[Earlier there had been a Van Nuys Theatre that opened in 1917 and the theatre built in 1921, later called the Rivoli and the Capri, had been called the Van Nuys until they decided on a name. See the page about the Capri Theatre for data on these two.]
Architect: Unknown
Seating: 814 is an early number. It was 690 after the 1958 renovations.
Joe Vogel reports that it was built by Burnis R. Shacklett, owner of Shacklett’s Valley Furniture Store. Part of his furniture store became the lobby and the auditorium was constructed behind the existing shops. It had a mention in the Southwest Builder and Contractor issue of May 30th, 1924.
A 1924 opening week ad. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for locating it for a post on Cinema Treasures.
By 1927 it was operated by N. Scheinberg and M.P. Horwitz. They also had the Madrid Theatre (later later called the Canoga and the Park) on Sherman Way in Canoga Park, a community then called Owensmouth. The pair also planned a theatre in Reseda, evidently never built. It's all mentioned in a July 3, 1927 L.A. Times item unearthed by Cinema Treasures contributor Jeff Bridges:
The September 23 ad in the Valley Times.
The Fox was featured in the April 6, 1959 issue of Boxoffice:
Thanks to Mike Hume for locating the article. Two additional pages discussed work the circuit had done at the Chinese, the Fox Arlington, the Fox Pomona and the Loyola. Visit Mike's Historic Theatre Photography site for thousands of terrific photos of the theatres he's explored.
A 1960 Fox ad located by Ken McIntyre. At the time the circuit was branding itself as "NT&T," National Theatres and Television, Inc. The theatre was later operated by the circuit's successor companies National General and Mann Theatres.
Mann dropped the house in January 1977 and it became an independent operation and had periods as both a Spanish language theatre and a bargain house.
Closing: Around 1991.
Status: After closing as a theatre, the building was used for retail. It was demolished in 2024.
Interior views:
More exterior views:
c.1950 - A detail from Sean's photo. The theatre marquee is seen in the center of the image. The horizontal signage is for McMahan's Furniture, just this side of the theatre. On the right that's Red Car 5027 on a "Special" run. Thanks, Sean!
1958 - The look after the remodel with the theatre's reopening bill on the marquee. The photo appeared in the April 6, 1959 issue of Boxoffice. The caption:
c.1959 - Thanks to the Valley Relics Museum for this postcard, one that once appeared on their Facebook page. It's also been seen as a post for the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
c.1960 - Thanks to Sean Ault for this parade shot looking toward the Fox.
1972 - A photo by Rick McCloskey, one of 17 in his portfolio "Cruising Van Nuys Boulevard in 1972" that appears in the Style section of the CNN website.
c.1973 - A view north from Victory Blvd. It's a photo on Cinema Treasures taken by the site's contributor Gary Rabbit.
2011 - The former theatre on the right as retail space. Photo: Google Maps
2019 - The building in use for Cricket wireless, a 99 cent store and a taco establishment. Photo: Google Maps.
The Jerry Lewis film "The Family Jewels" (Paramount, 1965) starts with an armored car getting loaded up in Van Nuys. When it drives north on Van Nuys Blvd. we get a quick look at the Fox. In addition to Jerry in multiple roles, the film features Donna Butterworth, Sebastian Cabot, Neil Hamilton, Jay Adler and Robert Strauss. The cinematography was by W. Wallace Kelley. Thanks to David Aswad for noting the appearance of the theatre. In a post on Cinema Treasures he commented: "I remember what a kick it was watching it at the Fox and seeing the theatre I was in on the screen."
More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Fox Van Nuys for lots of fine research and many comments.
There are some Van Nuys photos on a Water and Power Associates Museum page of early San Fernando Valley views.
The Beach Boys supposedly played a gig in Van Nuys on December 1, 1962 that some writers assert was at the Fox Van Nuys. Others just say it was just the "Van Nuys Theatre." It was a benefit for the Pacific Lodge Boys' Home. Also on the bill were Dorsey Burnett, the Lively Ones, Annette Funicello, Andy Williams, Eddie Cano, Lou Monte, Billy Storm, The Christy Minstrels, Dee Dee Sharp, Dobie Gray, the Crystallets, Cyndy Malone, the Mixtures, Dick Michals, the Pastel 6 and Jimmy Haskell. Quite a show for a theatre without a stage.
This version of the photo that has been circulating comes from a review of the 2024 book "The Beach Boys by the Beach Boys" on the site On The Records. Also see the data on the site Beach Boys Gigs, the blog Beach Boys Venues and on the Valley Relics Museum Facebook page. The ad for the Fox on December 1 made no mention of a benefit. They were running "Poor White Trash" and "Unwed Mothers." Over at the Capri it was "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "Guns of Darkness."
| back to top | San Fernando Valley theatres | San Fernando Valley: theatres by address | Downtown | Westside | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | theatres in movies | LA Theatres on facebook | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |
No comments:
Post a Comment