The Fabulous Fox - Last sounds of its Great Organ

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17 жыл бұрын

This is a couple of excerpts from "The Fabulous Fox" made by Bartel - Thomsen in 1988. I cannot find a source to buy this video and have not been successful in finding the creators. If I could get permission, I would post and distribute the entire, emotional documentary.
This organ was sold in 1963 to a California state legislator who installed it in his home. After his death it was put in storage. When Disney bought the run down El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, they tracked it down. They spent million on the refurbishment of the theater and the San Francisco Fox Organ lives on. disney.go.com/d...

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@johnsmith-mv8hq 8 жыл бұрын

According to Wiki: The Fox Special Wurlitzer organ was salvaged from the theater and installed in the Frank J. Lanterman estate in California. When Lanterman died, the large 4 manual 36 rank organ was bought by the Disney Company and installed in the restored El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.

@AlucardFanboy8745 9 жыл бұрын

This actually made me cry, such beautiful architecture should be treasured and maintained forever. Truly disgusting

@nandocordeiro5853 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, disgusting indeed.

@818Dimples Жыл бұрын

Absolutely

@BrianNolan-wz9lj 8 ай бұрын

The mayor of San Francisco, must have been a very cold ,and unfeeling person to have turned down the chance to buy the Fox theater complete with organ.

@LaurenceDay-d2p 4 ай бұрын

And totally unnecessary.

@acousticedison 7 жыл бұрын

I am happy to say the Fabulous Fox in St. Louis has been restored to like new condition and has a wonderful organ which is often used for silent movies. That then started a total renaissance of the area around it which is now the hub of culture including the St, Louis Symphony.

@robert3302 6 жыл бұрын

I lived in San Francisco when the Fox was destroyed. The theater had amazing acoustics. It could have been converted into a concert hall for about $5 million. They ended up spending 10 times that for a new symphony hall that's ugly as sin and has terrible acoustics. The theater was replaced by a hideous apartment tower. I also remember Sutro baths, which burned "suspiciously", but was never replaced and Playland, which was also destroyed and replaced by forgettable condos. Real estate speculators ruined San Francisco. That's why housing costs have gotten so stupid.

@addapiffer2009 10 жыл бұрын

I hope the families of those people involved in the decision to destroy the Fox are appalled and embarrassed by the dreadful actions of their ancestors. And seeing those grinning buffoons riding on the wrecking ball... words fail me. They really ought to have stayed on for the first "hit".

@terrykress9030 10 жыл бұрын

Thank God Detroit still has its Fabulous Fox!

@b43xoit 10 жыл бұрын

and Atlanta, its.

@tomdulle1707 10 жыл бұрын

B. Xoit ...And St Louis.

@johnnyjames7139 4 жыл бұрын

Terry Kress sadly Brooklyn Fox was demolished also and it's WurliTzer sold for parts.

@LaurenceDay-d2p 4 ай бұрын

Also St. Louis and Atlanta. Don't miss the opportunity to tour one of them.

@xaenon 10 жыл бұрын

What a bunch of buffoons! That grand old theater destroyed. I know, this happened before I was born, but seriously, that was an absolutely gorgeous old building. Look at the elaborate architecture and decor! Destroyed.... and for WHAT?! If nothing else, the theater could have been a museum, or converted to something useful instead of just demolished. The utter negligence and waste of it all just infuriates me. How can people have so little regard for such history, craftsmanship, and beauty?

@ryantaylor2911 10 жыл бұрын

In the 60s people thought these beautiful buildings were ugly.

@warrenpugh7844 10 жыл бұрын

And those searching an alibi for such destruction are desperate. Not long ago warriors from the Adriatic destroyed part of Dubrovvnik and Split. Again, there is no excuse for this madness. WASP

@unclelouie3828 10 жыл бұрын

bob marley It's the people who were ugly- and stupid.

@alexdelrio45 9 жыл бұрын

I totally agree with you!

@warrenpugh7844 9 жыл бұрын

Humm or humph! Reminds me of the BLM in the U.S. that protects us from ?? Bunch of boneheads. We have some of the most beautiful land on earth covered with asphalt and concrete. Closed malls and thousands of eye sores and non-productive chunks of real estate with healthy weeds growing between the cracks and seems. The Native American did not do that. Have at 'er Bundy.

