Fox Theatre
1600 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19102
1600 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19102
19 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 66 comments
Superman: The Motion Picture opened here at Milgram’s Fox Theatre in 1978
Fifty years ago today THE EXORCIST opened here. The Stage Door was among only two-dozen cinemas in twenty-one North American markets to play the film at release launch. (I do not see a separate database entry for the Stage Door, a conversion of the Fox’s stagehouse area. Earlier today I erroneously posted this comment on a page for another theater named Stage Door.)
The last thing I saw at the Fox was “Ladies and Gentlemen,The Rolling Stones” concert film which showed right before closing. It might have been a four wall deal. Unfortunate it’s no longer around. If they’d have renovated in some way it might have been a great event or concert space.
September 1st, 1971 grand opening ad for the Stage door can be found in the photo section.
Like my beloved Boyd theater this was another example that the city of Phila doesn’t give a damn about preserving any of the historic old theaters. They are now all gone which is a disgrace.
If this opened on November 26th, 1923, why did the amusement section carried no ad for this theatre?
http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201923/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201923%20a%20-%200567.pdf
Among the films I saw here were “The Birds”.
Click here for an exterior view of the Fox and Stanton Theatres in 1929.
This is a photo from 1936
View link
Yes and what a marquee.
Great Pictures,I mean great pictures.Marion and Ken Mc.Love the 007.
The Deer Hunter did reserved performance engagements in other big cities around the country.
I asked Vince Young, who frequently contributes to this site, where in downtown Phila. did “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” play, and also “The Deer Hunter” and he has ok'ed my posting his reply:
opened 10/01/69 @ The Fox. What a wonderful opening day that must’ve been…Fox had been running a double-bill of Bullitt and Bonnie and Clyde previously, and the 10/1 “all day prevue day” was BC and Bullitt together. Makes me recall some of the amazing “prevue day” double bills that were here locally.
Am glad you asked about Deer Hunter. I thought there was something a bit historical about its run here, and it seems that it may have been the last “reserved Performances only…tickets on sale for first six weeks” engagement that I can remember here. It opened Friday 02/23/79 @ The Stagedoor. Two shows daily, three on weekends.
There is an interior shot in this ad from Boxoffice magazine, December 6, 1947:
View link
Here is a May 1956 photo from Temple U:
http://tinyurl.com/yjmtkrr
A hot summer night in 1964 under the marquee.
View link
Here is a December 1965 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yh9vwr9
Here is an October 1979 photo from Temple U. If I wasn’t at the October 7 show it must have been pretty close to that date.
http://tinyurl.com/ykz5gnb
According to the research of Edwin Allen at the Philadelphia Free Library the Stage Door Cinema opened on September 1, 1971 with the film “Carnal Knowledge.”
Was there a particular art to hanging letters on the marquee? I viewed the online pictures and saw that the lettering was perfectly aligned and spaced, no matter how large the marquee.
Hello moviemachine, My Grandfather Max Moskovitz was a projectionist at the Fox, any chance you worked with him. The only movie I remember seeing ther was Superman. I watched the movie from the booth. As an eleven year old I couldn’t understand why I had to watch it without any sound and wasn’t allowed to go down to the theater. I guess the neighborhood had gotten a little rough by 1978.
Cheers, Michael
Here’s some more Fox history from Box Office:
24 June 1939 Box Office “Young Mr. Lincoln†with vaudeville show
20 July 1946 Box Office “Centennial Summer†exterior photos at Fox with crowd
15 Nov 1947 Box Office p 16, Catholic students & war veterans protested showing of film “Forever Amber”
18 March 1949 Box Office “A Letter to Three Wives” in its 3rd week at the Fox
11 Feb 1950 Box Office “Twelve O'Clock High” being shown at Fox
22 Sept 1951 Box Office p 13 photo of huge crowd outside Fox for the film “The Frogmen”
22 March 1952 Box Office: movie “Viva Zapata!” at Fox, 3rd week
24 May 1952 Box Office: “Deadline-U.S.A.†being shown
4 Oct 1952 Box Office: Fox recent policy to play film from other studios, not just Fox
16 June 1956 at Fox, for opening of movie “D-Day the Sixth of June” a tank driven by the Army
14 July 1956 Box Office to promote “The King and I” movie opening at Fox, Thailand finance minister’s wife Princess Rudivorian appeared
Chuck’s 1974 photo does not have the right link.
Here is some Fox history from late 1930s and 1940s. “Some Like it Hot†was shown in 1939. "The Mark of Zorro” was shown in late 1940. Hitchcock’s Lifeboat" was doing good box office in early 1944. In July 1944 “Double Indemnity” was shown. The Eastern premiere of “G.I. Joe” was hosted on July 27, 1944.
Renewing link
Here is a 1970 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/c9emgs