Production
William Fox
EN, FR, ES, XX cinema · 203 credits
Born
1 January 1879
Died
8 May 1952 (aged 73)
Birthplace
Tolcsva, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]
Also known as W. M. Fox · Wm. 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.
Known for
Filmography
The Tiger's Cub
Producer, Presenter
Murnau, Borzage and Fox
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
South of Tahiti
Sound Technical Supervisor
Silk Hat Kid
Producer
Caravane
Executive Producer
David Harum
Presenter
Hoopla
Presenter
It's Great to Be Alive
Presenter
Disorderly Conduct
Producer
The Painted Woman
Producer
Young America
Producer
Society Girl
Producer
Wild Girl
Presenter
Rackety Rax
Presenter
The Big Trail
Producer
Annabelle's Affairs
Executive Producer
Six Cylinder Love
Producer
Quick Millions
Producer
Slaves of Fashion
Producer
Law of the Harem
Producer
There Were Thirteen
Producer
The Spy
Producer
El impostor
Producer
Up the River
Producer
Common Clay
Executive Producer
High Society Blues
Producer
Oh, for a Man!
Executive Producer
The Big Party
Presenter
City Girl
Producer
Such Men Are Dangerous
Presenter
Rough Romance
Presenter
Lucky Star
Producer
The Black Watch
Presenter
The River
Producer
They Had to See Paris
Executive Producer
The Valiant
Presenter
Not Quite Decent
Presenter
Strong Boy
Presenter
Happy Days
Producer, Presenter
The Far Call
Producer
Seven Faces
Producer
Girls Gone Wild
Presenter
Salute
Presenter
Street Angel
Producer
Fazil
Producer
A Girl in Every Port
Producer
The Play Girl
Presenter
Fleetwing
Presenter
No Other Woman
Presenter
The Farmer's Daughter
Presenter
Riley the Cop
Presenter
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Producer, Presenter
The Loves of Carmen
Presenter
East Side, West Side
Producer
Upstream
Producer
7th Heaven
Producer
Tumbling River
Presenter
Ladies Must Dress
Presenter
Is Zat So?
Producer
The Gay Retreat
Presenter
Two Girls Wanted
Presenter
The War Horse
Presenter
The Music Master
Producer
Publicity Madness
Producer
Outlaws of Red River
Presenter
The Secret Studio
Presenter
The Wizard
Presenter
Fig Leaves
Presenter
More Pay - Less Work
Producer
Early to Wed
Presenter
The City
Producer
The Midnight Kiss
Presenter
What Price Glory
Producer
The Fighting Heart
Presenter
The Iron Horse
Presenter
The Fool
Producer
The Shadow of the East
Presenter
Gold Heels
Presenter
Flames of Desire
Presenter
Hearts of Oak
Presenter
A Man's Mate
Producer
Daughters of the Night
Presenter
Troubles of a Bride
Executive Producer
The Vagabond Trail
Presenter
The Cyclone Rider
Presenter
Hoodman Blind
Presenter
If Winter Comes
Producer
Jungle Pals
1923
Jungle Pals
Executive Producer
Gentle Julia
Producer
Unreal News Reel
Executive Producer
Snowdrift
Presenter
Does It Pay?
Presenter
The Gunfighter
Presenter
The Silent Command
Presenter
Cameo Kirby
Presenter
Times Have Changed
Producer
A Friendly Husband
Presenter
Alias the Night Wind
Executive Producer
Six Cylinder Love
Presenter
Monte Cristo
Producer
Little Miss Smiles
Presenter
Step Lively, Please
1922
Step Lively, Please
Executive Producer
Honor First
Producer, Presenter
A Self-Made Man
Presenter, Producer
Pawn Ticket 210
Presenter
Without Fear
Presenter
Shirley of the Circus
Presenter
Who Are My Parents?
Executive Producer
A Stage Romance
Presenter
The Great Night
Presenter
Sky High
Producer
The Yellow Stain
Presenter
Youth Must Have Love
Presenter
Jackie
Presenter, Producer
Know Your Men
Presenter
His Greatest Sacrifice
Presenter
Ever Since Eve
Presenter
Perjury
Presenter
The Primal Law
Presenter
Skirts
Executive Producer
Queenie
Presenter
A Ridin' Romeo
Presenter
The Last Trail
Presenter
His Noisy Still
1920
His Noisy Still
Executive Producer
Just Pals
Producer
The Strongest
Presenter
The Face at Your Window
Presenter
Singing River
Presenter
The Husband Hunter
Producer
Twins of Suffering Creek
Presenter
The Orphan
Presenter
Flames of the Flesh
Executive Producer
A Sister to Salome
Producer
The Shark
Presenter
Her Elephant Man
Presenter
Love Is Love
Presenter
Words and Music by -
Producer
Cowardice Court
Producer
Wings of the Morning
Presenter
The Man Hunter
Producer, Presenter
A Schoolhouse Scandal
1919
A Schoolhouse Scandal
Executive Producer
The Forbidden Room
Presenter
The Love That Dares
Presenter
Salome
Producer
The Woman and the Law
Producer, Presenter
A Neighbor's Keyhole
1918
A Neighbor's Keyhole
Executive Producer
Her Husband's Wife
1918
Her Husband's Wife
Executive Producer
Are Married Policemen Safe?
Executive Producer
Son of a Gun
Executive Producer
True Blue
Presenter
The Blindness of Divorce
Executive Producer
The Bird of Prey
Presenter
Cleopatra
Producer
The Babes in the Woods
Presenter
Madame du Barry
Presenter
Jack and the Beanstalk
Presenter
The Silent Lie
Presenter
The House of Terrible Scandals
Executive Producer
East Lynne
Producer
The Serpent
Producer
A Fool There Was
Producer
The Wonderful Adventure
Presenter
Should a Mother Tell
Presenter
Kreutzer Sonata
Presenter
The Galley Slave
Producer, Presenter
Regeneration
Presenter
Life's Shop Window
Presenter