@LanceCampeau 5 жыл бұрын

This demolition happened 11 years before I was born... but for some strange reason, I have an overwhelming sense that there was something I could have done to save it.

@megaswenson 14 жыл бұрын

"A few years later, to "beautify" Market Street, San Francisco made all the theatres tear off their Marquees and Signs." WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY THINKING?????!!!!!!!!!! This is absolutely surreal. And for nothing!

@rohanbrown3283 6 жыл бұрын

If this was a movie, it would be a sad tragedy.😢😭

@1ceunant2 7 жыл бұрын

Disgrace, money shout louder than words. This was a historic building and should have been preserved.

@CBF1 3 жыл бұрын

Nothing's ever about what's right anymore... it's all about stupid coins and bank notes. Money is nothing but communism.

@BrianNolan-wz9lj 8 ай бұрын

i suspect a few brown envelopes changed hands.

@jenniferthomson2376 8 ай бұрын

@@BrianNolan-wz9ljWhat are you talking about? It was put to public vote and rejected 60% to 40%.

@BrianNolan-wz9lj 8 ай бұрын

Vote rigging no less. @@jenniferthomson2376

@BrianNolan-wz9lj 8 ай бұрын

@@jenniferthomson2376 Vote rigging no doubt.

@franzbmx9442 7 жыл бұрын

What sad end to a jewel of movie theater of 1920’s… I am so glad that the paramount theater another jewel in 1920’s in Oakland was saved to future generation.

@recitexpressif 8 жыл бұрын

Tears in my eyes....

@DuaLeaD 6 жыл бұрын

Unfathomable to destroy such pristine art....I can barely watch it Think of how much of our history and culture we have lost to the ages. No wonder our society has such amnesia even as you go back only 3 or 4 generations....

@daviddiffenderfer3836 10 жыл бұрын

I helped George Wright try to save this theater and organ. We lost the theater but saved the organ.

@Nuberillos 10 жыл бұрын

Beautiful !!

@Danielevanssmith 4 жыл бұрын

And now it happily resides in the El Capitan theater in Hollywood. You can still hear it play.

@marksears6780 7 жыл бұрын

What a SAD thing they did. Such a BEAUTIFUL Theatre

@trojanbill 10 жыл бұрын

There is a (slightly) bright side to this story...the organ has been restored and is played daily at the El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

@818Dimples Жыл бұрын

Yeah Yeah

@richardcrooks891 6 жыл бұрын

THIS WAS A SAD DAY NOT ONLY FOR SAN FRANCISCO BUT FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY

@richardt8604 7 жыл бұрын

Crazy people destroying all that effort to build that beautiful construction !

@LaurenceDay-d2p 4 ай бұрын

Look what replaced it - a concrete monstrosity.

@SwingChaSanFrancisco 13 жыл бұрын

I sobbed and cried all through this. I'll never watch it again!

@scsstudios 10 жыл бұрын

Sad to her about the theatre, but I'm glad the organ was restored!

@bradleyclark435 8 жыл бұрын

A tremendous loss of a beautiful theatre.

@eddiebatmv 10 жыл бұрын

This is really a shame. I live near Detroit, and in Detroit we are lucky to have a fully restored Fox Theater that was opened in 1928. The Fox has lost it glamour and was headed for the wrecking ball. It was saved by Little Creasers Pizza founder Mike Illitch. He bought the building in 1988 and poured millions of his own money into it and now we have a beautifully restored Fox Theater. It has become so popular, this area of Detroit and all the other entertainment, sports arena and restaurant related businesses has become to be known as "Foxtown". Check the Fox Detroit video. Wurlitzer organ at the Fox Theatre in Detroit

@kenfm496 8 жыл бұрын

Give props to Atlantic City for its efforts in the restoration of the Midmer Losh pipe organ. The largest and most powerful musical instrument ever created by man. Almost permanently lost due to a hurricane in 1944 it sat in disrepair for decades , two of the organs eight chambers are now operational and giving daily free concerts to visitors that come to Boardwalk Hall. It will be a number of years before the full restoration is finished but just having listened to the organ only 25% completed, the sound is unbelievable. I can only imagine what it will sound like when fully restored. It's sad San Francisco didn' t have the foresight to make the effort to save the magnificent Fox Theater and keep the mighty whurlitzer in its rightful home.

