Music Box/Fox/Pix/Fonda Theatre: history + exterior views

6126 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028  | map |

Also see: Music Box/Fonda: interior views

Opened: October 20, 1926 as the Carter DeHaven Music Box with the revue "Fancies." The original concept was to offer revues (in the Ziegfeld style) in the auditorium with dancing (and illicit drinking) in the open-air cabaret space above the lobby. Views of that rooftop space are down near the bottom of the page. The November 1926 Dick Whittington Studio photo is in the USC Digital Library collection. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Godzilla for finding it for his Noirish post #17466.

Phone: 323-464-6269   

Online: www.goldenvoice.com | www.fondatheatre.com | on Facebook |

Architects: Morgan, Walls & Clements

Seating: Advertised as 1,000 originally. In 1999 it was listed as 863 with 572 on the main floor and 291 in the balcony. The seats have been removed on the main floor and the floor leveled. Total space in the building is about 31,000 SF.

Stage Specifications: The proscenium is 36' 6" wide and approximately 30' high. Stage depth is 27' 9" from the smoke pocket to the back wall. The grid is 60' high. It's a hemp house. Scroll down to the bottom of the interior views page for more stage details.

The project had been announced in the September 13, 1925 issue of the L.A. Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the article. Initial investors in the theatre included John Barrymore, John Gilbert, Reginald Denny, King Vidor and Mae Murray.

 The September 13, 1925 Times article.

 

 

The same rendering of this early design concept also appeared in the October 1925 issue of Los Angeles Realtor as part of a collage titled "Five New Playhouses for Hollywood." The others were the Warner, Chinese, Hollywood Playhouse and El Capitan. Thanks to the Special Collections Division of the Los Angeles Public Library for making the issue of the magazine available.  

John Barrymore was to be involved in the groundbreaking. Thanks to Kenneth McIntyre for locating this April 1926 L.A. Daily News item for a post for the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. Somehow they thought it was to be called the Band Box.  

 

Mae Murray had the "champagne" duties for the event on May 1, 1926. Thanks to April Clemmer for locating this article. Visit the April's Old Hollywood site for information on walking tours and special events she hosts. She's also on Facebook.

A drawing by Charles Owens that appeared in the October 17, 1926 L.A. Times. They commented: "Melody and pulchritude will predominate in Carter De Haven's Music Box according to the producer."

Another drawing appearing in the October 17, 1926 issue of the Times.

This article appeared (with the two drawings above) in the October 17, 1926 Times under the headline "Hollywood's Second Playhouse to Open Tomorrow Night." The article notes that the first legit house in Hollywood had been the El Capitan. The two additional legit theatres mentioned as opening soon were the Vine St. (now the Montalban) and the Hollywood Playhouse (now the Avalon).

This opening night ad appeared in the October 20, 1926 Times. They had planned to open on the 18th but had a two day delay when the orchestra leader got sick. An article on the 20th noted that "De Haven announces that the two-day postponement caused by the illness of Arthur Kay has enabled him to round-out his show so that the first-night audience can be assured of a smooth performance." Thanks to Mike Hume for locating these 1926 Times items. See the Fonda Theatre page on his Historic Theatre Photography site for many of his fine photos of the building. 

 

A 1926 program cover. Thanks to April Clemmer for locating it. 

Carter DeHaven's revue didn't last long. "Fancies" soon closed and was replaced Thanksgiving Day by "The Hollywood Music Box Revue" starring Lupino Lane. That closed January 30, 1927 and the first edition produced by the theatre's new operator, Louis Macloon, opened on February 2, starring Fanny Brice. The Times critic Edwin Schallert referred to it as the "the 1927 Spring edition of the Hollywood Music Box Revue" in his February 3 review.

 

Programming then became a mix of musical revues and legit drama with performers including Clark Gable and Bela Lugosi. Gable's appearance was in 1927 with Nancy Carroll in the west coast premiere of the play "Chicago." 

 

 

A news item about the opening of "Chicago" in 1927. Also see a photo of a scene from the play and a cartoon of Clark Gable in his role as a police reporter. Thanks to April Clemmer for locating these items. 

 

 

 

An ad for "Chicago" that appeared in the April 29, 1927 issue of the L.A. Times. The Orange Grove Theatre that Macloon was also running at the time went through many names, ending up as the Grand Theatre. Macloon was also the initial tenant at the Playhouse on Figueroa St., a venue later known as the Variety Arts Theatre. 

 

 

"If you can't secure tickets for Grauman's Chinese - Don't go home disappointed - See 'Chicago' - It's a great laughing show." This was the theatre's ad in the May 18, 1927 issue of the Times. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for locating it. He notes that it appeared right above the opening day ad for the Chinese. Kurt curates the amazing site GraumansChinese.org.  

 

This June 6, 1927 Times article noted that Macloon had engaged a dance orchestra at "considerable expense" for his new musical production "Peggy Ann," opening that week. The show ended up closing June 28, three weeks ahead of schedule. A June 30 Times article noted that director Lillian Albertson (Macloon's wife) decided she wanted a different type of lead actor and had given Barrett Greenwood a two-week notice. Instead of playing out the time, he said he was sick and refused to go on. 

 

Complaints to Actors Equity went nowhere as they said weren't able to find the performer. The show already had an understudy for the female lead and rather than having neither of their advertised stars appear, they decided to close. A July 1 Times article discussed Macloon's claim against Actors Equity for $5,000 in expenses due to the show having to close early. An Equity representative said they were investigating Greenwood's "illness" and called the claim for damages "absurd." 

 

 

The reopening program on July 16 included a feature film, vaudeville, a travelogue, and a newsreel plus rooftop dancing and a cabaret performance at no extra charge. This article from the July 10 issue of the Times noted that "...producers are eyeing this development with interest." Thanks to Mike Hume for locating these 1927 items. It's nice that there would be "no couvert charge" for the post-show cabaret. 

