Fox Fullerton Theatre

512 N. Harbor Boulevard,
Fullerton, CA 92832

Unfavorite 21 people favorited this theater

Showing 1 - 25 of 33 comments

Matt Lambros
Matt Lambros on May 9, 2016 at 8:13 am

I visited the Fox Theatre almost two years ago. Check out my post about the theater at After the Final Curtain

CTCrouch
CTCrouch on May 31, 2011 at 8:26 am

Today (5/31/11), they will begin removing the 50’s era marquee and box office as part of the ongoing renovation; thus, restoring the theatre’s original look.

CTCrouch
CTCrouch on May 13, 2010 at 2:49 am

Along with celebrating the theatre’s 85th anniversary this month, it was announced that phase one of the site’s renovation will begin in the Fall of 2010. Apparently, this first phase will primarily focus on the complex’s exterior and adjoining commercial units; the idea being that the commercial spaces can provide a steady income, once tenants are able to occupy them.

DickPeterson
DickPeterson on March 24, 2010 at 2:31 pm

The Fox Fullerton has been very important in my life. I grew up there. I started going there as a boy. There was Saturday Crazy Races and Sunday Matinees. As I grew older, I went on Friday nights. It was a good place to meet girls. Saturday night became date night. There was always a double feature and cartoon. Maybe even a newsreel. I spent some weekends pulling weeds out in the back of the theater or cleaning the basement for a minimum wage. When I was older I became an usher and doorman. During one three week period in the summer my brother and I were hired as custodians there so the regular custodian could go on vacation. We worked from the end of the last showing every day to 8:00AM the next morning. You see, my father was the manager there during this time. My favorite times were as a boy when my brother and I would accompany my father to work during the week when the theater was empty and no movies were being shown. We explored every nook and cranny from the attic to the basement. Here’s one for Fox Fullerton fans. Do you know where the fountain was? I did and I knew how to turn it on. I also knew how to sneak into the projection room through the roof.

monika
monika on November 5, 2009 at 2:16 pm

A September 2009 photo of the Fox I took:
View link

jeffdonaldson
jeffdonaldson on December 24, 2008 at 11:59 pm

I started going to the Fox when the La Habra Theatre closed in 1954 or early 1955. My favorite memory was going with my father to see “The Hustler” and sitting in the huge loge seats in the balcony. The biggest loges, all formal wood and red leather, as I recall, and I thought they must have been stolen from William Randolph Hearst at San Simeon.

CTCrouch
CTCrouch on November 15, 2008 at 1:04 pm

According to 1925 L.A. Times advertisements, the theatre’s opening week included the following features:
Tom Mix in “Dick Turpin"
Dorothy Devore in "The Narrow Street"
Rin Tin Tin in "Tracked In The Snow Country”

The grand opening announcement lists 5/28/25 as the opening night and mentions that the Fullerton branch of Mary Louise’s Cafe & Tea Room of Los Angeles was the property’s secondary tenant.

monika
monika on October 29, 2008 at 9:30 am

Here is a 9/08 shot of the Fox:
View link

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 16, 2008 at 5:29 pm

Here is a February 2008 article about renovation:
http://tinyurl.com/5gpott

exit
exit on November 13, 2006 at 6:36 am

I was recently treated to an extensive tour of the building, spoke with the volunteers working on the project, and shown plans for the restoration/renovation. I was impressed by the building’s diverse potential as well as the obvious dedication of the volunteers. When I got home and checked Cinema Treasures, I didn’t find this listing, and tried to submit one. Now that I’ve discovered the theatre is already listed, I’ve submitted a news article to try to focus some well deserved attention on this worthy project….

In October 2006 this theatre was added to the National Regustry of Historic Places. It’s existance is protected, but it now needs all the TLC, support and funding it can get. The folks in charge have made real progress and taken obvious care with the building and rehab plans. There is great opportunity here for creative and commercial involvement in the buildings attached to the theatre. New business ventures opening in this complex will not only support the theatre’s revival, they will reap the benefits of being part of an exciting entertainment destination.