7 жыл бұрын

How can something so beautiful be destroyed on purpose? Is any amount of money worth it?

@crazyhorsetrading8655 6 жыл бұрын

I'm speechless that this was allowed to happen. Although the same thing happened in Cape Town South Africa where the old movie theaters were torn down for BLAND NONDESCRIPT structures, we have truly lost some of the grandeur in our world

@bryantgarrison5269 9 жыл бұрын

I agree with everyone here, whoever was mayor at the the time obviously didn't have his head screwed on the right way. This should have been kept as a reminder of what REAL music and REAL stage shows were like. Also, the work of art behind the walls of that ornate facade was a full orchestra that only needed one player. And think of the men that put their time and effort into building this monstrosity, hours and hours of labor to cut, hollow, polish, and install and connect the organ to the keys. If the mayor had given it one thought, "Now, why am I ripping this beautiful theater apart and selling the organ to some freeloader up the Hollywood hills where it will never be seen or heard again? I could keep it here where it could be gazed up at by little smiling children hearing this great instrument. It could still take part in classic stage shows and ring out great tunes of long dead composers." If anyone had thought like that, it may still be standing today. When I saw the aftermath of the of the wrecking ball's field day in the atrium, my 12 year old eyes became watery and soon little tears started running down my face. Even I appreciate this amazing masterpiece. I wish the rest of the world had.

@rkberta 8 жыл бұрын

I worked my entire career in San Francisco and part of it was in the building that replaced the theater. Prior to it being torn down I had the opportunity as an engineer to go into the theater before the organ console was removed. As an organist I had more than a tear in my eye seeing what became of it. Those who say the city didn't have the money to preserve it....my answer is...how about the Paramount in Oakland which WAS restored and is a grand edifice and a shining "star" in Oakland. While living in San Francisco I saw the city destroy many of its glorious buildings and unique attractions. Most of these were bought for pennies by people looking to replace them with what became lifeless buildings and condos. Playland at the Beach was another one of those insults. Luckily the last few days of the Fox were captured in fine stereo recordings....there were three LP records (I have them all) and later a 2 CD set of most of the three records (I also have those). I think the CDs are still available. While Disney bought the console...I heard that most if not all of the pipes were mostly destroyed by poor storage and some ranks were sold off. The organ pipes are a mere shadow of what they were before probably an amalgam of ranks purchased from other organsa At one time this organ was one of the three largest top of the line Wurlitzers in the World. I don't know if the other two exist or not...probably not. If you are a theater organ afficiando....I can highly recommend the CDs.

@krgamman 8 жыл бұрын

+Robert Berta Can you tell me the title of the CDs? is it the same as the title of this video or something else?

@RobertKarlBerta 8 жыл бұрын

+Keisha Gamman The CD has two of the two original records on one CD plus a couple of other tunes from the third as I recall. It is called "Farewell to the Fox" . Evert Nourse and Tiny James were the organists. It was put out by Fantasy records. Total playing time is 72 minutes. The record cat.# is 850113/85014. I don't know if it is still available but a VERY worth while addition to any collection. It has liner notes with background and story also. I moved from San Francisco to Michigan 11 years ago when I retired. Here in Michigan they value history....there is a Fox theater here with a big theater organ that is restored to its glory along with its theater.....and this is in Detroit which takes a lot of knocks...but they know how to preserve history. I doubt if the original vinyl records are available but they were great and the third one has a few more tunes not on the CD. I think that third record was later made with the original tunes that didn't make the cut for the original two record set. While I had the chance to play some of the theater pipe organs at the old Pizza and Pipe chain in the Bay Area (also gone now), sadly I never got a chance to play the Fox.

@johnnyjames7139 2 жыл бұрын

You are mistaken about the fate of the organ. It was purchased by Frank Lanterman who had been a organist for Fox West Coast. He installed it in his La Canada home. I heard and played it there. Everything was there, including the slave console. After Frank's death, the city of La Canada was able to force removal of the instrument. Plans to install it elsewhere fell thru. It was phurchased by Disney To be installed in the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood. The instrument was completely releathered, all original pipework retained, a 37th rank added (a concert flute celeste, Wurlitzer identical to the existing rank). The slave console is in storage as there is no need for it. I was chief of maintenance for the first two years at the El Capitan, I played the organ often. The only thing lacking is the natural reverberation of the Fox. Even the 32' diaphone is there and plays. Disney does not own the El Capitan, it is leased long term. They do own the organ.

