The remaining studio lot that was established in 1926 will be sold off and the rest rented out. One of the few stand alone studios that was best known among industry members as a studio "of risk and innovation". The sense of history when filming at the studio will be gone. I can't say what will happen with the studio's library of films but I certainly do hope they continue to be available to the public.
As for the history of the studio, 20th Century Fox was first established as Fox studios by William Fox, whose family originally came from Hungary. Like many moguls, he started in the garment industry in New Jersey. He began his movie career with his earnings by buying nickelodeons-common shows i.e. small movie houses. Then he bought theaters. He would buy his films from distributors. Later on, he would create an actual movie making company. By the 1920's he was producing movies, distributing them and owned about a thousand movie theaters. He had always dreamed of dominating the movie industry. By 1929, Fox's glory had gone down the tubes due to the unpaid loans and the Depression. That is when the movie company 20th Century decided to merge with the financially struggling Fox Films, bringing in Darryl F. Zanuck and Joseph Schneck. Fox himself had been ousted out in 1930 by other heavy investors. Twentieth Century Fox took hold as a company in 1935. Executive producer Zanuck became strongly associated with 20th Century Fox Studios. What made him such a stronger producer is that he had began as a script writer and knew better the process of making films.
One of Fox's first stars was Theda Bara. Between 1915 and 1919, Bara was Fox studio's biggest star, but tired of being typecast as a vamp, she allowed her five-year contract with Fox to expire. Her final Fox film was The Lure of Ambition (1919).-(Wikipedia) Unfortunately the movie that made her famous "Cleopatra" 1917 was destroyed in a fire and no known prints exist but there are pictures of her in her costume.
As the years passed 20th Century Fox became home to many stars among them Shirley Temple, whose films saved the studio from bankruptcy during the Depression. Her film career at the studio began when "Fox Film songwriter Jay Gorney was walking out of the viewing of Temple's last Frolics of Youth picture when he saw her dancing in the movie theater lobby. Recognizing her from the screen, he arranged for her to have a screen test for the movie Stand Up and Cheer! Temple arrived for the audition on December 7, 1933; she won the part and was signed to a $150-per-week contract that was guaranteed for two weeks by Fox Film Corporation. The role was a breakthrough performance for Temple. Her charm was evident to Fox executives, and she was ushered into corporate offices almost immediately after finishing Baby Take a Bow, a song-and-dance number she did with James Dunn."-Wikipedia
Beginning in the 1930's, the studio produced the Charlie Chan mystery movies with Warner Olan and Sidney Toler. The popularity of the movies helped the studio keep afloat.
Nowadays, we can see that since both Oland and Toler were American and not Asian at all, their characterizations were politically incorrect. However, it would be one of the few times at that time that Asians were portrayed in a positive way. Up until then, Asians were usually portrayed as villains.
The studio was also home for the films of handsome leading man, adventurer Tyrone Power.
20th Century Fox also produced another mystery movie series "Mr. Moto" movies starring Peter Lorre. Eight films were made.
Darryl F. Zanuck also signed Norwegian -Sonja Henie, Olympic Ice Skating champion, World champion and European Champion. She worked for 20th Century from 1936 to 1943.
The other mystery series that helped the studio in the 40's, survive, was the Sherlock Holmes mystery films starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.
Other notable films for the studio were "Drums along the Mohawk" 1939:
One of the few films that brought prestige to 20th Century Fox; "The Grapes of Wrath" 1940
which was nominated for Best Picture.
Another top money maker actor for the studio during the 1940's was Betty Grable who had started her career back in 1929 at the age of 12. She had left Hollywood after not getting anywhere in movies. Then in 1939 she was in the Broadway play "DuBarry was a Lady" which brought her to the attention of studio mogul Darryl F. Zanuck, "who offered her a long-term contract. "If that's not luck, I don't know what you'd call it", Grable said in her first interview after signing with the studio." (Wikipedia) she got a second chance at stardom and this time it hit. Her first musical movie for the studio was "Down Argentine Way". It was very popular.
