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William Fox

William Fox

Starting at the age 8 he had a series of jobs before starting his own business in 1900, which was sold to buy a Brooklyn nickelodeon in 1904. As the new owner with an empty house, Fox hired a coin manipulator and a barker to attract patrons into the dark 146-seat theatre. Once audiences adequately understood what moving pictures were, live acts were dispensed with. More nickelodeons were opened and he became a successful film exhibitor. He then won a long legal battle against Thomas Edison's Motion Pictures Patent Company, ending the film trust and allowing him to start his own production company in 1913. Operations were consolidated into the Fox Film Corporation in 1915. Theda Bara and Tom Mix starred in successful pictures made at the Fox Hollywood studios and the profits from them, and from the 1000 house Fox theatre chain, paid for "artistic" projects like Sunrise (1926), for awards and critical acclaim. In 1927, Fox acquired the American patent rights to the sound-on-film process developed by a Swiss firm. Fox pioneered the widescreen film with The Big Trail (1930). Poised for the future of talkies, he attempted to buy MGM just in time for 1929s stock market crash. In 1930 Fox was forced out of his company after a federal anti-trust investigation. His version is told in 1933 Upton Sinclair's book, 'Upton Sinclair Presents William Fox.' In 1936, a year after Darryl F. Zanuck's 20th Century Pictures merged with Fox Films, Fox bribed a judge during the liquidation of his holdings in bankruptcy proceedings. His sentence, a year in prison, began in 1941. Paroled in 1943, he was a pariah in Hollywood. Though secure from his many patent holdings, the industry for which he had been so visionary was closed to him. A virtual pariah at the time of his death, no industry representative came to eulogize at his funeral.

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South of Tahiti

South of Tahiti

1941

Sound Technical Supervisor

Silk Hat Kid

Silk Hat Kid

1935

Producer

Caravane

Caravane

1934

Executive Producer

David Harum

David Harum

1934

Presenter

Hoopla

Hoopla

1933

Presenter

It's Great to Be Alive

It's Great to Be Alive

1933

Presenter

Wild Girl

Wild Girl

1932

Presenter

Rackety Rax

Rackety Rax

1932

Presenter

The Painted Woman

The Painted Woman

1932

Producer

Society Girl

Society Girl

1932

Producer

Young America

Young America

1932

Producer

Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly Conduct

1932

Producer

She Wanted a Millionaire

She Wanted a Millionaire

1932

Producer

There Were Thirteen

There Were Thirteen

1931

Producer

Law of the Harem

Law of the Harem

1931

Producer

Do You Know Your Wife?

Do You Know Your Wife?

1931

Producer

You Have to Marry the Prince

You Have to Marry the Prince

1931

Producer

Slaves of Fashion

Slaves of Fashion

1931

Producer

Annabelle's Affairs

Annabelle's Affairs

1931

Executive Producer

Six Cylinder Love

Six Cylinder Love

1931

Producer

The Spy

The Spy

1931

Producer

Quick Millions

Quick Millions

1931

Producer

The Big Trail

The Big Trail

1931

Producer

Oh, for a Man!

Oh, for a Man!

1930

Executive Producer

Up the River

Up the River

1930

Producer

Common Clay

Common Clay

1930

Executive Producer

Rough Romance

Rough Romance

1930

Presenter

High Society Blues

High Society Blues

1930

Producer

Such Men Are Dangerous

Such Men Are Dangerous

1930

Presenter

The Big Party

The Big Party

1930

Presenter

City Girl

City Girl

1930

Producer

The River

The River

1929

Producer

They Had to See Paris

They Had to See Paris

1929

Executive Producer

Happy Days

Happy Days

1929

Producer

Lucky Star

Lucky Star

1929

Producer

Not Quite Decent

Not Quite Decent

1929

Presenter

The Black Watch

The Black Watch

1929

Presenter

The Valiant

The Valiant

1929

Presenter

The Far Call

The Far Call

1929

Producer

Strong Boy

Strong Boy

1929

Presenter

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

1929

Producer

Romance of the Underworld

Romance of the Underworld

1928

Presenter

Mother Knows Best

Mother Knows Best

1928

Producer

Fleetwing

Fleetwing

1928

Presenter

Fazil

Fazil

1928

Producer

The Play Girl

The Play Girl

1928

Presenter

Street Angel

Street Angel

1928

Producer

A Girl in Every Port

A Girl in Every Port

1928

Producer

Ladies Must Dress

Ladies Must Dress

1927

Presenter

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

1927

Producer

East Side, West Side

East Side, West Side

1927

Producer

The Gay Retreat

The Gay Retreat

1927

Presenter

Two Girls Wanted

Two Girls Wanted

1927

Presenter

7th Heaven

7th Heaven

1927

Producer

The Loves of Carmen

The Loves of Carmen

1927

Presenter

Tumbling River

Tumbling River

1927

Presenter

Cradle Snatchers

Cradle Snatchers

1927

Writer

Is Zat So?