 

 

The theatre got a page in "Hollywood Today 1928," a 64 page rotogravure magazine published by the Hollywood Daily Citizen. Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for scanning all the pages and sharing the publication as an album on Flickr. The Music Box page also appears in the "Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Group Pool" on Flickr that's curated by Michelle Gerdes.

 

The revue "Women Go On Forever" starring Bessie Bariscale was playing the theatre in Spring 1928. Lupino Lane was back to star in another revue in 1929. Macloon was gone sometime before 1930. 

 

In 1930 it was sometimes referred to as the Civic Repertory Theatre as that group was the tenant for a busy season of shows including productions of "A Romantic Comedy" in March,  "The Hero" in April, "The Apple Cat" and "The Infinite Shoe Black" in November and "Peter Pan" in December.

 

 

It was being called the Troupers Theatre in this 1931 item located by Ken McIntyre.  

 

Anna May Wong arriving for the December 28, 1932 premiere of "Grand Guignol," a program of four horror plays. Thanks to Scott Collette for locating the Bettman Archives/Getty Images photo and a number of newspaper articles about the production for a post on his Forgotten Los Angeles Facebook page. One article by Eleanor Barnes had this comment:

"In a house that has frequently been termed a 'jinx' place, because there have been many theatrical flops staged there, a first night audience comprised of stars of first magnitude, welcomed the project and lent a supporting hand. This confidence was not misplaced." 

 

"Not responsible for any deaths." A nurse and an undertaker were on duty. It's a December 28, 1932 Times ad for the production that was located by Scott. The quartet included "Something More Important" by H.F. Maltby, an insane asylum piece by Andre de Lorde called "The Old Women" that featured Adda Gleason, "Eight o'Clock" by Reginald Berkeley and "E.A.O.E." by Eliot Crawshay-Williams. George K. Arthur was the producer. Scott comments: 

"One week later, they reported that 14 people had fainted during the show's run, 10 of whom passed out during 'The Old Women.' This, of course, got the attention of movie studios, who reportedly got in touch with the play's producer to discuss adapting the plays as films, though nothing ever came of it. A few weeks later, they ended the run with those four plays and swapped them out with four new ones, keeping the horror show going as a Saturday matinee for several months in 1933."

Mary Mallory, in her history of the theatre for the Only in Hollywood site, notes that MGM used the house in 1934 to give some of their players a bit of legit experience, calling the group the MGM Stock Players. The Music Box later went through a number of other operators and formats. In 1936 it became a radio studio for CBS. In the 1937 city directory it's the Columbia Music Box, in 1940 it's listed as the CBS Lux Radio Theatre. 

 

The theatre returned to legit operation in 1940. In April 1942 the theatre had a run of "Life With Father" starring Dorothy Gish and Louis Calhern. Later in 1942 it was called Abbott's Music Box.

 

Bela Lugosi in "Arsenic and Old Lace." Thanks to Scott Pitzer for posting this 1943 ad, as well as a short article about the engagement, on the page for the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

A 1944 ad for the revue "Yours For Fun" from collection of Eric Lynxwiler on Flickr. It appeared in an issue of Playgoer magazine.  Don't miss the rest of Eric's wonderful Paper Ephemera album. At last look he had over 1,800 items in it.   

Becoming a film house: Fox West Coast assumed operation of the house in 1945 and after a remodel it opened February 1, 1945 for movies as the Guild Theatre. 

 

 

A January 31, 1945 story about the name change and reopening with "appropriate festivities" that was located by April Clemmer.  

 

A February 2 L.A. Times article located by Mike Hume noted the transition: 

 

"Guild Joins First-Run Group With Double Bill - A brightened and refurbished Hollywood Music Box deserted the 'legit' and radio for the films yesterday when it joined the first-run United Artists and Fox Wilshire theaters as the re-christened Guild. The program, somewhat less of an event, comprised two from R.K.O. Radio - 'Bride by Mistake' and 'The Falcon in Hollywood.'..."

 

An April 1946 ad for the Guild. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this ad and the one below. 

 

The Guild, and two other Fox houses, were looking for usherettes in 1946.

 

CBS leased it again for several years beginning in 1948 for radio productions including the Tide Show with Dinah Shore and others.

 

It was renamed the Fox and became a film house again on May 26, 1954, opening that night with "Night People" plus a sneak preview. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating this May 25 ad. After a bit more renovation, it was advertised as the New Fox beginning July 28, 1954.

Cinemiracle at the Fox: In December, 1958 it got the moveover of "Windjammer," the first (and only) film in Cinemiracle. It had previously been at the Chinese for a 40 week reserved seat run. It was a 3 projector + separate sound dubber process much like Cinerama, except the gear was all in one center booth. At the Chinese that involved a new booth and proscenium remodel for a 90' screen. The best guess is that for the Music Box/Fox run they made a composite print of the three negatives and it was run in standard 35mm Cinemascope format. The reserved seat engagement opened Christmas day and ran 15 weeks. See more about the Cinemiracle question at the bottom of the page.

As the Pix: The theatre became the Pix on September 30, 1959 when Fox West Coast got out and Pacific Theatres started running it. [The Fox name resurfaced on Hollywood Blvd. in 1968 when the Iris Theatre up the street got a remodel and was re-branded as the Fox.]

 

 The Monday September 28 ad for the Pacific "walk-in" theatres. Thanks to Mike Hume for locating it. 

 

 

 

The Times ad for September 30, 1959, the first day as the Pix. Thanks to Mike Rivest for the ad.  

 

 

 

A 1969 ad for the Pix, World and New View, all operated by Pacific Theatres. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the ad.

 

It was still a major house into the 70's. In 1975 it hosted the Hollywood Blvd. run of "Jaws" and later "Rocky." The Pix later ran Spanish language films and eventually closed as a film house in the mid-80s.   

 

Going legit (again): When the Music Box / Pix was converted back to a legit operation in 1985 by Pacific Theatres in a partnership with the Nederlander Organization it was re-named the Henry Fonda Theatre. The initial season was produced by the Plumstead Theatre Society. The Fonda name came about as a tribute to him as a co-founder of the group, initially called the Plumstead Playhouse, started in New York in 1968 with partners Robert Ryan and Martha Scott.

