Fox Theatre

I posted a couple of photos of the Fox, Detroit that I took about 4 years ago on the Cinephoto UK website. One is of the lobby and the other shows part of the auditorium exterior:

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I also took a couple of interior photo’s that don’t reproduce too well. I was almost thrown out of the place for taking them but what the heck…it was worth the aggravation to have my own pictures!
The Detroit Fox is a marvel to see. I make a point of visiting there from Canada once every year or so just to be overwhelmed.

Keith, that record is a real collectors item today. It was on a private label (I don’t even remember what the label name was) but it was Ed Gress' own label. He was from Detroit, moved to Boston in the late 50’s and became a respected builder/designer of church and concert organs. Funny thing about that album—he was young when he recorded that disc, and played every song in the key of C! nice arrangements, though. After he moved to Boston an eminent professor of organ (who was a theatre organist in the 20’s) heard him play, and Ed wanted to know what he thought of his playing. He replied that his style was good, but that there were 11 other keys that a song could be played in, and it might make his playing more enjoyable. Ed dug right in and studied all twelve keys, modulations between them, etc. and became very proficient in them.
I have only ever seen one copy of that album, a friend lent it to me in 1975, I made a really bad cassette copy and returned it. Good luck. John

The RCMH Christmas spectacular has been running at the Detroit Fox since 1997, and has done very well. It shows no sign of ending within this decade. The Ilitch family, who owns the Fox (and the Little Caesar’s Pizza chain, the outfit that paid for the restoration of the Fox) truly believes that the Fox should be doing that show every December (we run from 11/26-12/26) and have stated that they are not bottom line sensitive on that show. That hasn’t been a problem, as the show has really caught on, and does very well. The RCMH people are enlarging the number of franchises they operate. I believe the Ohio theatre in Columbus is new this year with the show. John

In that sense, yes. NY still has a (ever shrinking) live orchestra, and the full 36 Rockette troupe. The set pieces are pretty much the same, we have 2 camels, 2 donkeys and 4 sheep for the finale. No, it’s not exactly like New York, but we’re not exactly in New York. It’s still a lot of spectacle.

Patsy, Yes I will be seeing lots of that show. I will be playing the Moller lobby organ and the auditorium Wurlitzer (both original to the theatre) before 13 of the sixty-some shows. We are the only “live” musical act in the show, the orchestral accompaniment being pre-recorded. The “review” nature of the RCMH Christmas show is a great fit for the Detroit Fox, and is remarkably like the live entertainment that preceded the movies during the halycon days. Thousands upon thaousands see this show every year, get to experience the magic of a movie palace (and what a palace!) and hear one of the last remaining all original, as built, still in it’s original home—Wurlitzer theatre pipe organs. The Fox Wurlitzer is one of five made of the largest stock model Wurlitzers, only the Radio City Music Hall one-off organ in manhattan being larger.

This Fox theater sounds to be as nice as the Fox in Atlanta and if you are in either Buffalo or Detroit this holiday season the Shea’s in Buffalo and the Fox in Detroit have the Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular on their performance schedule! It is also in Columbus OH, Denver CO, St. Louis MO and Boston MA. Check the site www.thegarden.com/xs_cities.html for further details.

I would like to ad a word of correction to the previous comments regarding style. the offical style of the Detroit and St. Louis Fox theatres is “Siamese Byzantine” as described by it’s architect, C. Howard Crane. It is not Rococo, as that term is properly used to describe Italian and French styles of the 17th and 18th century (many movie palaces were decorated this way). The term “Eve Leo” (not Eva) was a bit of 20’s advertising ballyhooy (it was, after all a decade of intense ballyhoo) that was playing up on Mrs. Fox’s habits in acting as purchasing agent for decorative items for the theatres. She had some descretion in what to buy, but many of the furnishings were specified by the architect/decorator. Her barganing powers were legendary. An often told story is where a supplier of furniture told her if she ordered what they had discussed they wold give her a very expensive piece for her home (which they would be pointing to at the moment) her reply was “how much is that table worth?” the salesman would reply with a grossly inflated figure. Her response: “fine,if you can afford to give me that table you can keep your table and subtract that amount from our bill!"
The "oriental” description on this site is adequate, and far more accurate than many I have seen in print and in cyberspace (the great un-editied library). I have been associated with the Detroit Fox since 1975, in one way or another. I have been on the theatre’s staff since the 1988 re-opening. John

An exact twin to the St. Louis Fox. They only differ on the exterior.

The style of the Fox is “Eva Leo”, named for William Fox’s wife Eva Leo Fox.
Designed by famous Detroit architect C. Howard Crane, The Fox seated 5041(41 seats more than The St.Louis Fox) prior to the 1988 12.5 million dollar renovation.
During the 60s The Fox was co-owned by movie producer Herman Cohen (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF) with his life long friend Bill Brown.

A good site for info on this theatre: detnews.com/history/fox/fox.htm

here is my unofficial Fox Theatre Website:

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