@RedRider7240 7 жыл бұрын

this is criminal.

@jonrmang 9 жыл бұрын

Thank you for posting this, of what you could. Yes I think it would be great to see the entire documentary. Even watching this much is almost too hard to take. It's tragic!

@michaelsmusicservice 9 жыл бұрын

Someone has posted the entire documentary at The Fabulous Fox I never could find the creators for permission but perhaps this person did (?)

@andytaylor5476 7 жыл бұрын

Really painful to see this magnificent movie palace savagely being torn down. Such a loss!

@hawkfumodee5364 6 жыл бұрын

This feels as if I am watching a crime taking place.

@LaurenceDay-d2p 4 ай бұрын

You are.

@italiano8nyc 10 жыл бұрын

so very, very sad. the shame of San Francisco....

@MikeCarrollArtist 12 жыл бұрын

I was on Mayor Art, a kid's TV show, in July of 1963. I'll never forget passing by the Fox on our way back home to Sunnyvale (South Bay). The lobby was gone and you could look inside, as shown in the video. Even as a kid, it was hard to look at. What a loss to San Francisco!

@rohanbrown3283 6 жыл бұрын

This is a horrible sight to see. It is such an amazing and stunning building and just to see it torn down like that is just unthinkable. I wish it survived the 60s 😪

@digikitty11 9 жыл бұрын

I was a kid back in the 50's who spent most of my Saturday afternoons at the movies. All the movie theatres where I lived at that time were still works of art. Some of the ceilings like a starry night, every stage had beautiful velvet drapes, gorgeous ornamentation on the walls. The seats were not wood or plastic. Quite beautiful when I think about them now, back then they were just a movie theatre and a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Some still had full orchestra pits. As things do, they all started to change later on to one looking much like another. I appreciate that I did get to see these beautiful "palaces" when they were still around. I know there are some places that because of historical interest have been restored and for that I am grateful at least that people have cared enough to retain some of our history.

@SuperAWaC 6 жыл бұрын

considering the single-story building across the street from where this used to be that's still there, there was plenty of room to keep this where it was and build the fox plaza where the post office is now. disgusting.

@Old-USRefugee 2 ай бұрын

The Fox Plaza is an eyesore, that should not have been built anywhere!

@sandee20 14 жыл бұрын

The San Francisco Fox theater was the most beautiful theater I have ever seen. It is such a loss for our children to never have the opportunity to see it up close. The inside of the theater was absolutely beautiful. So sad!!

@angelsone-five7912 9 жыл бұрын

What a lovely and fitting play-out. I got a lump in my throat.

@Modeltnick 10 жыл бұрын

Come to Tampa and see what we saved! The famous Tampa Theater still stands and is a real treasure with a restored Wurlitzer organ. It is an "atmospheric" theater of the highest order!

@ChristianSchonbergerMusic 16 жыл бұрын

Thankfully many people rediscover lost arts and revive them again. It sometimes(make that often)needs 'crazy' rich people for the financing. I am sure the theater organ will live on forever with many fully functional and well maintained, and some lucky musicians will be able to practice and perform on these. The theater organ with the typical smooth and rich sound is a part of lovely irrisitable, addictive, Americana. Thank you guys!

@1BostonTerrierGirl 6 жыл бұрын

Heartbreaking...

@Tmanaz480 6 жыл бұрын

The sound of the organ in its original space is amazing. Sorry, the El Capitan doesn't do it justice.

@TheCarnivalguy 6 жыл бұрын

I made it to the 4:15 mark, and that's when I stopped watching. The glorious city of San Francisco allowed that fabulous movie palace to be destroyed. SMH How does the parking lot? look there now. I'm glad our city of Chattanooga did not destroy our Tivoli theater. It houses our mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ built in 1924 and is still played today. I have such a great interest in those old movie palaces, and the surviving ones today are a wonder to behold.