 

A 1968 production by the group featured Fonda in "Our Town," playing a 36 performance Broadway run in 1969 at the ANTA Theatre. In 1978 they co-produced the 79 performance Broadway run of "First Monday in October" starring Fonda along with Jane Alexander. Fonda appeared in a March 1979 run of the play with Eva Marie Saint at the Huntington Hartford. See the Wikipedia and Broadway World articles about Fonda for more of his stage credits. He died in 1982.

 

 

 

A November 23, 1984 item in the Times announcing the project. Thanks to Mike Hume for locating the article. 

 

 

A November 29, 1984 Times article located by Mike Hume.

 

 

 

An article about the February 10, 1985 dedication appearing in the February 12 issue of the L.A. Times. Thanks to Mike Hume for locating it. The reopening was February 26 with a production of "Twelve Angry Men." After that run, a few other shows played the house including David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross," Harold Pinter's "Old Times," "Tru" and "Driving Miss Daisy" but there was not a lot of luck using the building as a venue for live theatre at that time.

As a music club: Around 2002 the main floor seats were pulled out, the floor was leveled, and it had a new life as a music club. For years the moniker was Music Box@Fonda. After many decades of being closed, the original open-air cabaret space on a patio above the lobby was put back into use as an indoor / outdoor lounge area in conjunction with the now-closed Blue Palms Brewhouse. The Palms was in the storefront east of the theatre entrance. There are doors from the restaurant into the theatre lobby so the spaces can be combined for special events.

The club was an operation run by Thaddeus Smith and several partners. In 2011 it became apparent that some ownership shares had changed hands without notifying the building owner. As well, there was an issue with a sublease resulting in an undesirable night club operation in the building. An eviction notice resulted and the operation closed in early January 2012.

Current status: The theatre is now operated by concert promoter Goldenvoice, a division of AEG, and is currently known as the Fonda Theatre. Goldenvoice got their lease in March 2012 and reopened the house on March 17 with a performance by Feed Me with Teeth.

The building is owned by New York-based Leslie Blumberg. It's been in her family since 1945 when her grandfather, Mike Rosenberg, bought the building in partnership with Charles Skouras of Fox West Coast Theatres. Rosenberg passed his interest on to Mike Blumberg, Leslie's father. The Skouras family held on to their share of the property until about 2009.

Ms. Blumberg is now sole owner and, until a 2021 sale, she also had a theatre in Laguna Beach. These two are the last of a group of California theatres her father once owned. His firm, Principal Theatres of America, once had 60 theatres, some solely owned, some in partnerships. Originally allied with the Fox West Coast Circuit, in later years the company's houses were operated in conjunction with Pacific Theatres.

In an August 15, 1928 Variety article Rosenberg's firm (then called Principal Pictures Corp., a partnership with Sol Lesser) was mentioned as having a small stake in Pacific Amusement Co., a firm that had just taken over the Palace (the former Orpheum) downtown. The Rosenberg and Lesser interest in Principal had earlier been owned by Fox West Coast, a fact mentioned in a 1930 Federal Trade Commission decision. 

In 2019 there was concern that the Fonda's load-in access was going to be imperiled by a new apartment complex planned by MetLife / Trammel Crow for the parking lot to the east of the theatre. Through negotiations with the developers an easement was obtained in August 2019 that will allow trucks to pull straight through to Gower St. after unloading at the rear of the theatre. Curbed L.A.'s Bianca Barragan had the story in August about the new building's approval: "21-story tower next to Hollywood's Fonda Theatre gets go-ahead from city."

More street views: 

 

 

1926 - A June 1 photo from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives. Don't miss the 2024 book "Hollywood Behind the Lens: Treasures From the Bison Archives" by Marc Wanamaker and Stephen Bingen. It's from Lyons Press and available from your local bookseller or Amazon. 

 

 

 

1926 - A July 5 photo from Marc Wanamaker. Thanks to April Clemmer for tracking down these two construction views in Marc's collection. 

1926 - A detail from the November Dick Whittington Studio photo that's at the top of the page. It's in the USC Digital Library collection. The initial show, "Fancies" was still running and Mr. DeHaven's name was still on the end of the marquee. 

 

The poster at the left announces their second production: "'Hollywood Music Box Revue' - Gala premiere opening Thanksgiving night - with Lupino Lane, featuring 'Pick of the World Girls' chorus. Staged by Larry Caballos." The poster also announces the new name of the theatre: the "Hollywood Music Box" rather than the "Carter DeHaven Music Box." 

 

 

1926 - A November Mott Studios photo but this one was taken either on a Wednesday or Saturday. That lyre out front is a portable sign that says "Matinee To Day." In that space to the left we see a store going in: "Upon Completion - Bernard Harris Candy Box." Note we can see into the rooftop patio area -- they hadn't yet built the pavilion that was later behind the facade. This is one of eight views of the theatre in the California State Library photo set #001384374. The set also has another less interesting take without the car, the lyre, and the spectators.  

 

 

1926 - A detail from the previous Mott Studios photo. Note Carter DeHaven's name blacked out on the end of the marquee. Some neon was later added. See a shot from the 1930 MGM film "Our Blushing Brides."

 

 

1926 - A Mott Studios photo that appeared in the January 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer. The issue is available on Internet Archive. Note that Mr. DeHaven's name, while removed from the end of the marquee, is still on the roof sign advertising the "Revue of Revues - The Pick of the World in Girls."

 

 

 

1926 - A sanitized version of the previous photo. Note the fluffy airbrushed clouds as well as the absence of the roof sign and wires. Those second floor readerboards have also vanished and the Mott retouchers tried to patch up the columns a bit where they had been. The Los Angeles Public Library has a copy of this version. It's also in the eight photo set at the California State Library, their #001384374.

