, 2005 at 7:30 pm

Crowds waiting in line to get in:

View link

kencmcintyre on December 12, 2005 at 5:22 pm

Some additional pictures from construction, grand opening and later on in the mid 1940s:

View link

kencmcintyre on December 11, 2005 at 2:59 pm

Some additional photos:

View link

kencmcintyre on December 10, 2005 at 5:01 pm

From the SF Public Library:

View link

rapple on September 26, 2005 at 12:23 pm

Bill/Bruce:

I have a copy of the Kaufman book, and have started posting the playlist for the Fox SF on the Fox San Francisco Website at http://www.historigraphics.com/fox/default.html under the “Playbill” button.

So far, I have 1929-1932 completed, but, since I do this in my spare time (!not), it may be slow going… I’ll see if I can get at least one year up each week or two.

I remember seeing the first Cinemascope picture, “The Robe,” at the Fox – hey, maybe I’ll plug in 1955 and newer years from time to time, until they’re all done!

Dick

bruceanthony on September 26, 2005 at 11:00 am

Bill the book is no longer available. Many people have posted films that played the theatre’s such as the Paramount{Portland},Stanley{Pittsburg},Capitol{Wash DC} and it adds to the history of the theatre on this site. William has done a wonderful job of listing the films that have played the historic Roxy in New York City. If anyone has the book and would like to post some of the films that played the Fox. I would be interested to see the films that played the Fox starting with the “Robe” until its closing in 1963. Bill I do have a book about the Fox while it was still open,it was given to me by Nate Grossman who managed theatres in San Francisco until he retired in 1977.The book doesn’t mention the movies that played the Fox through the years.brucec

BhillH20 on September 1, 2005 at 3:51 pm

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you just the book, like so many of us did.

bruceanthony on September 1, 2005 at 3:22 pm

It would be wonderful if someone could post a list of films from each of the decades that played the Fox. Im hoping someone who has the book on the Fox would post this and somes of the box office for some of the films that played the Fox.This would help with the history of this theatre. There isn’t enough comments posted about this fabulous theatre which was one of the most spectacular ever built. The Fox is considered among the top five movie palaces ever built. The Fox was considered the greatest Fox theatre ever built. Help bring it back to life with your comments.brucec

RobertR on July 28, 2005 at 2:44 pm

The thought that this was torn down is an absolute crime
View link

teecee on May 10, 2005 at 1:49 pm

Organ & curtain photo:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/PALACE/curtain.jpg

teecee on April 1, 2005 at 3:31 pm

Behind That Curtain (1929) was premiered at the grand opening of the Fox Theater at 1350 Market Street in San Francisco on 28 June 1929

places2go on March 6, 2005 at 12:31 pm

PSRob, I was at home that night with the radio on and my Sony 300 recording every note of that final broadcast. My stereo was blasting and my neighbors were very forgiving as it was in the middle of the night. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. I still have the tape, but no longer have a machine to play it on. I was only a very young teenager but James Gabbard and Gary Gilow (sp?) on KPEN turned me on to something I’ll never forget. I was there at those midnight concerts. My parents took me, bless them. They probably thought I was crazy, but we had a great time. I remember the dust falling from the ceiling when George Wright let loose with those 32 foot long pipes that were so low a pitch you couldn’t here them, you could only feel them. Awesome! Later, a friend and I climbed all through the theater as they were tearing it down. We rode the train into the city as we were too young to drive. We took pictures and pieces of the wreckage. I have a piece of marble on my desk at this moment that I pulled out of that wreckage. I also have the James and Nourse recordings. I bought them new at the time and still have them along with many Geo. Wright records. Sad. Very sad.

robians on January 4, 2005 at 5:17 pm

I came across this site quite by accident while listening to various archives on the web of Pipedreams but my visits to the “Fabulous Fox” (San Francisco) were more than just accidents during the late 40’s and up to its last days when it was just a skeletal shell of its former self. When in grammar school in the late 40’s early 50’s my best friend and I would cut school to see if we could get into a matinee at the Fox. These visits were not so much to watch the movie as they were to explore wherever we could in the labyrinth of hallways, balconies, unlocked doorways, etc. After grammar school it was a number of years before I returned. While in college I recall hearing Jim Gabbert on KPEN fm start his crusade to “Save the Fox” and his sponsorship of a number of midnight George Wright concerts on the Fox' “Mighty Wurlitzer.” I think I was the first in line to insure a front row seat at everyone of the concerts including the last…and vividly recall Jim’s last live broadcast from the stage of the Fox on the night just before the wrecking ball was put in place. If I recall Tiny James and Everett Nourse played the last notes that echoed through the now empty Fox on that last night illuminated by just one bare light bulb! Several days later when all the interior fixtures, chairs, cherubs, etc. had been dismantled I returned, wandering almost aimlessly through the barren orchestra section, now devoid of any seats, wishing this cash poor college kid could buy at least something but everything was well above my budget! However, I did manage to sneek out with two plastered and gold-leaf gilded flowers from one of the ornate columns. That piece still reminds me of the “Fablous Fox” to this day! My other reminders include the 33 rpm record, “Farewell to the Fox” (Vol one of a two vol set) featuring Tiny James and Everell Nourse and Kaufmann’s book which I purchased in mint condition from a Castro St. used bookstore about 15-20 years ago for the “outrageous” price of $40! After that last visit, I came back one more time to watch the wrecking ball take its first swing into the side of that once beautiful building with a tear or two shed onto that lifeless pavement.

Ken Roe on December 18, 2004 at 4:56 pm

A complete list of all movies which played the Fox from its 1929 opening to its 1963 closing plus gross takings for each film is listed in the book “Fox, The Last Word…story of the worlds finest theatre” by Preston J. Kaufmann. 1979.

bruceanthony on December 18, 2004 at 4:15 pm

Does anyone have a list of movies that played the Fox from 1950 until 1963 when it closed? brucec

bruceanthony on December 12, 2004 at 4:18 pm

I wish more people would write in comments about the Fabulous San Francisco Fox. It is considered one of the finest movie palaces ever built. I have never seen a lobby like that of the Fox. I would love people to share some of there movie memories attending the Fox. I attended the Fox only once when I was nine and I have never been the same since.The Fox is the reason I fell in love with the movie palaces.The Los Angeles theatre reminded me of the Fox, but its about half the size. This theatre was a Grand Lady all the way to the end.brucec

Fox Theatre

1350 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

1350 Market Street,
San Francisco, CA 94102