@nyitrai7 7 жыл бұрын

What a shame!! This piece of history should have been preserved.

@Larsky1010 11 жыл бұрын

Can't bear to watch the whole video! What a tragic loss!

@HTtwentyten 8 жыл бұрын

This is as bad as New York's Penn Station. Criminal destruction of heritage aside, why don't we start building places like this again? The past is still there for us to learn from. We have intact tradition stretching back through all the great art movements of past millenia. Minimalist and undisciplined contemporary building styles are beginning to come across as plain lazy, self-absorbed, and uninvested. It's time for a classicalist revival.. before we lose the capacity and heart for it forever.

@robertdwyer5486 4 жыл бұрын

HalcyonTide In most cases, it would cost too much. For Penn Station, I believe cost was estimated at $4 billion...

@HTtwentyten 4 жыл бұрын

@@robertdwyer5486 I'm not talking about rebuilding lost monuments to the same specifications and level of craftsmanship, though. I'm talking about new buildings directly tapping on our rich heritage.. as a vibrant and living tradition. Much of the exhorbitant cost that comes with rebuilding lost buildings goes into achieving an authenticity to the original. With modern construction methods and designs complementing the realities of the building industry today (much of it sadly wanting with regard to building anything intended to last more than a few decades), this does not need to break the bank of any city or private developer.

@jamesp8391 3 жыл бұрын

This is not as bad as NY PERIOD. New York is probably the most destroyed city in America. All the things that made it a famous, beautiful and great place are for the most part lost and gone forever. It has become the epicenter of greed for the world. In most cities I visit, the old buildings are for the most part kept up and in mostly original condition. In NY, I don’t believe I’ve ever found any building in remotely close to original condition. And definitely not kept up. And I’ve worked in and around manyyy of the buildings in this city. Nothing in this city is taken care of or kept up at all. They wait until things completely fall apart. Then they knock them down, and build an ugly square glass NY hipster “designer” box of a building with ZERO architectural value and bad engineering, containing on the inside all square rooms with bare white walls... usually with bare ceilings, some with no drywall at all. Apparently, electrical runs, ventilation ducts and the backsides of lighting fixtures are now considered “designer” lol. The story of NYC in a nutshell is ZERO bang for a LOTTT more bucks. Just to give you an idea of what is happening here... we now have a building that the “architect” designed to look like the trash can in his office. And no, I’m not joking. Even Carnegie Hall isn’t all that great. It’s not that well taken care of. It’s also one of the only concert halls in the world that no longer has a pipe organ. Why is that? Well it’s because in the typical NYC fashion, they took their famous pipe organ, (commissioned by a world famous organist and composer) and they threw it in the garbage. This was most likely in the 1960’s when the destruction of nyc really started to happen. It’s only gotten worse from there.

@AdrianRoßner 15 жыл бұрын

I nearly had to cry, when I saw this! It's a shame to destroy such a beautiful building! Thank you for uploading, so that we're able to keep the last sounds-and pictures-of the theatre in mind! R.I.P.

@Mikemallga 12 жыл бұрын

The FOX still lives in Atlanta GA today. Also the Might Moe (Moeller) Pipe Organ is still used for summer film series sing-a-longs before the movie begins. Recently the FOX has been used for several national award shows, game shows, concerts, and Broadway productions.

@SRCVintageElectronics 7 жыл бұрын

This makes my insides hot. Whoever decided to not save the theater should have a wrecking ball taken to them.

@steveneaklor2990 4 жыл бұрын

I believe the organist is Everett Nourse, the last regular staff organist of the theatre.

@jimclifford8136 9 жыл бұрын

Help save the organ from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The Austin organ was damaged in the 1989 earthquake, restored and is now stored in Brooks Hall. The city is doing it again. It won't pay for the new home. The organ had been in the Civic Auditorium, now Bill Graham Auditorium, since the fair. Check it out.

@michaelsmusicservice 9 жыл бұрын

See my blog for some of my postings, especially for the project to display the console to the public. michaelsmusicservice.com/blog/?s=san+francisco+exposition

@mgc7199 6 жыл бұрын

All cry about pointless destruction but actual help is hard to find. Have a like.

@sonicmastersword8080 8 жыл бұрын

Goodbye great architecture and superb movie music. What a shame they did this to such masterful craftsmanship that is nearly lost now.