 

1927 - A wonderful view of the theatre before the run of "Chicago." Mr. Carter DeHaven is gone from the roof sign. It's now the "Hollywood Music Box," but still advertising the "Revue of Revues - The Pick of the World in Girls." Take a look at the 2nd floor readerboards and note that Fanny Brice was in the show prior to "Chicago." Thanks to Maurice E. Ideses for locating the photo for a post on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.  

 

 

 

1927 - Performer Will Morrissey in front with Jack Anthony, a policeman who was also involved with the American Legion entertainment committee. The woman is perhaps Midge Miller, Morrissey's wife at the time and costar in the "Exposures" vaudeville revue that opened July 16. The performers were mentioned in a July 10 L.A. Times article and Morrissey's name can be seen on the second floor readerboard on the far left. Morrissey was also a lyricist, playwright and producer. It's a Dick Whittington Studio photo. Thanks to Escott O. Norton for locating it in the USC Digital Library collection. Also see another shot of Morrissey and Anthony in front. There are also two shots of Midge and Will rehearsing onstage. 

 

1928 - A view taken during the run of the revue "Women Go On Forever" starring Bessie Bariscale. The photo once appeared on a now-vanished UCLA web page "Remapping Hollywould" [sic]. It's also been seen on the Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. In a "Women Go On Forever" shot in the Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #T-034-28, you can see a tent erected on the rooftop patio. 

Michelle Gerdes comments: "The second story windows you see were not glassed in, only covered by curtains and that area is a bar reached by way of a roof top courtyard from only the balcony & booth. When they changed the facade of the theatre they covered it in metal sheeting, not sealing up the windows. Also they walled off the doors that went in to the bar area and people forgot completely about that great space, but not the pigeons! I was told that when they broke through the wall the bird shit was as high as the bar! Now it's a great place to hang out for drinks or rent for a party."  Deanna Bayless adds: "It was a speakeasy up there during Prohibition."

 

 

1928 - The ticket lobby during the run of "Women Go On Forever." It's a shot that appeared on a page about the theatre in "Hollywood Today 1928," a 64 page rotogravure magazine published by the Hollywood Daily Citizen. Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for scanning all the pages and sharing the publication as an album on Flickr.  

 

 

1928 - Another "Women Go On Forever" ticket lobby view. Note that guy waiting to sell you a ticket over to the left of the display cases. Thanks to the Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, now owned by the McAvoy family, for the photo, their #T-023-11. The open colonnade above the entrance doors is still visible inside the lobby. Here on the exterior it's been hidden for decades by the Skouras-style dropped ceiling. 

 

 

c.1929 - A view west toward Hollywood and Vine. Note the Bank of Hollywood Building, later renamed the Equitable Building, with only one tower. The second tower was added in 1931. Thanks to April Clemmer for locating the photo. It's in the Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #T-023-4. April calls our attention to "Famous Milk Shakes" on signage of the storefront in the foreground. 

 

More photos in the Historic Hollywood Photographs Collection: There are over 20 Music Box images to browse, including interior views. In addition, there's a 1972 Pix "Africa Uncensored" exterior shot, #T-043-1, as well as two 1987 images as the Henry Fonda with the marquee advertising the Bolshoi Ballet, #T-020-1 and #T-020-2. 

1930 - A view east when the Civic Repertory Theatre was mounting a show titled "The Hero," a production that opened April 1. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the image for a 2013 post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. 

 

1930 - We get a view of an interesting painting on south wall of the rooftop patio in this "Hero" shot from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives. Thanks to April Clemmer for sharing this one as well as a straight-on facade view from Marc's collection that was taken during the run of the same production.

 

c.1930 - Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Tovangar2 for finding this view looking east. It's featured on Noirish post #42011. The photo appears in the Arcadia Publishing book "Historic Hotels of Los Angeles and Hollywood" by Linda McCann, Dace Taube, Claude Zachary and Curtis C. Roseman. There's a preview on Google Books.

c.1931 - Parking west of the building. Note the interesting contour of the side of the theatre. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo. The marquee copy advertises a production of the play "Porgy" by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, based on his novel. It was later the inspiration for Gershwin's 1935 "Porgy and Bess."

c.1939 - A look west on Hollywood Blvd. with the theatre in use by CBS. Down the street, this side of the Taft Building, the vertical sign for the Tele-View Theatre can be seen. It was later renamed the Hitching Post and the Paris. This is one of over 800 images in the great book "The Story of Hollywood: An Illustrated History" by Gregory Paul Williams, available on Amazon. This photo is on page 190. There's a preview of the book to browse on Google Books.

 

c.1949 - A look at the theatre, then called the Guild, as the home of the Tide Show. Fox West Coast had taken the theatre over in 1945 and for several years ran it as a film house before leasing it out. Note that they've added windows to enclose the upstairs pavilion. The Dinah Shore Tide Show ran between 1945 and 1952. After 1948 its home was here at the Music Box/Guild Theatre. It's a photo from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives collection that appears in his Arcadia book "Hollywood 1940-2008." It's available on Amazon or at your local bookseller. There's a preview on Google Books.

 

 

1954 - A view east with the new "Fox" vertical seen on the right as Pacific Electric car 5156 heads west. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing the photo from his collection. It was probably taken in September, the last month of rail service on this line. The theatre had become the Fox in May 1954. 

 

 

1954 - A detail from Sean's photo.  

 

 

1956 - "Thrill Girls of the Highway." It's a great shot from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives taken during the run of "The Violent Years," starring Jean Moorhead, Barbara Weeks and Art Millan. It was written by Ed Wood, Jr. and directed by William Morgan. Thanks to April Clemmer for locating the photo in Marc's collection.  

 

 

1956 - A wider "Violent Years" shot. Thanks to Marc Wanamaker for sharing this photo from his collection. 

1957 - A view east toward the Fox in mid-March. The Pantages was running "The Wings of Eagles," a film that opened February 20. It's a screenshot from Getty Images footage that's included in Rick Prelinger's "Lost Landscapes of Los Angeles - 2016," an hour and twenty minutes of wonderful clips from various sources that was originally presented in a program at the Los Angeles Public Library. 