Is Zat So?

1927

Producer

Upstream

Upstream

1927

Producer

Fig Leaves

Fig Leaves

1926

Presenter

More Pay - Less Work

More Pay - Less Work

1926

Producer

Early to Wed

Early to Wed

1926

Presenter

The Fighting Heart

The Fighting Heart

1925

Presenter

The Iron Horse

The Iron Horse

1925

Presenter

Wings of Youth

Wings of Youth

1925

Presenter

Gold Heels

Gold Heels

1924

Presenter

Flames of Desire

Flames of Desire

1924

Presenter

Daughters of the Night

Daughters of the Night

1924

Presenter

Hearts of Oak

Hearts of Oak

1924

Presenter

A Man's Mate

A Man's Mate

1924

Producer

Love Letters

Love Letters

1924

Presenter

The Shadow of the East

The Shadow of the East

1924

Presenter

Gentle Julia

Gentle Julia

1923

Producer

Hoodman Blind

Hoodman Blind

1923

Presenter

Does It Pay?

Does It Pay?

1923

Presenter

Unreal News Reel

Unreal News Reel

1923

Executive Producer

The Gunfighter

The Gunfighter

1923

Presenter

Jungle Pals

Jungle Pals

1923

Executive Producer

The Silent Command

The Silent Command

1923

Presenter

Snowdrift

Snowdrift

1923

Presenter

If Winter Comes

If Winter Comes

1923

Producer

The Face on the Barroom Floor

The Face on the Barroom Floor

1923

Producer

Pawn Ticket 210

Pawn Ticket 210

1922

Presenter

Who Are My Parents?

Who Are My Parents?

1922

Executive Producer

Shirley of the Circus

Shirley of the Circus

1922

Presenter

Step Lively, Please

Step Lively, Please

1922

Executive Producer

Monte Cristo

Monte Cristo

1922

Producer

Honor First

Honor First

1922

Producer, Presenter

A Self-Made Man

A Self-Made Man

1922

Presenter, Producer

Without Fear

Without Fear

1922

Presenter

A Stage Romance

A Stage Romance

1922

Presenter

Little Miss Smiles

Little Miss Smiles

1922

Presenter

Jackie

Jackie

1921

Presenter, Producer

Ever Since Eve

Ever Since Eve

1921

Presenter

Perjury

Perjury

1921

Presenter

Big Town Ideas

Big Town Ideas

1921

Producer

His Greatest Sacrifice

His Greatest Sacrifice

1921

Presenter

Know Your Men

Know Your Men

1921

Presenter

Singing River

Singing River

1920

Presenter

The Face at Your Window

The Face at Your Window

1920

Presenter

His Noisy Still

His Noisy Still

1920

Executive Producer

Just Pals

Just Pals

1920

Producer

The Strongest

The Strongest

1920

Presenter

Love Is Love

Love Is Love

1919

Presenter

Cowardice Court

Cowardice Court

1919

Producer

Words and Music by -

Words and Music by -

1919

Producer

Why I Would Not Marry

Why I Would Not Marry

1918

Presenter

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

1918

Presenter

The Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts

1918

Presenter

The Woman Who Gave

The Woman Who Gave

1918

Producer

Salome

Salome

1918

Producer

The Woman and the Law

The Woman and the Law

1918

Producer, Presenter

Cleopatra

Cleopatra

1917

Producer

The Honor System

The Honor System

1917

Producer

The Darling of Paris

The Darling of Paris

1917

Producer

A Daughter of the Gods

A Daughter of the Gods

1916

Producer

East Lynne

East Lynne

1916

Producer

The Eternal Sapho

The Eternal Sapho

1916

Producer

The Galley Slave

The Galley Slave

1915

Producer, Presenter

The Wonderful Adventure

The Wonderful Adventure

1915

Presenter

The Song of Hate

The Song of Hate

1915

Presenter

Should a Mother Tell

Should a Mother Tell

1915

Presenter

A Woman's Resurrection

A Woman's Resurrection

1915

Presenter

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

1915

Producer

From the Valley of the Missing

From the Valley of the Missing

1915

Presenter

Kreutzer Sonata

Kreutzer Sonata

1915

Presenter

A Fool There Was

A Fool There Was

1915

Producer

Regeneration

Regeneration

1914

Presenter

The Tiger's Cub

The Tiger's Cub

Producer, Presenter

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