All inquiries may be directed to Jon Wagner – Executive Director, Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation. Phone: (714) 870-0069 Fax: (714) 870-5123 Email:

mikemorano
mikemorano on July 30, 2006 at 8:25 am

I find this photo very interesting. What is the significance of the face over the window?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/morven/201590627/

SharonFagan
SharonFagan on December 18, 2005 at 5:09 pm

Wow! I just discovered this site tonight and would love to share my memories of the Fox. I saw several films there as a child in the 1960’s, the most memorable being The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit. I am thrilled that this building is being restored – downtown Fullerton would NOT be the same without it!

4fun
4fun on December 13, 2005 at 3:54 pm

For those of you that are interested, a short biography of the architect of the Fox Fullerton, Raymond M. Kennedy, has been recently posted on the Wikipedia web site. In order to see it , go to Wikipedia and then type in Raymond M. Kennedy in the search box then click on Go. It has a short biography of Kennedy and some photos that are are copyright free.

JakeM
JakeM on October 21, 2005 at 7:37 pm

I was at the first “Movies on the Fox” event a couple months ago. It was a great event! They showed a video about the theatre, a couple of classic movie previews, a warner brothers cartoon, and the original “War of the Worlds”. As stated above, there was a very good crowd attending the first event. The next show is “Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein” on OCT 27th. I plan to be there and I encourage anyone in the area to come and support the foundation and their work.

daddy59
daddy59 on September 18, 2005 at 12:38 pm

The first Movies on the Fox was a big success so Fullerton Historic Theater Foundation has decided to do it again October 27,2005 we will once again be showing a movie on the back wall of the Fly tower which movie is still to be announced check www.foxfullerton.org site for more news as we get closer to “Movies on the Fox” the movie is free to all bring your lounge chairs or blanket as this is outdoors in the parking lot behind the Fox the first movie we expected two to three hundred and four to six hundred great people showed up hope to see more for this event

daddy59
daddy59 on June 27, 2005 at 7:11 pm

To All in May of 2005 the FullertonFox celebrated its 80th birthday
thankfully many of thFullerton residents turned up for this gala milestone to see the courtyard reveiled from behind boards to much j celebration just this past weekend the Fullerton Histiric theater foundation had its Hollywood in Fullerton event which was a big success we even lit the “FOX” sign atop the theater tower for the first time since the 1940’s what an awesome site that was since it still lights current pictures have been sent to Cinema treasures hopefully they will post soon so all can see this wonderfull building all the hours are worth the praise from Fullerton residents not a day goes by while we are working that cars along Harbor Blvd. yell praises at the volunteers the office for fox is on the corner of Malden and Commonwealth for those who wish to stop in and say hi to the dedicated volunteers working there or stop at the theater if you see us there all are glad to stop and chat about our work or you can sign up to help in the theater at the office we work in the theater every other Saturday starting at 8:00 am for schedule ask at the office recent updates are all the windows along Harbor are replaced, marquee has a fresh coat of paint and I am personally restoring the marquee letters as well as 90% of the theaters outer walls are painted its looking like the building it once was no longer just some “old building ” downtown we are on our way to making her the GEM of Fullerton again

daddy59
daddy59 on June 7, 2005 at 11:17 pm

Thank You All the fox closed escrow late January 2005 sorry its taken so long to let you know but I as a volunteer have been busy pulling weeds,painting and removing debris since escrow closed as well as all the other numerous volunteers, It will take time blood sweat and tears but She will one day soon be the bgeautiful theater she once was donations are still being accepted towards restoration
much of the cleanup work is by volunteer Thanks to all for prayers and past donations to savethe Fox

JakeM
JakeM on March 16, 2005 at 6:46 pm

I stopped by the Save the Fox office a couple weeks ago. There were 3 or 4 volunteers there, all very friendly, with several conceptual drawings, vintage photos, and other info about the theatre. If you are in the area, you should drop by the office and say hi, I’m sure they’d appreciate it. I forget the exact address, but it’s on commonweath just west of Harbor on the north side of the street.