 

Also see "Lost Landscapes of Los Angeles - 2019." This second installment was presented at the Library by the organization Photo Friends as part of the series L.A. in Focus. Both compilations are on Vimeo.  

1957 - Moving closer to the theatre in the Getty footage. 

1957 - A detail from the previous Getty image. Some of this footage is also on YouTube as "Hollywood Blvd. 1957" with the title on the footage itself saying 1953.

c.1958 - Thanks to Martin Pal for his Noirish Los Angeles post #28606, chock full of Music Box photos. Included is this entrance view of the theatre featured on the Capitol album "Swingin' At the Cinema."

 

 

 

1960 - "Brigitte Bardot's Latest - Babette Goes To War." That's Harry Sugarman in the foreground pointing to the terrazzo being installed for the new Walk of Fame. Thanks to the Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for the photo, their #WFC-032. 

1962 - The theatre following the Hollywood Flood when rains washed mud down from the hills. Thanks to Sean Ault for the photo from his collection. The vertical and marquee signage we see had earlier said "Fox." Eric Lynxwiler reports that the "P" above the readerboard is the old letter "F" but just with piece added to turn it into a "P."

1962 - A detail from the previous photo showing off the Pix signage. Bruce Kimmel notes that "Sergeants 3" opened at the Pix on February 9 and adds: 

 

"It would be ever so much fun to get in the time machine and skip going to the Pix and instead go see 'Flower Drum Song' at the Warner, or 'El Cid' at the Carthay Circle, or for laughs 'Lover, Come Back' at the Stanley Warner, or 'King of Kings' over at the Egyptian (saw it there many times), or 'Light in the Piazza' at the Beverly, or go back to the Chinese to see 'West Side Story' before it ends its over a year-long run, or, if we like weighty, we can just jog across the street and see 'Judgment at Nuremburg' at the Pantages. What a time!"

1962 - A newspaper photo of the flood damage. Thanks to David Thwing for posting the photo on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. 

1962 - A fine look at the partially covered facade when the Pix was running the June release "Mermaids of Tiburon" along with "Jack the Giant Killer." Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality spotted this shot on eBay for his Noirish post #60836. Thanks to Martin P., aka Asavwasa, for spotting the post. This version of the shot comes from Tom Anderson, who shared it with the Lost Angeles Facebook group. Bruce Kimmel comments: "This double bill opened on June 13 and played one week."

1960s - The Pix vertical in the daytime. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
 

1960s - A great view of the Pix sign at night. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo. 

 

1965 - Looking east across Hollywood and Vine toward the Pix. It's a detail from a photo Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality found on eBay for his Noirish post #94594. Thanks! 

 

 

 

1965 - A view east from Argyle during the run of the May release "Cat Ballou." It's a photo by Mario De Biasi that's in the Mondadori Portfolio on the Getty Images website. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group post.

 

1965 - A fine "Cat Ballou" signage view by Sid Avery that appears on the MPTV website.

1965 - A peek in the boxoffice. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing the the photo in a post for the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.

1965 - A great photo from the Ricard Wojcik collection. We're looking northeast with the back of the Pix's stagehouse in the center of the photo. Richard posted it on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles where it provoked many comments. 

 

 

1969 - "All New Luxury - All New Comfort - All New Pix." Thanks to April Clemmer for locating this December photo taken while the Pix was running "The Gypsy Moths." 

 

1972 - On the Historic Hollywood Photographs website see an "Africa Uncensored" shot, their  #T-043-1. The film was a November 1971 release.  

 

 

1972 - Thanks to April Clemmer for locating this October "Amaluk" shot. 

 

1974 - The Pix boxoffice during the run of "Lenny" and "Save The Tiger." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo. 

1970s - Another boxoffice view from the Pix days. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing the photo with the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.  

 

1975 - The line for the opening of "Jaws." Thanks to Moviejs1944 for locating the photo for a post on Cinema Treasures. Also see another shot from the early days of the "Jaws" run that was located by Ken McIntyre. The film opened June 20 with the Pix getting the exclusive for Hollywood. It had a 19 week run.

 

1975 - The theatre during the run of "Jaws." Thanks to Bobby Cole for posting the photo on the LAHTF Facebook page.

1975 - Looking east toward the Pix. Thanks to John Stewart for his photo, one of fourteen appearing in his Los Angeles Theaters set on Flickr. John is the long-time projectionist at the Austin Paramount. Thanks also to John's friend Mike Hume for advising of the collection.

1975 - The Pix at night in September. It's a John Stewart photo on Flickr. See "The Game Changer: Celebrating 'Jaws' on its 40th Anniversary," the article Michael Coate did in 2015 for the site The Digital Bits.

1976 - Looking east on Hollywood Blvd. with a bit of the Pantages below us and the Pix down the street. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this version of the photo for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. You can find it on the website of the Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photograph Collection, their #HB-497. It's included as one of 226 photos in their gallery Hollywood Boulevard 1941-1990.

1977 - Looking east toward the Pix. Thanks to Meredith Jacobson Marciano for her photo on Flickr.

1983 - Thanks to Terry Guy for this January photo of the Pix in its Spanish language days. He has it on Flickr.  The photo has put in appearances on Photos of Los Angeles and is included among many other Music Box photos in Martin Pal's Noirish Los Angeles post #28606.  

1983 - A January photo from the now-vanished American Classic Images website. The Cantinflas picture they're running dated from 1974. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting it in the collection.

1983 - Thanks to American Classic Images for this great view of the signage from the west.

early 1980s - Another nice shot of the facade when the theatre was still named the Pix. It was shared by Ken McIntyre as a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.

early 1980s - End of the line for the theatre as the Pix following its closure by Pacific Theatres. At the end it was Spanish language film house. The marquee is advising their customers to go up the street to the Vine Theatre instead. When the house reopened it was a legit venue under Nederlander management. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the photo. 