@TheShadowsoftheDead 12 жыл бұрын

Honestly, I can say that this is a horrible thing that people have done. I am only 17 years old, and I still teared up when I saw this beautiful piece of history torn down for something so trivial as a skyscraper. I would loved to have seen such a magnificent place in person and imagined what it was like to be there in the heyday. It's heartbreaking that the Fox Theater met the expansionist America before historical preservation and restoration could have saved it from this horrible fate.

@theSam91 16 жыл бұрын

Oh my god I nearly cried when I saw this, It's a terrible shame and it broke my heart to see the beautiful theatre and place of joy for so many older generations be demolished. I hope this never happens to the Capri theatre in Adelaide.

@ds1868 9 жыл бұрын

What a fantastic looking theatre this was. If there is any tragic 'consolation' for our American friends similar tragedies have occurred in Great Britain. It seems that at the time lack of vision (I call it 'tunnel vision') prevents the decision makers in appreciating these works of art, and to fail in grasping the past, the present, and even more importantly the future. Greed is usually the driver for this lack of vision, and lack of education. I have been to SF many times, and it is a beautiful City, my favourite in the US, but clearly the Mayor at the time meets all the criteria mentioned above, plus he was a complete idiot!

@Thommadura 2 жыл бұрын

Actually, the copper pipes of the pipe organs were of value in the WWII war effort and since they were generally not being used for anything else, at least they helped win the war. It is not lack of vision, the huge pipe organs had little place to exist when the theaters no longer needed them. THey are unsuited to installation in Homes and require constant maintenance and repairs. Electronic organs (Which have also gone by the wayside today) replaced them for home use.

@tracer740 9 жыл бұрын

Heartbreaking to witness. I discontinued watching @4:56

@PreservationEnthusiast 8 жыл бұрын

+Liche Christ Smash that old theatre down - you missed the best bits. Great demolition!

@michaelsmusicservice 15 жыл бұрын

That was during the last playing of the organ. After that, they disconnected it and began removal. The demolition of the building was well after that.

@davidlee4619 6 жыл бұрын

It also happens in Australia - we have lost some magnificent buildings to be replaced with arcades, shops, or in some cases still empty blocks. The Fox looked like a magnificent theatre and I cannot understand the minds of those city officials who allowed this to happen.

@Larsky1010 15 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting this much at least. How incredibly sad to see the console sink into the pit! But the organ lives on in spite of everything!

@Idelia412 8 жыл бұрын

I bet San Francisco wishes they could turn back the clock and save it today.

@andytaylor5476 7 жыл бұрын

yes we do!

@Baldgol4 10 жыл бұрын

What a sin that here in America we tear down a treasure such as this to build some new piece of junk. Thank goodness they respect the treasure their history in Europe.

@roddymoore 6 жыл бұрын

I totally agree. Our American throw away society.

@Bluegoose-df7if 5 жыл бұрын

why America why

@Bluegoose-df7if 5 жыл бұрын

Roddy Moore ok we do not throw everything away

@angelkowatsch7535 6 жыл бұрын

The Fox Theater (1921) in Salinas CA, is being threatened. The building is a solid concrete building and the city is claiming the neighboring building (brick URM building) is supporting The Fox building. The owner is fighting tooth and nail to save this BEAUTIFUL building, with NO help from the city. They closed his doors April 12th, and WILL NOT let him re-open unless he fixes a wall by June 12th, or they will abate and demolish. These city officials only think of development, new buildings and new money. The Fox has 1,000 seats of water credits and 1,000 parking credits...that's what they want. Very sad, these gorgeous iconic landmarks need to be cherished and preserved.

@Wanamaker1946 6 жыл бұрын

#gaysfortrumpThe San Fransico Fox was constructed of steel, enough to support a 30 Story Office Building. During the Great Depression the owner lost the finatial backing to finish the tower. This is why is was so hard to tear down. Why does America destroy so much irreplaceable Artitecture? Whitemarsh Hall at Philadelphia PA was another great loss. Also the Masbaum Theatre in Philadelphia.

@ITCXTC 9 жыл бұрын

At least someone saved the organ even though it will take years and a small fortune to reinstall it somewhere.

