Fox Theatre
1350 Market Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94102
1350 Market Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94102
44 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 163 of 163 comments
Yes, Fox West Coast Theatre operated the Warfield Theatre for many years under an agreement with Loew’s Theatres. Like they operated many of the UA Theatres down in Southern California. The Warfield Theatre was owned by Loew’s, but was operated by Fox/National Theatre. Like Fox West Coast Theatres were part owners of the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood with UA Theatres.
William I know Fox West Coast also operated the Fox Warfield for many years after taking over from Loew’s.I saw many films at the Fox Warfield when it was operated by Fox West Coast/National General.brucec
In brucec’s post from August 22, he asked “Who owned the Fox at the time it was demolished?” It was owned by Fox West Coast Theatre’s parent company National Theatres & Television Inc.. At the time the theatre was razed, Fox West Coast operated two theatre in the city, the Fox and the Parkside. They operated many other theatres in the city over the years, but these were the last ones. Over in Oakland they operated about five theatres around this time in the early 60’s. They operated the Fox Oakland, Grand Lake, Orpheum, Paramount and the Tower.
Also in his August 22nd post he asked. “The Paramount also a Fox West Coast Theatre in San Francisco was torn down two years later in 1965, was also related to the situation with the Fox?"
During the 1940’s Fox West Coast Theatres operated the Paramount Theatre. But during the 50’s-1965, the Paramount Theatre was owned and operated by the California Paramount Corp. The parent company to the California Paramount Corp. was the American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatre, Inc.. They operated 21 divisions and about 492 theatres at that time. The California Paramount Corp. only had 3 theatres in it’s roster. In San Francisco they operated the Paramount and the St. Francis Theatres and down in Los Angeles the Paramount Theatre in Downtown LA.
Indeed the Fox went out with a bang. None other than the late theater organist George Wright took the Mighty WurliTzer through its paces for its last public concert. Mr. Wright also was house organist at the Fox at one time. There’s an interesting story about Wright’s improving the organ’s sound.
The sound of the organ was greatly muffled by velvet draperies hanging in front of the organ chambers. Wright tried to convince the management to remove the curtains, but to no avail. Finally he took the matter in his own hands. He and a lady friend climbed around around the theater and cut the curtains down. All that remained in front of the chambers was a lighter weight curtain.
Management was not particularly happy with what Wright and friend did and considered firing him. However cooler heads prevailed. The management was totally amazed with the “new” sound of the organ and noted that it became even more of an attraction.
By the way, at the demise of the Fox, the organ was sold in toto to a California legislator, Frank Lantermann, who installed it in his home without modification! Upon his passing, the organ was purchased by Disney, and of course, was installed in the El Capitan theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Before its installation, the organ was completely rebuilt, including a beautiful regilding of the ornate console.
For those interesting, here’s a link to the American Theatre Organ Society’s website and the San Fransisco Fox WurliTzer: View link
Richard I just found a small 24 page book titled San Francisco’s Fabulous and Foolish Fox which was published in 1961 when the theatre was still open and your father was the managing director.The book was written by Jeff Hershel and under acknowledgments he especially thanked your father Robert M. Apple,Camille Barnes,Ken King,The Fox Theatre Management And Fox West Coast.This book was given to me by Nate Grossman who was a longtime theatre manager who was also from the old school as he would always tell me.The book states that in the first four and a half years,a record breaking attendance of over 22,000,000 persons came from the world over to visit the new Fox.In these years the weekly payroll was $36,000.Fanchon and Marco’s gigantic stage spectacles kept the crowds coming.Due to the crash of 1929 William Fox,bankrupt in 1932,was forced to close the theatre. The Fox remained closed for almost a year.In late 1933 ,it reopened under the direction of Fox West Coast and a new policy in prices:The one,two and three dollar seats had vanished and seats could be obtained for 15cents,20cents and 30cents(the latter was for seats in the Diamond Horshoe).brucec
Richard what a wonderful site. Its a tribute to both your dad and the Fox that it went out with a bang and not a wimper the way many did during this time.It gave me goosebumps reading about the midnight concert with 4,600 people waiting in line. I guess your dad was the director of the Paramount,Fox Oakland and Grand Lake when I attended these theates as a child. I know that 20th Century-Fox was not in good financial health in the early 1960’s do you think this had something to do with the demise of the theatre at the time? Who owned the Fox at the time it was demolished?The Paramount also a Fox West Coast Theatre in San Francisco was torn down two years later in 1965 was this also related to the situation with the Fox? In all my years of going to the movies the Fox West Coast Theatres were my favorite.Im sure your dad had something to do with this.He was from the old school of exhibition I have heard so much about.brucec
Anyone wishing to share reminiscences or other information about the Fox San Francisco is invited to visit the Fox San Francisco website at http://www.historigraphics.com/fox/default.shtml.