 

 

1985 - "12 Angry Men" was the inaugural production after the theatre reopened as a legit house called the Henry Fonda following a renovation by Pacific Theatres and the Nederlander Organization. Thanks to April Clemmer for locating this shot with Shirlee Fonda, Henry's widow, out in front. 

 

 

1985 - The dormant theatre plugging the L.A. Civic Light Opera production of "South Pacific," running at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion from May 14 through July 6. Thanks to April Clemmer for locating the photo.

 

 

1985 - Debbie Allen in a pre-Broadway L.A. Civic Light Opera revival of "Sweet Charity." But not playing at the Fonda. After the July 16 to August 31 run at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion it played San Francisco from September 7 until November 2. The production opened at the Minskoff Theatre in New York on April 27, 1986. Thanks to April Clemmer for sharing the photo from Marc Wanamaker's collection.

1985 - The Henry Fonda with an engagement of Harold Pinter's "Old Times" starring Harold Pinter himself along with Liv Ullmann. Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for this October photo. See the November 1 L.A. Times review.

 

 

1986 - A telephoto view west on Hollywood Blvd. It's a Tony Barnard photo for the L.A. Times appearing on Calisphere. It's also on the UCLA Library site. There's also a second take of the same vista. The UCLA site has a zoom feature so you can go in and pan around.

The vertical for the the Henry Fonda is on the left. The Egyptian is down there somewhere. Way down is the El Capitan (with its vertical saying Paramount). On the right beyond the X Theatre are the World Theatre hiding behind it (with a blank marquee), the Pantages, and the Warner (by this time with Pacific on its vertical). 

 

1987 - On the Historic Hollywood Photographs website see two shots of the marquee of the then-dormant theatre advertising the Bolshoi Ballet, their images #T-020-1 and #T-020-2.  

1990s - A play called "Party," which the L.A. Times noted produced "explosive laughs." Thanks to April Clemmer for locating the photo. Also see another "Party" shot she found taken a bit more from the west. Visit the April's Old Hollywood site for information on walking tours and special events April hosts. She's also on Facebook.

 

 

 

c.2000 - Another view taken after the failure of the Nederlander / Pacific Theatres attempt to return the building to legit theatre use. The marquee was plugging "The Lion King" at the Pantages. Thanks to Ken Roe for his photo, appearing as a post on Cinema Treasures.

2002 - The theatre reactivated as a music venue. It's a Betty Sword photo in the collection of theatre historian Cezar Del Valle. Pay him a visit on the Theatre Talks blog. Thanks, Cezar!

2007 - At the time of this shot from the east the stagehouse was doing extra revenue duty as a billboard for "American Gangster."  Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - A facade detail from the previous photo. 

2007 - The entry still shows off the Fox West Coast circuit Skouras-style remodel the lobby areas got in the 40s. Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - The Henry Fonda name still on the vertical at this time dated from the Nederlander operation of the venue as a legit house in the 1980s. Photo: Bill Counter

2012 - The marquee says "You Can't Stop The Music" -- but the building owner obviously could stop it when she was unhappy about certain changes in the operation and an unauthorized sublease. Here in February the theatre was closed following eviction of the tenants -- the building was then leased to concert promoter Goldenvoice.  Photo: Bill Counter

2012 - The theatre obviously began life as a legitimate theatre -- just look at the size of the stagehouse in relation to the rest of the building. Here the vertical sign is still saying "Henry Fonda." Photo: Bill Counter

2013 - The theatre rebranded as the Fonda. Thanks to Martin Pal, who included the photo in his Noirish Los Angeles post #28606.

2018 - A view from the west. Yes, there's a nice Spanish style facade still under that 1950s vintage cladding on the second story. There once was talk (by a previous operator) about restoring the facade. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - Looking east. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - Friends Of The Fonda night at the theatre. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - A marquee detail. Thanks to Cat Lukaszewski for her photo, one of nineteen in her Fonda album on Facebook that were taken at the Friends Of The Fonda open house in August.

2019 - The theatre's owner, Leslie Blumberg, and, seated, a friend of the family checking people in for the gathering of the short-lived Friends group. It was a thrust by the owner to apply pressure on the developers of the lot to the east so that they would grant an easement allowing continued truck access through their property for loading in shows at the back of the theatre. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - The west side of the 40s vintage ticket lobby. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - A detail of the ceiling of the entrance area. Photo: Cat Lukaszewski

2019 - The east side of the building. An apartment complex is planned for the parking lot. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - A look along the back wall toward the loading door. Currently, the theatre has a key to the gate and trucks and buses can drive through the parking lot to Gower St. after a load out. The theatre has negotiated an easement through the parking structure of the new development to the east so they'll continue to have the same kind of access. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - A rendering from HKS Architects of the new tower going up to the east of the theatre. In the rendering it's on the far right, mysteriously missing its stagehouse. The drawing appeared with Bianca Barragan's August 2019 Curbed L.A. story about the new building's approval: "21-story tower next to Hollywood's Fonda Theatre gets go-ahead from city." The project by Trammel Crow and MetLife will have retail and restaurant space on the ground floor and 220 residential units above.  

 

 

 

2021 - "Stay Safe." It's a view of the closed theatre taken in January. Photo: Bill Counter 

 

 

2021 - A look at the stagehouse from Sunset and Argyle. That's a bit of the Palladium on the far right. Photo: Bill Counter

The rooftop patio and pavilion:

A c.2009 look west. We're above the theatre's outer lobby. On the right it's the pavilion overlooking Hollywood Blvd. Down the street it's the Pantages Theatre and, on the extreme left, the blue signage is lit on the rooftop towers of the Warner/Hollywood Pacific. Thanks to Thaddeus Smith for the photo. It's one that once appeared on his Music Box website.

  

The view west in 2012. Thanks to Albert Domasin for his photo on Flickr.

A 2016 Steve Raymond photo looking west toward the W Hotel. That's a bit of the upper part of the auditorium on the left. The photo is one of seven in Steve's set appearing on the SoCal Historic Architecture Facebook page.