@markrpope3 9 жыл бұрын

I think Disnet could afford it and did. Went to El Capitan in LA

@Organsk8er 16 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for posting this. Absolutely, utterly, and completely heartbreaking. What a dark time in our history...so many of these grand places were destroyed, all in the name of progress, and "beautification". How ridiculous. Thank you.

@ronhoffstein8142 6 жыл бұрын

The once great (perhaps greatest) city in our nation continues its decline. While it's true that those at the top will probably fall from that honored position, to push it down into oblivion is inexcusable. Now I'm just waiting for the next significant earthquake to finish them for good.

@Robert-fy1vq 6 жыл бұрын

So sad to see a beautiful theater destroyed.

@joshbarreras7255 5 жыл бұрын

By a golden wrecking ball with a lounge on it

@richardmcleod5967 5 жыл бұрын

San Francisco bills itself as progressive and insightful. So what happened with the destruction of the Fox Theater? The day the demolition began , the activities were more of a Celebration with a gold wrecking ball and actual festivities in the City by the Bay as if they were celebrating the loss of one of San Francisco's most beautiful and Historic buildings. What were they thinking and what does it reflect about the City and how its' citizens' sensitivities for Historical structures were changing and obviously not for the better.

@mland2012 11 ай бұрын

That organist wasn't just playing farewell to the Fabulous Fox, but to the entire pre-war era of architecture and entertainment, barely hanging on by the early 1960s. The opulent aesthetic of the early 20th century had an inevitable pendulum swing towards minimalism and functionalism as the generation that grew up in the Great Depression and World War II had to reckon with those tragedies, mentally, practically, and artistically, while a younger generation sought to make a new world for themselves. It's a cycle that will never end. We can just hope that if we have a chance to make a call on what to preserve and what to make anew, we will know the soul of everything that went into building what came before us and let that guide our decisions.

@jamesmiller4184 5 жыл бұрын

Gees! That was really OK! A real documentary. Thanks very much for posting what you could. . : .

@MissCodswallop 10 жыл бұрын

Same with the Fabulous Fox in St. Louis. It's absolutely gorgeous--one of my favorite places in the whole world. Its interior is actually identical to the Fox in Detroit. Movie palaces are treasures that should be preserved, not destroyed.

@ChristineLeakeyMusic 9 жыл бұрын

i shudder when such beautiful things are knocked down and not honoured, usually thanks to poor taste and greedy real-estate developers or new owners who don't always know a good thing when they see it...

@PreservationEnthusiast 8 жыл бұрын

+ChristineLeakeyMusic Smash that old theatre down! It looked like a load of crap to me. Would you have paid to save it? Don't forget, someone has to pay, with no hope of returns from these decaying old buildings.

@TheJbh222 8 жыл бұрын

Sad...Sad...Sad...SAD!!

@mikeclemens4082 9 жыл бұрын

makes me sick to watch it.

@KPO6859 15 жыл бұрын

Knowing that this video could be watched over and over does not diminish the sadness of listening to Everett Nourse play "San Francisco" while it descends for the last time into the pit. It is nice to know that the organ continues to play and is under the care of an organization that cares about its' historical significance. The acoustics in a building that large must have been quite something!

@alexdelrio45 9 жыл бұрын

What a disaster! This happens very often here in the United States! They tear down those magnificent historical buildings and build a parking lot or what ever! SAD!

@Hope-Jones 16 жыл бұрын

OMG! that was incredible AND horrible all at once. I've only see the Fox through the photos in the Fabulous FOX book, but to see Everett Norse on the Organ console descending into the blackened orchestra pit was a real treat - felt like I'd finally visited the FOX! Seeing the front of theatre pulled down was sad. There must be a lot more footage like this in private collections; perhaps it will get a new lease of life one day, perhaps here on KZfaq! Thanks for posting this.

@Diogopfonseca 7 жыл бұрын

Here in Europe there are a few laws that prohibit the owners of historical buildings of doing alterations that would harm their historical significance, let alone demolishing them. You can't put a price on you're country's heritage.

@dhamrick100 10 жыл бұрын

such a waste of beauty and craftsmanship.