In mid 1930's, Don Ameche started his contract to the studio. While there he made some memorable films like "In Old Chicago", "Alexander's Ragtime Band" with Tyrone Power and Alice Faye. "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell" 1939 not only brought him fame but also his name became part of American slang, people referring to a phone as an 'Ameche'. He was leading man mainly in comedies and musicals and was very popular.
"Don Ameche played the title character in "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell" (1939). It led to the use of the word, "ameche", as slang for telephone in common catchphrases, as noted by Mike Kilen in the Iowa City Gazette (December 8, 1993): "The film prompted a generation to call people to the telephone with the phrase: 'You're wanted on the Ameche.'" In the 1940 film Go West, Groucho Marx proclaims, "Telephone? This is 1870, Don Ameche hasn't invented the telephone yet". While in the 1941 film Ball of Fire, Barbara Stanwyck's character discusses the "ameche" slang usage, "Do you know what this means: I'll get you on the Ameche."" -Wikipedia
Linda Darnell came under contract to 20th Century Fox in 1939. "By age 15, she was signed to a contract at 20th Century Fox and moved to a small apartment in Hollywood all alone on April 5, 1939. With production beginning in April 1939, she was featured in her first film Hotel for Women (1939), which had newspapers immediately hailing her as the newest star of Hollywood. Although only 15 at the time, Darnell posed as a 17-year-old and was listed as 19 years old by the studio. According to columnist Louella O. Parsons, Darnell was "so young, so immature and so naïve in her ideas" and was very loyal to her boss, Darryl F. Zanuck. Her true age came out later in 1939, and she became one of the few actresses under the age of 16 to serve as leading ladies in films."-Wikipedia
At 20th Century Fox, Dana Andrews, did some of his memorable work: "The Ox-Bow Incident", "The Purple Heart" (war film), "Laura", "State Fair", "Fallen Angel"(film noir), and "Boomerang!".
The beautful "How Green Was My Valley" 1941 was produced by 20th Century Fox. It was nominated and won an Oscar for Best Picture.
Cornel Wilde was under contract with 20the Century Fox, briefly.
"My Gal Sal" 1942 was a popular musical for the studio starring Rita Hayworth and Victor Mature.
The other popular musical star at the studio was Alice Faye. Her career at Fox spanned from 1935 to the 1940's. She retired for home life at the height of her career.
"Orchestra Wives" 1942 was a popular musical as featuring Glenn Miller and his orchestra. It was the second and last film for Glenn Miller. (Pictured Marion Hutton, sister to Betty Hutton.) This musical was different because the story plot was more serious than the usual happy up beat musicals of the time.
One of the most original films to come out of 20th Century Fox was "Tales of Manhattan" 1942. it comprised of an all star cast but in different stories, all of them connected by a tuxedo coat. It was very unusual and very entertaining. It seems some of these stars played roles they otherwise would not have had the opportunity in a feature length film. (Pictured: Thomas Mitchell as the jealous husband of Rita Hayworth and her lover Charles Boyer).
20th Century Fox took many chances on stories that might otherwise not be filmed. The studio had many feathers in its huge cap, among them "The Ox-Bow Incident" 1943 with Anthony Quinn, Dana Andrews, Henry Fonda, Frank Tetley and Jane Darwell.
Jennifer Jones starred in "Song of Bernadette" 1943. It was nominated for several Academy Awards.
Another gem that came from 20th Century Fox was "Stormy Weather" 1943 "a musical film that is considered one of the best Hollywood musicals with an African-American cast, the other being MGM's Cabin in the Sky (1943). The film is considered a primary showcase of some of the top African-American performers of the time, during an era when African-American actors and singers rarely appeared in lead roles in mainstream Hollywood productions, especially those of the musical genre: (pictured: Lena Horne with Dooley Wilson)
Laurel and Hardy made three of their last films at Fox studios: The Jitterbugs, The Dancing Masters and The Big Noise in the 1940's. They were still funny.
Laird Cregar who died at the age of 31 in 1944 as a result of the after effects of crash dieting, was under contract with 20th Century usually playing heavy villains but his last roles gave him starring roles "Hangover Square" and "The Lodger".
"Heaven Can Wait" 1943 with Gene Tierney and Don Ameche was a success for the studio.
Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles in "Jane Eyre" 1943 was produced at 20th Century but not with Zanuck as producer. Stan Goetz was the producer with the help of Welles who had signed on after leaving RKO.
Jeanne Crain started her contract to the studio in 1944 in the musical "The Gang's all Here".
The only Hitchcock film made at 20th Century Fox was "Lifeboat" 1944. Plagued with problems it took longer to film than intended. Many of the cast got sick and many writers went through the script.
"The Fighting Sullivans" 1944 was an unforgettable and sad story about a family whose five sons join the US Navy during WW2 and are killed action in the same battle.
One of the best Film Noir ever filmed was "Laura" 1944 at 20th Century Fox, with Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger.
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" 1945 The memorable coming of age story set in Brooklyn around the turn of the century. It starred Lloyd Nolan, Joan Blondell, Dorothy McGuire, Ted Donaldson, James Dunn and Peggy Ann Garner.
"State Fair" 1945 was the only Rodgers and Hammerstein musical written for the screen directly. It starred Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews.
"The House on 92nd Street" 1945 was a spy film and filmed in a documentary style, which inspired other films.
"And Then There None" 1945 was a popular hit when it came out and one of the best mystery movies. Starring a group of character actors from the studio, among them Walter Huston, Roland Young, Louis Hayward and Barry Fitzgerald. It is well made and well acted.
Film Noir "Fallen Angel" 1945 with Dana Andrews and Linda Darnell.
One of the best film noir movies came out of the 20th Century Fox but in color "Leave Her to Heaven" 1946 with Cornel Wilde and Gene Tierney. Tierney in the unusual role of a villainess.
"The Razor's Edge" 1946 with Gene Tierney, Tyrone Power, Herbert Marshall, Clifton Webb, Anne Baxter and Lucile Watson. It was a successful movie for the cast.
"My Darling Clementine" 1946: Director John Ford said that when he was a prop boy in the early days of silent pictures, Earp would visit pals he knew from his Tombstone days on the sets. "I used to give him a chair and a cup of coffee, and he told me about the fight at the O.K. Corral. So in My Darling Clementine, we did it exactly the way it had been." Ford did not want to make the movie, but his contract required him to make one more movie for the studio."-Wikipedia Henry Fonda played Wyatt Earp, Lind Darnell was "Chihuahua" and Victor Mature was Doc Holliday.
In 20th Century Fox's many films, one of the genres they were good at was film noir based on true events. These films were like documentary style true crime drama. Among them was "Boomerang!' 1947 starring Dana Andrews as the prosecutor and Lee J. Cobb as the Chief of police investigating the case of a reverend priest being shot in the back of the head in a small Connecticut town.
"Miracle on 34th Street" 1947 was a success for the studio although it was released in the summer. It starred John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
"The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" 1947 with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison was a beautifully filmed romantic fantasy drama.
"Kiss of Death" 1947 is another tough film noir directed by Henry Hathaway. It was written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer. The story is about an ex-con played by Victor Mature and his former sadistic partner-in-crime, Tommy Udo, played by Richard Widmark, in his first billed role. It was also the film debut of Coleen Gray as the wife of Mature.This movie "has received critical praise since its release, with two Academy Award nominations. "Kiss of Death" is considered a significant example of film noir, and is also notable for giving Widmark a breakout role in his screen debut."-Wikipedia
"Forever Amber" 1947 was a role that Linda Darnell fought for. At first many actresses tested for it. When director Otto Preminger took over the troubled production and the difficult adaptation of the novel, Darryl F. Zanuck replaced English actress Peggy Cummins with Darnell. Cummins had seemed too young and besides she had fallen ill several times and stalled production.
After working many years for 20th Century Fox, Tyrone Power felt like he could do more and was tired of the swashbuckling and romantic roles. (I think he underestimated his roles and capacity or perhaps he thought others did. His films, no matter the genre were usually good because of him. He brought intensity to his roles.) Anyway, he bought the rights to the novel "Nightmare Alley" about "The Great Stanton", the unsavory role of a conniving carnival barker with great ambition. "Nightmare Alley" 1947 turned out to be an unforgettable film noir and rather disturbing during its time. It also starred Joan Blondell and Coleen Gray. It was directed by Edmund Goulding.
