Fox Theatre
6508 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6508 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
20 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 152 comments
It wasn’t anything special, mom dropped me off here to watch The Little Mermaid, I think she left me because she said the movie was making her sick, also saw Troop Beverly Hills here…nothing to write home about, really a dump in the late 80s. Nothing lost if it’s torn down, it was a cracker box even at the time…
Mann Theatres was the last theatre chain to run the theatre. United Artists Theatres operated the Egyptian Theatre and those awful twins in the rear area of the property. Mann was the last lease holder to the theatre and they were the one that closed it and decided not to run it as a theatre.
My Little History at the Fox Theater
EMPLOYED
I worked the Fox Theater on second shift at 6508 Hollywood Blvd. from the summer of 1986, at the opening of ‘The Golden Child’ through Spring of 1987. The first half of my employ, it was known as the “Mann’s Fox Theater” and was later bought out by United Artist. At the end of my time, there were two rumors concerning this building:
DESCRIPTION
Pine’s November 1, 2006 at 2:46 am post;
I can describe the inside of this theater having worked there. The girl’s dressing room was a large walk in closet – no windows. It was at the top of the stairs on the west side.Our uniforms were kept there. The men’s and women’s bathrooms were upstairs on the north side. The projection room and manager’s office were on the south side. They also had no windows. The theater was small and cozy. Downsairs behind the cashier was the storage room filed with candy, popcorn etc. The doorman’s dresing room I never saw, but I think it was behind the stage? The theater was very comfortable, not too small, not too big and very clean. From the candy counter we had a good view of the street and I enjoyed people watching.
posted by Pine </users/16188> on Nov 1, 2006 at 2:46am
is an accurate description of what I recall. The only things I can add are:
The steel door on the inside of the ticket booth showed a deep indention from a bullet, put there during a robbery. I hard the booth attendant was hurt pretty badly, then tried to return to work and fear of a reoccurrence eventually cause her to quit. The combination locked safe was in the floor of the ticket booth.
Upstairs at first glance appeared to be a semi-circled hallway that stretched across the entire upper level with stairs at both ends. The bathroom and manager’s doors that Pine mentioned were on the outside wall and the projection booth on the inside wall. And “when it rained, it poured!” during the rainy season it leaked throughout the building.
Scanning the pictures on this site, the front of the building has had many face-lifts. When I was there the rear of it, in the little alley, did not look like the same building. It looked as if it was supposed to be white when it was constructed. Although it did not have graffiti, it had varying layers of rust and discolorations. I, like many of you, loved the marquee.
THE CREW
The manager was James Foreman, who I heard was transferred to a theater in Beverly Hills.
The assistant manager was Duane, (no after theater information on him.)
Our doorman was the faithful, Slim. When I got there it was jokingly said ‘Slim has been with the theater since it opened. Pine’s September 11, 2006 4:50 – 4:56 am posts,
I worked at this theater during the summer of 1969 and a few other times after that. I was 18 and 19 years old and made $1.65 an hour. Mr. Duff was the manager. He was an alcoholic and sometimes on the make with the girls. I worked as a loan out at other theaters and other managers were like that too. It was a bad scene, overall. My best friend from high school helped me get the job. She and another friend bought drugs from a red haired guy who would come by everyday carrying a paper sack. I ended my friednship with her and went to beauty school down the street. Sometimes I’d worked nights at Fox and go to school during the day. I took the city bus home at midnight. I lived on Van Ness below Franklin Avenue. It was scary.
Continued from my previous post. Cher and a friend came in one day for a matinee and ordered cokes and popcorn with extra butter. They were very nice. An older man named Slim worked as one of the doormen. Everyday he would order a Dr. Pepper with a candy bar. I felt sorry for him. I remember when when the film Easy Rider premiered there and the lines were around the block.
posted by Pine </users/16188> on Sep 11, 2006 at 4:57am
confirmed his long time dedication. A couple of months before I left, Slim fell ill and did not return to work.
(no after theater information on him.)
One of our ushers; Larry, doubled as doorman.
(no after theater information on him.)
Our other usher, Honor, doubled as ticket taker when Larry was not in.
(no after theater information on her.)
The two cousins (Maria and Elizabeth) I heard took more hours in the retail jobs.
I have no information on who ran the projection booth during my stay.
FAMOUS PEOPLE
The famous people that graced our audience was:
THE LA RAIDERS
RAE DAWN CHONG – came in with one of her friend’s toddler daughter.
ART EVANS – came in a few times.
PATRONAGE
The was not a steady flow of patriots, at times the show began as scheduled with one to a few viewers present.
Well manwithnoname posted that info above on Feb. 23 2007 at 12:40pm that the theatre was tobe turned into a club.
It sounds like it may become a restaurant/bar or a club.
Not much hope for rehab based on that picture.
ill have some pics soon.
Any photos of the interior before it’s too late?
Most of the info on this site is correct, no seats, fixtures, carpet ect. have been removed. All that remains is a few bare walls. Demo is scheduled for April 2007, all that is to remain are the exterior brick walls, including everything from the roof rafters to the floor. (nothing structural) As for the stage, it still seems to be as it was when the theater opened in 1917. Except for the screen, in wich about two thirds of it has been ripped down, leaving the remaing portion hanging with one jagged edge torn from side to side. Numerous tears from what it appears to be objects that were thrown through it, like a big piece of torn paper with holes.