@rexthewarhorse7110 Жыл бұрын

That last part with the wurlitzer playing it's heart out always gets me

@megaswenson 14 жыл бұрын

Now, I'm too farklemt to talk! Good thing I'm typing, instead. Playing San Francisco with the organ descending for the last time is more than I can handle. I'm crying like a baby. So much of America's hope, idealism, and optimism descending into that pit with the organ.

@kansasthunderman1 10 жыл бұрын

It was a very strong building and it's nice that the demo contractor lost $$$ on the wrecking job!!!

@oscaralbertotocco7089 6 жыл бұрын

Thank goodness! Seeing what they did in those years with the architectural work of art that was that theater, I thought they had sold it as firewood to prepare barbecues ... At least, the organ was saved!

@Engineer9736 4 жыл бұрын

Contractors just do what them are told to be done. You want the person who instructed the contractor to do this to get punished.

@InsideOfMyOwnMind 7 жыл бұрын

The year San Francisco got it all wrong. I remember as a kid when K101 would play excerpts from here on Wednesday nights. "Watch your woofers!". Come to think of it, another lost SF icon.

@johnnyjames7139 4 жыл бұрын

It was my privilege to be chief of maintenance of this wonderful instrument for a couple of years following the rebuilding and installation in the El Capitan theatre Hollywood. I played it often.

@ChristianSchonbergerMusic 16 жыл бұрын

I sincerely hope that all the craftsmanship including these organs, construction and playing technique - decoration (mainly plaster and woodwork I presume) and of course the film projecting machines will be preserved in plans and detailed descriptions forever and rediscovered by future generations - such as is the case now.

@califdon 10 жыл бұрын

I can't confirm who was describing the organ pipes, but the narrator of the whole video is Fred Krock, without any possibility of doubt. He was the chief engineer for KQED FM and before that, several other local radio stations, and was the recordist for the San Francisco Symphony for some years. He is now retired, but is an active volunteer with the Niles Canyon Railroad Museum, the last I heard from him.

@OrganMusicYT 13 жыл бұрын

I wanted to cry watching that. Bastards!

@Dive-Bar-Casanova 9 жыл бұрын

Real estate people are usually behind a tragedy like this.

@willwjl 11 жыл бұрын

Hard to believe they thought Fox Plaza was a better alternative. Someone would have burned it down "accidentally" if it had made it to the 70s. Thank God for Oakland's Fox, Paramount and Grand Lake Theatres

@ArtamStudio 14 жыл бұрын

I was not yet seven and still felt this a great loss to SF. The Coronet, gone. Alhambra, gone. Coliseum, gone. The Alexandria sits rotting away. Now the lovely, if not as ornate, repossessed Redwood City Fox faces an uncertain future. Thank goodness there are a few movie palaces saved, like the Castro and Oakland's Fox and Paramount. (and tomorrow night I'll be at the Balboa watching a documentary about another lost SF treasure, Playland!)

@RADIUMGLASS 5 жыл бұрын

Being the mayor of a big city is a powerful position and a mayor can allow these demolitions to happen without the approval of the city council.

@m.herbert5262 10 жыл бұрын

What a shame.

@ab2bw 10 жыл бұрын

I had the opportunity to play a Wurlitzer organ at the Loews Movie Palace still open yet in Jersey City New Jersey six or seven years ago. It was so so so cool to hear that old instrument come to life across the theater from the console.

@avguy2006 16 жыл бұрын

This video was so hard to watch. I am not from San Fransico or even the west coast, but I can't stand to see these magnificent theatres go. We must preserve history. Newer isn't always better.

@davendea 15 жыл бұрын

For awhile in the 1980s, the city of Glendale, CA, owned the Fox's organ. They bought it to install it in the old Alex Theatre, to replace the Wurlitzer that was removed decades ago, but it turned out to be too big to fit. The El Capitan in Hollywood was built in the 1920s with space to install a huge Wurlitzer, but they never actually installed one until they bought this one from Glendale. They play it before most shows, or else they'll play a recording of it, which Disney sells on CD.

@michaelsmusicservice 16 жыл бұрын

kookysf replied about 5 months ago: This organ was sold in 1963 to a State Legislator who installed it in his home. After his death it was put in storage. When Disney bought the run down El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, they tracked it down. They spent million on the refurbishment of the theater and the San Francisco Fox Organ lives on.