The view in 2019, showing the effects of new development including the El Centro apartment complex in the next block to the west. Photo: Bill Counter

Another view west. It was a gathering of the short-lived Friends of the Fonda group to discuss issues about getting an easement to maintain access to the back of the theatre in the face of new development planned to the east. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019 

 
Looking southwest toward the back of the auditorium. The upper door goes in the back of the projection booth. At the far left it's one of the two sets of stairs from the upstairs lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019

Stairs from the upstairs lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019

A look west out the back door of the booth. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019. See the page about the Fonda on his Historic Theatre Photography site for many more of his great photos.

Looking southeast. The tall structure on the left houses the theatre's mechanical rooms. Thanks to Steve Raymond for sharing his 2016 photo with the SoCal Historic Architecture private Facebook group.

Another view to the southeast. The pigeons seem enamored with the top of the fan room. In the lower left are David Saffer and Escott O. Norton of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation at the Friends Of The Fonda event. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019

Looking east out the back of the projection booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019

Looking east in the rooftop pavilion. It's a rare vintage photo from the Bruce Torrence Hollywood Photograph Collection. Thanks to Martin Pal for finding this one in the Torrence collection and including it (with many more Music Box views) in his Noirish Los Angeles post #28606.

The openings at the left looked out onto Hollywood Blvd. They've been filled in on the inside and are obscured on the outside by metal cladding on the facade. The colonnade down the center of the image separating this pavilion from the patio at the right has also been filled in -- with a wall having doors that open to the patio. At the time of the photo it looks looks like the patio area was tented. Head to the Bruce Torrence website to browse over 200 more Hollywood theatre photos.

Looking east c. 2010. On the left the once-open spaces overlooking the street have been filled in. Even by the 40s windows had been installed. The doors in the filled-in wall at the right go to the patio. Thanks to Don Solosan of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation for his photo.

A 2019 view east. Photo: Bill Counter

Looking west c.2009. The doors in the left wall go to the patio. Thanks to Thaddeus Smith for the photo. It was once on his Music Box website.

In the pavilion looking west in 2012. Thanks to Albert Domasin for the photo, one of 32 views in his LAHTF's Tour of the Music Box album on Flickr.

 

 

The Music Box in the Movies: "Street Of Illusion" (Columbia, 1928) was shooting scenes onstage at the Music Box according to a small item in the Variety May 18, 1928 issue. It's on Internet Archive.

 

 

New York City department store clerk Joan Crawford is feeling a bit depressed as she walks down the street until she looks up and sees this on the Music Box marquee in "Our Blushing Brides" (MGM, 1930). Anita Page and Dorothy Sebastian are two other unhappy workers in the store. Robert Montgomery is the owner's son who eventually ends up with Joan. Harry Beaumont directed. Merritt B. Gerstad was the cinematographer. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for data on the play and later film of "Let Us Be Gay" as well as two shots in the May Co. at 8th and Broadway where we can look out the doors and see the Rialto Theatre. 

 

The Music Box is down the street on the right in this shot from the 18 minute short "Sky Scrappers" (Christie / Paramount, 1930). That's Chester Conklin out on a beam atop the newly completed Guaranty Bldg. at Hollywood and Ivar. Note the Pantages vertical behind him. Thanks to Jeff Hamblin for identifying the film the shot came from. It was directed by Arvid E. Gillstrom and also features Eddie Baker, Doris Hill and Blanche Payson.

The image appears on page 35 of the Arcadia Publishing book "Location Filming in Los Angeles" by Karie Bible, Marc Wanamaker and Harry Medved. They have it identified as an earlier Conklin film, "Cleaning Up." The page with the photo is included in the book's preview on Google Books. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for two more stills Jeff located that were shot on the Guaranty Building as well as a view of the Melrose Theatre. 

 

 

 

The terrific Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, now owned by the McAvoy family, includes this photo, #T-023-10, of a 1931 film shoot in the theatre. The title of the film is unknown. We're looking toward the rear of the main floor. Note the standee area behind the columns, later to be an enclosed lobby. In the upper right is a set of stairs to the balcony. 

 

A Torrence Collection proscenium view from the mystery film shoot, their image #T-023-9. Also in the collection, from the same shoot: another proscenium view, #T-023-15, and another view to the rear of the auditorium, #T-023-17.  

 

 

Lana Turner plays aspiring actress Lora Meredith in Douglas Sirk's "Imitation of Life" (Universal-International, 1959). Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for figuring out that it's the Music Box that was used for an audition scene in a New York area theatre. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for six more shots at the Music Box as well as many views of the Earl Carroll Theatre from a sequence near the end of the film.

We get some nice aerial shots in the Jerry Lewis film "The Errand Boy" (Paramount, 1961). In the lower left of the image is a partial view of the Music Box. The Pantages is in the center. To the left of Capitol Records we see the Hollywood Playhouse. See the Historic L.A. Theatres In Movies post about the film for a Sunset Blvd. aerial view and visits to the Fox Westwood Village and the Chinese.

The marquee of the theatre (as the Pix, running "Bullitt") is seen at night in the softcore porno film "The Kiss Off" (Canyon Distributing, 1968). There's a clip on YouTube.

We get a fine tour of Los Angeles in Jacques Deray's "The Outside Man" (United Artists, 1973). Here the marquee of the Pix is scintillating in the distance as Jean-Louis Trintignant picks up a hitchhiker. The film also stars Roy Scheider as another hit man and Ann-Margret as the former owner of a bar who gets caught in the middle of the mess. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for shots of a bit of the Vine Theatre and the Cinematheque 16 on Sunset. 

Leslie Ackerman sings her way down Hollywood Blvd. in a great number from "The First Nudie Musical" (Paramount, 1976). The book, music, and lyrics for the movie are by Bruce Kimmel. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for sixteen more shots from the film including views of Hollywood theatre signage and a look at the lobby of the Fox Venice.