True. I remember only two good movies that had lines around the block, the rest of the time the theater was near empty. I wondered how they made it. It’s all about whether a theater has movies people want to see. Fox didn’t have consistent good movies. I remember some awful off beat type of films. Too many theaters not enough good movies? One of the movies at the Fox was “Easy Rider.” I answered the phone all day long from people wanting to know how to get to Hollywood Blvd, Which exit to take etc. Most of the calls were from the Valley – biker types.
While what you say about Hollywood Blvd is probably true…that’s not the reason all the theaters closed.
It was a national trend. Everyone lost their theaters, even in the best of neighborhoods. Viewing habits changed in the 50’s with the dawn of TV. Today, more modern multiplexes are used. It’s hard to make an old single screen theater profitable. Even duplexing or triplexing is still hard to compete with the multiplexes.
I think this will be great that the building will be renovated, or at least used. Sure, it’s unfortunate that it won’t be a theater anymore….but this is a lot better than conversion into retail….and certainly better than an abandoned building slowly falling apart for two decades.
The answer from the writer Robert Vincent) of the LA Times article was “Uh oh! Thanks for telling me”.
The theatre closed 16 years ago in 1991. According to the post above from the Times story it closed in 1977. Time flies when your having fun on Hollywood Blvd.
That is the most nauseating news I’ve heard all week. I hope Crobar goes out of business soon. If I’d known the theater was that cheap, I would have bought it. Just what Hollywood needs (or the world needs), another trendy nightclub for idiot kids to get wasted at. This trend will pass, and all these “renovated” theaters will sit empty, only by then they will have ruined them irrevocably. Karma, baby – it will come.
Here’s a view of the Fox from the air:
View link
I can describe the inside of this theater having worked there. The girl’s dressing room was a large walk in closet – no windows. It was at the top of the stairs on the west side.Our uniforms were kept there. The men’s and women’s bathrooms were upstairs on the north side. The projection room and manager’s office were on the south side. They also had no windows. The theater was small and cozy. Downsairs behind the cashier was the storage room filed with candy, popcorn etc. The doorman’s dresing room I never saw, but I think it was behind the stage? The theater was very comfortable, not too small, not too big and very clean. From the candy counter we had a good view of the street and I enjoyed people watching.
Agreed. I worked at the World in 1966 for a few weeks – was going to LACC and had to have rent and food money, so I worked the late shift. But, I also went there every week to see whatever triple bill was playing. That’s where I saw The Professionals for the first time. Even though the World was a low-rent affair, it was still terrific. Of all the Boulevard theaters, though, I loved going to the Paramount best of all (well, during its heyday) – what a theater and what curtains and what movies I saw there. Plus, it was just a short half-block walk to C.C. Brown’s!
That’s one of the main things I miss about going to the movies. I did the same thing, I would catch a show at the Chinese and walk down to the Pacific or one of the others for another film. Or go for the long haul with the triple feature at the World. All these theatres were managed by career managers that gave these theatres their personalities. Not the new corporation management styles of today.
Oops – continuing –
never tire of describing the magic of what it was like to go to the movies in the 50s, 60s, and even 70s, in the pre-multiplex days, when there were hundreds of stand-alone movie theaters in this city.
Exactly. One could spend an entire two or three days just going from movie theater to movie theater, catching all the latest, which is what I frequently used to do. Just start at the Chinese, then to the Paramount, then over to the Hollywood, then to the Egyptian, the Vogue, the Warner Cinerama (then the Pacific’s), the Fox (or Iris), and I’d even do the New View, Admiral, and the Academy in the early 60s. Back then, even the Iris and the Hollywood were nice and comfy theaters. Each theater had its own personality, which is what I loved about the nabes, too. I’ve written about these theaters in my various novels so much that I fear I will write myself out, and yet I never do – I never tire of describing the magic of what it was like togokjkjkjkjkjk
You’re right, I remember when all the theatres on Hollywood Blvd. were all open showing movies. If you did not catch the film at the Chinese, Dome, Paramount, Pacific or the Egyptian #1, it all ended up at the World. Those were the days.
The owners should be run out of town on a rail. I’ll tell you something – if they renovated and re-opened these two theaters my guess is that they’d do well as movie theaters – like the El Capitan has. Warners should do that with the Pacific’s – make it their flagship theater. If the Dome can operate as a theater, so can these. Nightclubs – phooey.
Richard, The Fox Theatre has been gutted for along time now. And the current owners plan to turn this former theatre into a nightclub, along with the nearby Vogue Theatre. Somewhat in the lines of the ElRey Theatre on Wilshire Blvd..
I am currently looking for any Old Theatres in which to lease or possibly buy in Reseda, Van Nuys, Hollywood or North Hollywood. It has been my Long life Dream to renevate and own my own Theatre/ Venue. Please e-mail me at or call me at 310-597-9398 if youo live here!! Thanks.Rick
P.S. If you also live in the areas in which I am looking and want to help please contact me as well!!