My father - Robert Apple - was the last Managing Director of the Fox, and tried desperately to save it from destruction. At the 40th anniversary of its closure in February 2003, I decided it was time to pull together whatever photographs and other items I had, and to build a website to celebrate this most magnificent of movie palaces. Contact information can be found at the website.
The Fabulous Fox San Francisco Theatre was located at 1350 Market Street. And even through many listings saying 5000 seats, the theatre seated 4651 people and remember that when CinemaScope was installed in the theatre they lost the seats in the Golden Horseshoe area under the balcony. Because it cut the top half of the picture on screen in the CinemaScope format.
This theatre was never known as Fox San Francisco,
and its ID should be corrected accordingly.
It was always, quite simply, The Fox Theatre;
you can add San Francisco, California,
as a geographical reference, but that was never part of
its name (as opposed to Fox Oakland, etc.)
This theatre was never known as Fox San Francisco,
and its ID should be corrected accordingly.
It was always, quite simply, The Fox Theatre;
you can add San Francisco, California,
as a geographical reference, but that was never part of
its name (as opposed to Fox Oakland, etc.)
“THE FABULOUS FOX”
Of all the fabulous movie palaces in the US, many consider the FOX once in San Francisco to be the most ornate and lavish, while others place that estimate of the finest on New York city’s long gone ROXY. For its 6,000 seats, its fine pipe organ, its innovations of a hospital room, playland room for the kiddies with matron on duty, its rising and falling stage and orchestra pit elevators, and its general vastness of Spanish theme decor, it may be the acme of movie palaces that many experts consider it to be. But the French themed FOX was unique in its own ways, and is the only theatre to have both a fabulous book to match the fabulous 5,000-seat theatre, but also now a special publication of the Theatrical Historical Society of America (http:\www.HistoricTheatres.org) to record the FOX’s unforgettable presence in the history of theatres.
That 1979 book, known as a difficult-to-find keepsake by many searchers, is titled: “FOX… The Last Word, Story of the World’s Finest Theatre” by the late Preston J. Kaufmann. Here, in almost 400 heavy, glossy pages are hundreds of photos of the FOX, which was demolished in 1963. The author documented thousands of details of the theatre, from its rise to its fall, as a lesson we should all learn from its demise. He replicated the blueprints as well as the opening day programme, and even includes a chapter on all the theatres which preceded it, pre and post the 1906 earthquake and fire. Another chapter details the artistry of casting the plaster and bronze used in the theatre and its bronze marquee. If the FOX was a landmark, so is this 7-pound, hardbound book! Since the death of the author and thus the demise of his publishing company a few years ago, the prospect of reprinting the book is slim, indeed (though used copies are sometimes available at www.Amazon.com))
Because the book is no longer generally available, the Society has produced in their ANNUAL for 2003, a 36-page softbound collection of some of the photos which appeared in the book, and a few which did not. The dozens of black and white photos cover all the major areas and are preceded by several hundred words by Steve Levin, a former San Franciscan for whom this was no doubt his favorite theatre. The ANNUAL is titled: “FOX THEATRE, San Francisco” (Thomas W. Lamb, architect) and is available through their web site: www.HistoricTheatres.org has a PUBLICATIONS link in their navbar with the instructions on how to order it.
These publications and others are a due Memorial to this, perhaps the most luxurious of America’s movie palace heritage.
The organ is now located in the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Ca.
Various furnishing and artifacts from the Fox surface from time to time around the Bay Area. For the public eye, however, the most accessible is the main curtain, which is in use in the main (vintage) auditorium at the Grand Lake Theatre, Oakland. Some additional embroidered hangings from one of the Fox’s doorways may be seen in the Grand Lake’s lobby.