Dear Bruce,
Not sure what you are getting at with what you stated and why it was addressed to me. From what I read the Brooklyn Fox was demolished and the St. George still stands as beautiful as it was or better than when my father managed it. I am also including an artical describing the Atlanta Fox which doesn’t mention Fabian at all, so what was your comment aiming at????
Atlanta Fox Theatre
600 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Opened December 25,1929
Seating Capacity: 4,518
(Webmaster’s note: Since this is my tribute site to the Atlanta Fox, I felt I needed to put something here, so this is a very concise history of the building. To learn more about the Atlanta Fox Theatre, see the other pages of this site.)
The Atlanta Fox is a Movie Palace that was not meant to be one. Designed by Olliver J. Vinour and P. Thornton Marye, the Yaarab Temple’s Shrine Mosque was to “Out Baghdad Baghdad” with its opulent Arabic and Moorish design. Prior to the start of construction in 1928, Fox Films Corporation signed a 21-year lease to use the mosque’s civic auditorium as a movie theater. The lease was used to acquire a loan from Trust Company of Georgia to provide funds to complete the building project. (The project was totally funded by the Shriners; Fox Films did not provide any financial help.)
The Atlanta Fox Theatre opened Christmas Day 1929 and was the last great Fox Theatre movie palace. Thanks to the Great Depression, Fox Films ceased to operate the Atlanta Fox in August of 1930 and its operation was taken over by Loew’s Incorporated. The Shriner’s organization was financially crippled by the Depression and after it could not pay its mortgage, the Atlanta Fox closed its doors in 1932 after 125 weeks of operation in anticipation of its impending foreclosure. The Atlanta Fox went through a tumultuous period until 1936 when it became the property of Mosque, Inc. During its life between 1929 and 1975, the Fox operated as a movie house with occasional live performances. In 1974, Mosque entered into an agreement to sell the Fox to Bell Telephone for its Southern Bell Division with the express purpose of it being razed. The citizens of Atlanta protested their beloved Fox’s impending fate and through the support of the Atlanta City government, a plan was conceived to save the Fox. Atlanta Landmarks, a non-profit organization, was formed and through a complex loan arrangement and property swap, the Fox was spared from the wrecking ball. The Fox quickly reopened in October of 1975 as a omnibus performing arts theater. In 1978, the Fox’s mortgage was paid off and the building was declared officially “saved”.
Over the next 29 years, an on-going restoration effort was made that has made the Fox better than its original 1929 condition along with some 21st Century improvements. Thanks to the Great Depression and the financial issues the Shriners had, certain aspects of the building were never completed or built. With the financial success of the Fox after it was “saved”, things that were planned but were not done have finally been addressed. This included such things as the proper chandeliers for the auditorium and completing the pipe organ. Since 1975, the on-going restoration and renovation of the Atlanta Fox has cost over $30 million dollars as of late 2004.
The Atlanta Fox Theatre is owned by Atlanta Landmarks, a non-profit organization specifically created to save, preserve, restore, and operate the Atlanta Fox. While its charter leaves open the organization’s “mission” to save other landmarks in the Atlanta area, Atlanta Landmarks' only interest is the Fox.
My name is Janet Trachtenberg, I am Roberta’s sister. Our father Jack Trachtenberg was District Manager for all the Fabian Theatre’s on Staten Island. Including the Staten Island drive-in theatre. He also managed the large building next to the St. George theatre. When he was discharged from the army he became manager of the Liberty theatre on Beach St., Stapleton. From there he worked himself up to District Manager. He met my mother when she was a cashier at the Paramount theatre and they married in 1948.
Well thank you Warren..
Dear Bruce,
Not sure what you are getting at with what you stated and why it was addressed to me. From what I read the Brooklyn Fox was demolished and the St. George still stands as beautiful as it was or better than when my father managed it. I am also including an artical describing the Atlanta Fox which doesn’t mention Fabian at all, so what was your comment aiming at????
Atlanta Fox Theatre
600 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Opened December 25,1929
Seating Capacity: 4,518
(Webmaster’s note: Since this is my tribute site to the Atlanta Fox, I felt I needed to put something here, so this is a very concise history of the building. To learn more about the Atlanta Fox Theatre, see the other pages of this site.)
The Atlanta Fox is a Movie Palace that was not meant to be one. Designed by Olliver J. Vinour and P. Thornton Marye, the Yaarab Temple’s Shrine Mosque was to “Out Baghdad Baghdad” with its opulent Arabic and Moorish design. Prior to the start of construction in 1928, Fox Films Corporation signed a 21-year lease to use the mosque’s civic auditorium as a movie theater. The lease was used to acquire a loan from Trust Company of Georgia to provide funds to complete the building project. (The project was totally funded by the Shriners; Fox Films did not provide any financial help.)
The Atlanta Fox Theatre opened Christmas Day 1929 and was the last great Fox Theatre movie palace. Thanks to the Great Depression, Fox Films ceased to operate the Atlanta Fox in August of 1930 and its operation was taken over by Loew’s Incorporated. The Shriner’s organization was financially crippled by the Depression and after it could not pay its mortgage, the Atlanta Fox closed its doors in 1932 after 125 weeks of operation in anticipation of its impending foreclosure. The Atlanta Fox went through a tumultuous period until 1936 when it became the property of Mosque, Inc. During its life between 1929 and 1975, the Fox operated as a movie house with occasional live performances. In 1974, Mosque entered into an agreement to sell the Fox to Bell Telephone for its Southern Bell Division with the express purpose of it being razed. The citizens of Atlanta protested their beloved Fox’s impending fate and through the support of the Atlanta City government, a plan was conceived to save the Fox. Atlanta Landmarks, a non-profit organization, was formed and through a complex loan arrangement and property swap, the Fox was spared from the wrecking ball. The Fox quickly reopened in October of 1975 as a omnibus performing arts theater. In 1978, the Fox’s mortgage was paid off and the building was declared officially “saved”.
Over the next 29 years, an on-going restoration effort was made that has made the Fox better than its original 1929 condition along with some 21st Century improvements. Thanks to the Great Depression and the financial issues the Shriners had, certain aspects of the building were never completed or built. With the financial success of the Fox after it was “saved”, things that were planned but were not done have finally been addressed. This included such things as the proper chandeliers for the auditorium and completing the pipe organ. Since 1975, the on-going restoration and renovation of the Atlanta Fox has cost over $30 million dollars as of late 2004.
The Atlanta Fox Theatre is owned by Atlanta Landmarks, a non-profit organization specifically created to save, preserve, restore, and operate the Atlanta Fox. While its charter leaves open the organization’s “mission” to save other landmarks in the Atlanta area, Atlanta Landmarks' only interest is the Fox.
My name is Janet Trachtenberg, I am Roberta’s sister. Our father Jack Trachtenberg was District Manager for all the Fabian Theatre’s on Staten Island. Including the Staten Island drive-in theatre. He also managed the large building next to the St. George theatre. When he was discharged from the army he became manager of the Liberty theatre on Beach St., Stapleton. From there he worked himself up to District Manager. He met my mother when she was a cashier at the Paramount theatre and they married in 1948.