Opened as the Fox Theatre on 21, Aug. 1964 and was located in the Muhlenberg Shopping Center on the 5th Street Highway (Rt.222), just north of Reading. The Fox Theatre was renamed the Fox North Theatre when Fox opened the Fox East Theatre on 3 May, 1971. It was equipped for 70mm film, had one screen and boasted 525 seats.
The Fox Theatre was built and operated by Fox Theatres of Reading PA. The original manager of the Fox was Paul Angstadt who later became mayor of Reading.
At that time Fox Theatres of Reading was a weak sister in the Reading market. The Reading market was considered by the distributors at that time to be part of the Philadelphia territory and thus Fox was competing for product with the Colonial (Stanley Warner), the Embassy (Fabian), the Astor (William Goldman) and later the Eric (Sameric). All of these major chains had a large presence in Philadelphia and product was often split and pictures were often ‘blocked booked’ based upon a chain’s control of what was happening in Philadelphia. Since Fox Theatres of Reading did not have any venues in Philadelphia they often struggled to get pictures for the Fox in Reading despite being a premium 70MM house.
“I remember at one time the Fox was reduced to playing Deep Throat in 1972 for lack of product. Although the Fox did play Star Wars for over a year, it was then unable to secure “Empire Strikes Back” which played across the street on one side of the Eric bowling alley twin in mono sound while the 70MM Fox played some third rate piece of junk in 35mm. According to what we were told at the time Empire had been block booked into all of the Sameric theatres in the Philadelphia territory which is why the Fox could not get Empire.” – Muviebuf – Cinema Treasures
The theatre closed in 1988, was demolished and a Pep Boys was built on site.
I seen the Great White Hope there
My Parents used to own and operate Salvator’s Pizza right next to Jack DiFrancisco’s barber shop in Muhlenburg Shopping Plaza from 1972-1978. I went to the Fox North quite often in my youth. Took my Dad to see Star Wars there on opening weekend although he snored through the entire thing. It was a grand theater compared to other suburban area theaters in Berks.
Wow, I loved eating at Salvatore’s pizza, never forget the funniest story he told me about his bathtub overflowing, odd how we remember some things.
My friends loved Salvatore’s when we were in high school. Would hang out there a lot. He was the friendliest guy and we loved talking with him. And good pizza!
I remember seeing Star Wars when it opened at Fox. It wasn’t a full theater that night at all and I was blown away from the get-go when the big ship went over the screen. That was a great theater to see movies.
The building was torn down and then pep boys was built
I was leaving work at Weis Market in the Muhlenberg Shopping Center on my motorcycle when a guy & his small son pulled out of the Fox Theatre parking lot right in front of me, I never had time to hit the brakes and hit his car broadside and I flew over the whole car, I didn’t get hurt, but my motorcycle was totaled, I was so angry at the guy that he locked his doors and would not get out of his car until the police came! His insurance company bought me a new Motorcycle! That what I remember most about the Fox Theatre!
I was fortunate to see 2001: A Space Odyssey at Fox North in 1968. 70mm film and stereo sound, if not surround sound – I distinctly remember sounds coming from behind me. A great movie theater.
Saw a lot of movies there; the theater was so big. And our High school chorus from Muhlenberg actually used the theater for a Good Friday svc.
The funniest memory is my sister and I went there to see a movie. It had been out for awhile and the theater was totally empty. We sat down. A few minutes later 2 older women came in, and in this 500+ seat theater which only had the 2 of us—they sat directly in front of us in the next row. We moved.