Foxchase 3

4621 Duke Street,
Alexandria, VA 22304

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Additional Info

Previous Names: Shirley Duke Twins, Shirley Duke 3

Nearby Theaters

Shirley-Duke Twin Theatres

This shopping center theater opened on June 23, 1971 as the Shirley Duke Twins and showing largely arthouse fare, the opening movies being “Shinbone Alley” and “The Wild Rovers”. In the mid-1970’s, the theaters turned to showing hardcore XXX films. (One of the screens showed “The Opening of Misty Beethoven” for a record 103 weeks!) A third screen was added in 1975 and the theater would have two screens playing second-run mainstream films and the third screen showing porn. In 1980, the theater was renamed the Foxchase 3.

The theatre continued, one screen showing second-run arthouse fare (with an occasional Bollywood film) and the other two screens show XXX films on video. It was closed in 2005 and torn down as the shopping center it sits in (Foxchase Center) will be replacing it with a big box retailer and a supermarket.

As far as I know, it was the last porn theater operating in the Washington DC metropolitan area.

Contributed by scottfavareille

Recent comments (view all 15 comments)

manfrommaryland
manfrommaryland on October 23, 2006 at 5:16 am

has the theater relocated or is there another adult film theater in northern virginia?

TheUsher
TheUsher on November 19, 2007 at 8:52 pm

This was the last property to be built in the shopping center as it
was a vacant lot since 1947.I worked there in mid 70’s. The third
screen was built in 1975 by splitting one of the original two in
half as my co-workers and I would go after school and help. During
a 24 hour Beatles Marathon, we played an entire movie upside down.
So many good times at the “Duke” I could make a movie about a movie theater! Alan Lenny Larry Louise Pam Don Jeff Jimmy Kenny Jim Frankie
Abe Ernie and Do-funny…. Do I miss those days……..

TheUsher
TheUsher on November 19, 2007 at 9:20 pm

I forgot to mention the original owners also owned the “Biograph” in
Washington D.C.

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on July 20, 2008 at 6:56 pm

The theatre has either been demolish or converted into a grocery store. As of March 2008 there is no indication that a theatre ever existed in this shopping plaza.

raysson
raysson on July 21, 2008 at 2:04 pm

You’re exactly right….this was the last pornohouse that existed in the greater Metro Washington,DC area.
I thought this was still operational!!! I saw a show there once at the Foxchase back in 2004 and it was a good porn flick too starring Georgina Spelvin!!!

tonymatell
tonymatell on November 5, 2009 at 7:45 pm

I didn’t know that their is a cinema name foxchase3 and a porn one.I think I miss a lot

Nick DiMaggio
Nick DiMaggio on December 11, 2012 at 6:54 am

I had almost forgotten about the Shirley Duke Twins. I was living in Alexandria in 1974 and I remember seeing “Night of The Living Dead” here. I still have a Shirley Duke handbill that I picked up in the lobby that day. I’ll post it here shortly.

Nick DiMaggio
Nick DiMaggio on December 11, 2012 at 4:00 pm

I just posted a couple handbills for their midnight movie programs from 1974 when theatre was known as the Shirley-Duke Twins. In addition to “Night of the Living Dead” I also recall seeing “Magical Mystery Tour” here. If memory serves me right I remember the screens were installed slightly higher up than most theatres.

nursej
nursej on March 8, 2013 at 2:56 pm

Oh my gosh. LARRY. I loved Larry. My mom worked at Shirley Duke-then Foxchase as a ticket girl for years. She was a secretary at Cameron Station (military station nearby) but worked at theater to make ends meet. I lived with my grandparents but spent weekends with her so , in turn, spent MANY weekends hanging out in ticket booth and movies while she worked. I did not spend time in Misty Beethoven, btw. (too young). Does anyone know what happened to Larry???? My mom’s name was Dana Spalding, in case anyone knew her. She was a 5'2 blonde worked there from 77ish to 81 or 82.

rivest266
rivest266 on June 28, 2015 at 2:07 pm

July 23rd, 1971 grand opening ad in photo section

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