Fox Theatre
17 W. Congress Street,
Tucson,
AZ
85701
17 W. Congress Street,
Tucson,
AZ
85701
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 47 comments
December 30, 1980 photo added credit H. Darr Beiser / Tucson Citizen.
This opened on April 11th, 1930. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Newspaper section: https://tucson.newspapers.com/clip/7106820/fox_theatre_opening/
Adult movies were shown here 1971-1972.
On August 9th, 2001 a benefit performance was held at the Century 20 – Park Place for the Fox. Ad in the photo section.
It was originally called the Fox Tucson Theatre operated by Fox West Coast Theatres, which, in turn, was originally owned by The Fox Film Corporation, but sold to National Theatres (renamed National General Corporation in 1951) in 1933. In the 1967-1972 era, National General Corporation renamed Fox Theatres National General Theatres. However, to preserve the memory of the Tucson being its eponymous city’s first Fox West Coast Theatre, the location’s name was changed from Tucson to Fox, making it the National General Fox Theatre. In 1973, National General Corporation went out of business, & sold its theatres’ buildings to Mann Theatres, making this place known as the Mann Fox Theatre. It then closed the following year.
Gonzalo Martinez Jr.,I knew your father for a lot of years. He was a Union Brother and I was proud to call him my friend.
My dad was the projectionist there and I have some of the fondest boyhood memories of having the whole balcony to myself while he shot the flicks. I saw many like The Longest Day;Wait Until Dark;Cat Ballou and Bridge on the River Kwai. Also closed circuit broadcasts of the Indy 500, Muhammad Ali prize fights, El Cordobes' Corrida de Toros from Jaen,Spain and the Beatles D.C. concert. I donated a film splicer and I.A.T.S.E. Gold Card from my father’s local of which he was vice president.The Fox is truly a jewel in the crown of the Old Pueblo.
From the 1960s a photo postcard view of Congress St. and the Fox Theatre in Tucson.
From the 1940s a postcard view of Congress Street along with the Fox Theatre in Tucson.
Good work Obersenf, good luck to you and all.
The City of Tucson has taken over management of the facility from the non-profit organization that restored it. They reduced staff and utilize city resources to support the theater. There are only five paid positions and the rest are volunteers (myself amongst them). We do contract out to a local event staffing company as the bar, security and other positions have certain legal requirements.
More and more people are discovering the Fox as downtown slowly gets renovated. More shows are being booked here and each season we show different movies (tonight is ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’). Parking is free downtown after 5 PM and on the weekends so there is no reason not to come see this beautiful landmark.
After reading the May 7, 2009 post about the Fox I do hope that the residents of Tucson and the surrounding areas continue to support this theatre as they are lucky to have this restored theatre in their downtown area after many years of it being closed. It’s a true AZ cinema gem and needs to be respected, not neglected ever again! As I recall the City of Phoenix lost their Fox, but Tucson did the right thing by restoring and preserving their Fox!
I recently met a couple from Tucson and they told me about the Fox Theatre in their city. Thank goodness it was saved from the wrecking ball and was restored and reopened after many years plus it is on the National Registry of Historic Places. I applaud the City of Tucson for saving this Fox as they did the Fox in Atlanta. Also nice to read that the ticket kios is being used as a will-call booth and that it wasn’t removed as is the case more often than not.
Here is a November 1972 ad from the Tucson Daily Citizen:
http://tinyurl.com/mscl9e
Latest news about the Fox as of 5/7/2009
Fox Theatre lost $1.4 million in 2 years
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/291873
Here is a 2/1/09 article from the Arizona Star:
http://tinyurl.com/dgo285
Looks like a pretty cool theatre. My (now-deceased) grandparents lived in Tucson, having moved there from Brooklyn, NY in 1959. Sadly, none of us ever got to know about the Fox Theatre, let alone see any movies there.
Great photo showing the original ticket kios!
Went to the RE-opening movie Wizard of Oz. May see Frankenstein or The Blob there this summer
TomG: I think you’re right. The “Loft” rings a bell. I think when I asked at the University where the “Loft” was, I was told – Oh, everyone knows where the Loft is; just go to such and such (a corner) and you’ll see alot of people going to the Loft; just follow them; and they were right. I was looking for a building with a “loft” but it was just the opposite; that theater had no height at all. I think its name was from an earlier incarnation as some other business. Thank you.
To answer SPearce, I believe that the theater that you referred to is the Loft which was located near the U of A at 6th and Fremont. Its current inception is the Loft Cinema which is listed in Cinema Treasures. Several years ago, the Loft Cinema took over the building that used to be the Showcase on Speedway Blvd. near Country Club Road. It is a non-profit run by a foundation. It shows mainly independent and art films and has a good following. This was the only theater in Tucson to show the Piaf film last year. There are two auditoriums, the larger one is downstairs and a smaller one is in what was once the balcony.
The Fox Tucson is located on Congress Street just west of Stone Avenue in downtown Tucson. It was closed from the mid 1970’s until early 2006. It has been fully restored and is used for concerts as well as movies. This weekend the fully restored version of a 1950’s John Wayne western, “Hondo” is being shown. It is being presented in its original 3D version.
In the Spring Semester of 1964 I attended the U. of AZ. In cleaning out some saved items from then I have found a Student Discount Card – a blue field with a white-lined illustration of a theater with the words “FOX” and “THEATRES” on the marquee and the vertical above it bearing the word FOX, and a kleig light and stars and light flashes in the sky. On the left is a cane with flag/banners in red/white/ blue with the three words FOX WEST COAST separated in each flag/ banner. Under it is the signature of Wm. H. Thedford. The id number under that is “518470” and “Expires June 30, 1964.” Then there was a place for a student’s signature.
On the backside it also bears:
“This card entitles bearer to Fox West Coast Student Discount Admission Price.
Not good for Special or Reserved Seat Attractions.
Present at the box office with Student Identification.
Discount Privilege will be revoked if used by other than original purchaser."
It also bears in the bottom left corner at the back a small “n” over a small “c” inside the capitol letter “G” and at the center “PRICE 50 (cents).”
If any preservation group for the Fox Theater in Tucson would be interested in this discount card to add to their collection of memorabilia for this theater, please advise.
Can anyone answer this question? In the Spring of 1964 I saw “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” in a small theater in Tucson, favored by students, that was the first “arthouse movie theater” I ever attended. Might anyone recall or share the name of it? It was quite a well attended theater, not large, and had posters of many films shown there on display in the exterior reception walls leading to the entrance to the theater. It seemed like it may have been a “wood” entry. I was surprised at the number of patrons it could house at one time. I also remember for the quality of films shown, the price seemed fairly modest (even though it was a university town).
photos of restoration, click on each month:
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May 2000 article with photo of Art Deco chandelier:
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larger version of chandelier photo:
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photo of ceiling under restoration:
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Masonry repair:
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But thank goodness the marquee doesn’t seem to have been changed!
ken mc: When comparing the August 3, 2007 photo with your posted exterior b/w exterior vintage photo I can see the differences like awnings at the above windows and the change in the ticket kios!
ken mc: Love that second interior photo…such clean design lines.
Here are two photos from the CA state library:
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