Fonda Theatre

Joe Vogel on January 21, 2005 at 10:08 pm

The Los Angeles Times records the date on which this theater re-opened as the Guild as February 2nd, 1945.

Ken Roe on January 1, 2005 at 10:50 am

This opened as the 980 seat capacity Carter DeHaven Music Box Theatre on 20th October 1926. It was designed by noted theatre architects Octavious Morgan, J.A. Walls and Stiles O. Clements in a Spanish Colonial style.

Initially it was used for staging elaborate musical revues in which artists such as Fanny Brice starred in productions designed to rival the ‘Zeigfeld Follies’. After the show, theatregoers could mingle with the stars and dance and watch cabaret shows in an open-air room located above the theatre’s main entrance. This room was also a well known ‘speakeasy’ serving alcohol during the prohibition era. Within a year the theatre had become a drama playhouse and productions included Clark Gable starring in “Chicago” and Bella Lugosi starring in “Dracula” following on from his first big screen success in that role.

In 1936 it became a radio studio theatre and artists such as Mae West, Al Jolson, Joan Crawford, James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper and Jean Harlow all graced the stage, broadcasting dramas as ‘The Lux Radio Theatre’. This possibly only lasted until 1938 as CBS had then taken over the former Vine St Theatre (now the Ricardo Montalban Theatre) and broadcasts of ‘The Lux Radio Theatre continued from there. The Music Box Theatre was most likely 'dark’ until it returned to legitimate stage use briefly in the early 1940’s when, again known as the Music Box Theatre, a production of “Life With Father” had an extensive run in 1942. Again, the theatre possibly had another ‘dark’ period.

It became a full time movie theatre known as the Guild Theater from February 1945 when Fox West Coast Theatres took control and it was re-modelled in the foyer areas to an Art Deco Moderne design, which included a stylish pavement mounted pay-box. Cladding was put on the facade of the theatre hiding the original Spanish style decorations and the auditorium was given the ‘Skouras’ style treatment that many Fox West Coast Theatres were given at this time. It later became the Fox Theatre, showing first run movies.

A later change of management in the mid-1950’s altered the name to Pix Theater (the Fox name was transfered to the former Iris Theatre further West on Hollywood Blvd) and a spectacular neon display was mounted on the new marquee and vertical sign. Many ‘Sneak Previews’ were held at the Pix and in 1975 the premier of “Jaws” was held here, followed in 1976 by the premier of “Rocky”. But this was a last gasp as it briefly went over to screening Spanish language movies and closed as a full time move theatre in 1977, after which it lay empty and un-used for many years.

In March 1985 it re-opened as the Henry Fonda Theatre, a legitimate theatre with a production of “Twelve Angry Men” and it came under the management of Nederlander Theatres. Many Broadway productions have played here in recent years including “Driving Miss Daisy”, Glengary Glen Ross", “Lend Me A Tenor” and “Nunsense”. It has also been used for concerts by Marianne Faithful, Cyndi Lauper, Ray Davies and Adam Ant, among many others to numerous to name.

The current seating capacity is 863 and in June 2002 it was getting started on an on-going restoration which has now brought many of the original architectural features back into sight. The former open-air cabaret room has been restored back into use again and serves as a reception area. The theatre now thrives on a mixed diet of concerts, live performances and special events. The current lessee’s hope to eventually remove the cladding on the front of the theatre and reveal and restore the original Spanish style facade.

JakeM on October 7, 2004 at 11:32 am

I saw a rock show (The Hives) here in august of 2004 and was really impressed. Very nice, well managed and beautiful. They have a rooftop lounge with a bar, and the balcony still has the seats. I will definately go back and I urge anyone who wants to see a rock show in a great converted movie house to check out the Music Box.

William on September 22, 2004 at 4:54 pm

I think just did. The X Theatre was located just east of the old World Theatre (aka: Marcal). It was a storefront twin theatre, not a old theatre that turned into porn operation.

scottfavareille on September 22, 2004 at 4:38 pm

The X theater was a twin theater known as the X 1 & 2. It was operated by Carlos Tobalina, who started his career doing softcore fare before going into hardcore XXX in the 1970’s. Tobalina also ran the “luxurious Mayan” theater during its days as an adult theater. Shots of the X(ticket booth and poster cases) can be seen in the 1981 “documentary” called Exhausted. (This was the film that inspired PT Anderson’s 1997 film Boogie Nights.)

I think the X may have been a “storefront” theater instead of an old theater that converted into an “adults only” or porno format. (For those who are familiar with the history of porn theaters, many in the Pussycat and Mitchell Brothers chains were old theaters who converted into a porn format.)

MagicLantern on September 22, 2004 at 3:28 pm

The address of this cinema is 6126 Hollywood Boulevard.

NeilShattuc on April 3, 2004 at 2:09 pm

I am trying to remember when the theater open up. I know it was the Guild in 1947 as I saw film Ivy there with Joan Fontain

cnichols on February 3, 2004 at 4:02 pm

They use both names
HENRY FONDA
and
MUSIC BOX
The ads say something like “The Music Box at the Henry Fonda” or something like that.

William on January 14, 2003 at 12:20 pm

The vertical sign still says The Henry Fonda Theatre. But they are working on restoring the theatre’s auditorium. I have had a few calls about photos to the original auditorium from the new operators. The new name is The Music Box, which is the original name.

Bill H on August 7, 2002 at 9:46 pm

This Spanish Colonial style theater opened on October 18, 1926. Architects were Morgan, Walls, & Clements.