Jodie Foster goes looking in Hollywood for one of her missing teenage friends and we get this shot west with the madly flashing vertical of the Pix in the distance and the red X Theatre signage on the right in Adrian Lyne's "Foxes" (United Artists, 1980). The film about drugs, sex and growing up in L.A. also features Cherie Currie, Marilyn Kagan, Kandice Stroh, Scott Baio, Sally Kellerman, Randy Quaid and Lois Smith. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a view of the Ivar Theatre from earlier in the film. 

The entrance of the Music Box is seen as Richard Gere cruises down Hollywood Blvd. in Paul Schrader's "American Gigolo" (Paramount, 1980).
 

A look at the marquee in "American Gigolo." See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for shots of the Egyptian Theatre, the Fox Westwood Village, the Bruin Theatre and the corner of the Fox Wilshire building.

 

We see a lot of Hollywood Blvd. in Robert Vincent O'Neill's "Angel" (New World, 1984) but this distance view of the marquee flashing wildly is all we see of the Pix. Fifteen year old Molly is a high school student by day, a hooker by night. The film stars Donna Wilkes, Cliff Gorman, Dick Shawn and Rory Calhoun. John Diehl is the killer preying on teenage hookers. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a dozen shots from the film.

 

We get a fine news-copter view of the west side of the theatre in Ron Shelton's "Hollywood Homicide" (Sony, 2003). See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for several Chinese views as well as a shot of Harrison Ford on a bike in front of the Hollywood Theatre, a Pantages view when an evil music mogul pops up from the Metro and an aerial view of the towers of the Warner. Josh Hartnett and Lena Olin costar. 

Joel Murray plays a guy on a cross country killing spree in "God Bless America" (Darko Entertainment, 2012). He's targeting people who lack decency or those who make fun of untalented people, such as the hosts of a TV show having its season finale at the Music Box. When we go inside we're actually at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for another Music Box shot as well as views of the Showcase, the Chinese, and Alex Theatre from the film.  

In "Price Check" (IFC Films, 2012) Eric Mabius and a friend see a show at the Music Box. The film, about exciting adventures in the grocery business, also stars Parker Posey.

The exterior of the Music Box appears for a nightclub scene in the Coen Brothers film "Hail, Caesar!" (Universal, 2016). Interiors were done at the Palladium. We also get shots inside the Los Angeles Theatre and a side view of the Warner Hollywood. See the Historic L.A. Theatres In Movies post for those.

The auditorium of the Music Box is used for a club in the south of France in "Nina" (RLJ Entertainment, 2016).

The theatre's rooftop pavilion is also seen in the final scene of "Nina" just before the credits roll. The Nina Simone biopic, directed by Cynthia Mort, stars Zoe Saldana as Nina and David Oyelolo as Clifton, the nurse who becomes her friend and manager. See the Historic L.A. Theatres In Movies post for several more shots.

The Music Box gets a quick drive-by in "The Disaster Artist" (New Line Cinema, 2017) when we see a bit of the town after Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and aspiring actor Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) move to Hollywood to break into the film business. Later we see lots of the Crest Theatre in Westwood as the location for the big premiere of Wiseau's epic "The Room." See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for more about the film.

The Music Box on Video:

This auditorium sidewall view is a shot from "Insider's Peek #8: Music Box" on the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation's YouTube channel. It's a 6 minute video by Don Solosan from 2010. It features then-operator Thaddeus Smith and LAHTF's Hillsman Wright.

More information: See the history of the Music Box Theatre by Bill Gabel and B. Erikson on Cinema Treasures. The Cinema Tour page has some pictures, including three 2003 interior shots contributed by Ken Roe. 

Sandi Hemmerlein's Avoiding Regret site has a fine tour of the theatre via her 2019 photo essay "Standing in the Shadows of Towers in Hollywood (Or: What Will Happen to the Fonda Theatre?)." The Pix signage makes an appearance a bit after ten minutes into John Frizzell's "A History of Neon Signs," a 25 minute film from 1984. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for spotting it on YouTube. 

See the page about the Music Box/Fonda on Mike Hume's Historic Theatre Photography site for many terrific photos of the building. Mary Mallory contributed a history of the theatre to the site Only In Hollywood. Also see Mary's article "Fonda Theatre: Flashback" for the Hollywood Partnership. There are also some great pictures of the venue on the Music Box page of Yelp. Also see a 2011 facade view on Photos of Los Angeles.

More on the Cinemiracle run of "Windjammer" in 1958/59:  A December 7 L.A. Times article "Windjammer in Move December 25" noted that "...recent improvements in both screen construction and projection techniques involving the Cinemiracle presentation, would become part of the New Fox installation... The house will be dark for several days prior to Christmas while the new system is made ready." Perhaps those "recent improvements" involved showing the film on a smaller screen and junking the elaborate 3 projector installation. At the Fox, like at the Chinese, that would have required a new main floor booth. They were open with other films through December 23.

The best guess is that they made a composite print of the three negatives and it was run in standard 35mm Cinemascope format. The reserved seat engagement opened Christmas day for a 15 week run. It was advertised so one would think it was the same kind of presentation as at the Chinese. A December 24 L.A. Times article had noted that it was "produced and presented in Cinemiracle." Ads noted that it would be "On Giant Cinemiracle Screen" and that "The Giant Wall to Wall Screen Comes Alive" and promised "Never Anything Like It Before."

In defense of the idea that the theatre did run a full 3 projector/7 channel stereo presentation, David Coles offers this comment: "Consider this factor - as far as I can see the Chinese was the ONLY Cinemiracle installation where a new permanent projection booth was built. All the other venues (including the Roxy NYC) had 'mobile booths' (like today's containers), or they squeezed the 3 machines into existing booths. As the normal projection room at the Fox was quite high I suspect they put a temporary booth at the rear of the 'stalls' - which could have been done while previous film season was running. I have found multiple instances where 'Windjammer' ran in venues with only a couple of days 'in & out' between seasons. The portability of screen & projection equipment was a major selling point of the National Theatres roadshowing of this film."


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