N2BUDZ
N2BUDZ on March 16, 2005 at 6:08 pm

I grew up in Fullerton in the mid 60’s through the 70’s and I loved going into the Fox Fullerton Theater to enjoy their matinees. There was one movie that stuck in my mind for years. It was called “Sudden Terror” aka ‘Eyewitness’. It came out in 1970 and was rated GP not PG as we know it today!!

The movie was very dramatic and scary! I was able to find this movie, which was no easy task! and now I have it on v.h.s.

Fox always had the double feature matinees and the movie that followed ‘Sudden Terror’ was called ‘Cat O’ Nine Tails'

thomasl
thomasl on February 7, 2005 at 9:05 am

I drove down to Fullerton yesterday to see and photograph the Fox Fullerton Theater. This Spanish-style classic is located right in the heart of a classic suburban downtown in a town that has had the forsight to preserve it’s heritage—this is perhaps the handsomest downtown area in Southern California. While the front of the Fox is boarded up, and there is paint peeling off the walls, there is wonderful news on the marquee—one of the great movie palaces of Southern California has indeed been saved by concerned citizens, and is scheduled to be completely refurbished. If only we had more happy endings like this!

retrocool
retrocool on December 14, 2004 at 6:50 pm

I just read in the paper a few weeks ago that the Fox has been saved. I have only seen this theatre from the outside. It looks like very cool. Good job on raising the funds for restoration.

AlfredWillis
AlfredWillis on October 22, 2004 at 10:54 am

Known originally as the Alician Court, the Fox
Fullerton is the most intact of a mere handful of
surviving American “courtyard theaters,” which
featured an open forecourt in lieu of an enclosed
lobby. Its architects of record were Meyer &
Holler, the same firm that designed and built the
Egyptian Theater (1923) and the Grauman’s Chinese
Theater (1927) in Hollywood. Built in 1925, it is a
crucial link in the design history of the courtyard
theater as a building sub-type.

Its actual designer was architect Raymond M.
Kennedy, a 1916 graduate of Cornell University and
winner of the Rome Prize. At the American Academy
in Rome he formed a lifelong friendship with Phillip
T. Schutze, the well known Atlanta classicist with
whose manner Kennedy’s shows much affinity.

The Alician Court (Fox Fullerton) possesses in its
auditorium Kennedy’s largest surviving interior. I
am fortunate to have been able recently to inspect
it first-hand. The design of this interior evokes
the Mannerist architecture of northern Italy, which
was the style most admired by the architect and the
one he had the most skill in imitating. It ranks
among Kennedy’s two or three best interiors at any
scale. It is remarkable for being a work of genuine
architecture and not merely decoration, as most
American theaters of the 1920s were. Its completely
intact proscenium is, architecturally, one of the
finest in California.

The Fox Fullerton is not only one of the most
architecturally significant buildings in Orange
County; it possesses statewide
significance for California. Although little known
and poorly documented, it has some national
significance as the most intact survivor of a rare
building sub-type and as an example of the best work
of one of the most talented early twentieth-century
American architects.

MagicLantern
MagicLantern on September 20, 2004 at 3:11 pm

A long time ago, in a Cinematreasures board far far away, someone wrote: “bpeterson > May 3, 2003 12:15 AM EDT
My dad was the theatre manager from the late 1950s to very early 1970s. There were two restorations: one in the late 1950s and then the late sixties. The murals were intact after the first restoration. I don’t know exactly when the murals were painted over, but I believe it was after my dad retired. I remeber coming back from the service and saw "Star Wars” there; that’s when I noticed the murals painted out."