Fonda Theatre
6126 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6126 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
19 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 94 comments
Started its Spanish-language policy on June 4th, 1979. Grand opening ad posted.
January 1983 Flickr image.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/terryviews/4673549811/in/photostream/
The Pix held a reopening on November 19th, 1969 with a street parade from the Cinerama Dome with 200 skydivers diving from a plane at 5500 feet up. Another ad posted.
Also uploaded the May 25th, 1954 grand opening ad as New Fox and the September 30th, 1959 grand opening ad as the Pix.
Opened as Music Box on October 20th, 1926. LA Times article from the 17th:
and opened again as Guild on February 1st, 1945. Another ad posted.
Reopened as Pix on November 26th, 1944.
1978 Firestone Super Stones print ad added, tied into “Grease” at the Pix Theatre.
I am still amazed that it was called the FOX for 2 years before becoming the PIX and yet there are no photos of the marquee from it’s FOX years. Anyone out there have some pictues?
Jeff Lynne’s ELO, 11/23/15 photo added, photo credit Matthew Schulz.
The Fonda Theatre status should be changed to Open. It is a live music venue and available for private events. Website below.
http://www.fondatheatre.com/
I saw The War Wagon at the Pix. The walls were covered with maroon drapes and the screen seemed bigger than would fit on the stage – possibly it was constructed forward of the proscenium.
Thanks for that good-news update, CTCrouch!
The closure was the end result of a legal dispute between the property owners and the theatre’s, now former, operator; naturally, each side has a different take on the scenario. However, the property owners are actively seeking a new operator and are committed to reopening as soon as possible. This is NOT a case of a site which doesn’t make money and there are no plans to operate it as anything other than a live theatre.
MJuggler, that really stinks!
Just read that it is closed! http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/2012/01/rip-music-box-for-good/
Today this theater first opened its doors for business 85 years ago in 1926 !!
Of course, the theater was originally named for the father of movie star Gloria De Haven. Does anyone know if she’s active in the preservation/restoration plans?
You’re fast, Hollywood — I just got home from the event! Great pictures, by the way.
Here’s our Insider’s Peek of the Music Box.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P96-4Aud_c4
They’ve dropped Henry Fonda from the marquee and name. It’s just The Music Box now.
As for restoring the theater, they’ve done quite a bit of work in the past year. Thaddeus Smith gave us a tour the other day and pointed out several areas where they had uncovered the original stencils, lobby ceiling, the “speakeasy,” etc., and in a few places they have preserved these as they are so people can see the history. Other changes they have made are easily reversible. The best of adaptive reuse.
The LAHTF will be presenting an All About on November 13th, 10:30 a.m. Everyone is invited to this event. We are also trying to arrange to go into the old Hawaii a block to the east (this is now a Salvation Army church).
The good news is that they’re very busy (36 events booked in October alone; 81 for the next 3 months), which will make it easier for them to preserve the building.
Bruce, we get that you’re disappointed about the neon. You don’t have to post the same message every year!
Here is the new link to their site.
http://www.tmbhollywood.com/
The original facade is still there, hidden away. A couple of years ago I was speaking to the current operators, who were hoping to restore the theatre back to its original appearance. Sadly, that hasn’t happened yet……
I wonder if the original facade of the building is buried somewhere under the current facade.