"To make the film more believable, the producers built a full working carnival on ten acres (40,000 m2) of the 20th Century Fox back lot. They also hired over 100 sideshow attractions and carnival people to add further authenticity. As noted on the DVD commentary track by Alain Silver and James Ursini, Nightmare Alley was somewhat unusual among film noir in having top stars, production staff and a relatively large budget. Despite a strong promotion campaign, the film was not a financial success upon its original release, due in part to protests against some of the scandalous content. The film has since found acclaim and is regarded as a classic."-Wikipedia
Always taking a risk, 20th Century Fox produced "Gentleman's Agreement" 1947 tackling the topic of anti-Semitism. Gregory Peck accepted the role of a journalist who pretends to be Jewish in order to research the prevalent distrust and dislike of Jews in New York City and affluent communities in Connecticut. It was controversial for its time. Darryl F. Zanuck wanted it made after having been denied membership to the exclusive Los Angeles Club, because it was thought he was a Jew. Many other studio heads who were Jewish asked him no to make the movie so as to not create waves. In the end the movie earned critical acclaim, it was the highest grossing movie of the year and it won for Best Picture and Best Director. Unfortunately, Zanuck, John Garfield, Anne Revere (actress who played Peck's mother) and Elia Kazan-screenplay writer were called to testify before the House of Un-american Activites Committee. Revere refused, Garfiled didn't name names and the added stress of testifying a second time probably led to his untimely death at the age of 39 of a heart attack. (Pictured: Gregory Peck, Celeste Holm, and John Garfield. The other two actors are unfamiliar.)
Another documentary style, crime drama "Call Northside 777" 1948 The story refers to the true story of a reporter who helps clear a man who was wrongly convicted of the murder of a Chicago police officer. James Stewart is the reporter and Richard Conte is the accused.
"The Snake Pit" 1948 with Celeste Holm and Olivia de Havilland and directed by Anatole Litvak was an astounding film revealing the inside workings of mental institutions. It follows the story of a woman(de Havilland) who wakes up at an insane asylum but doesn't remember how she got there. Interesting note:
"Director Anatole Litvak insisted upon three months of grueling research. He demanded that the entire cast and crew accompany him to various mental institutions and to lectures by leading psychiatrists. He did not have to convince Olivia de Havilland who threw herself into the research with an intensity that surprised even those who knew her well. She watched carefully each of the procedures then in vogue, including hydrotherapy and electric shock treatments. When permitted, she sat in on long individual therapy sessions. She attended social functions, including dinners and dances with the patients."-Wikipedia
The magazine story "A Letter to Five Wives" was dwindled down to three by the time it came to the screen. The movie "A Letter to Three Wives" 1948 eventually starred Ann Sothern, Linda Darnell and Jeanne Crain as the wives who receive a letter indicating that one of their acquaintances has run off with one of their husbands. The husbands were Kirk Douglas, Paul Douglas and Jeffrey Lynn. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
"Pinky" 1948 is the story of a light skinned black woman passing for white. It starred Jeanne Crain and Ethel Waters as her mother. Although Jeanne Crain was a good actress, it is a little difficult to believe she could be "passing", besides which she lacked a passionate performance. Nevertheless, it was still a good movie.
"Both Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge were interested in playing the role of Pinky. In the end, Jeanne Crain was chosen for the role. Elia Kazan, who took over directing duties after John Ford was fired, was not happy with the casting choice. He later said, "Jeanne Crain was a sweet girl, but she was like a Sunday school teacher. I did my best with her, but she didn't have any fire. The only good thing about her was that it went so far in the direction of no temperament that you felt Pinky was floating through all of her experiences without reacting to them, which is what 'passing' is." -Wikipedia
The war film "Twelve O'clock High" 1949 starring Gregory Peck dealt with "aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force who flew daylight bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II, including a thinly disguised version of the notorious Black Thursday strike against Schweinfurt."-Wikipedia It was nominated for four Academy Awards and won 2-Best Supporting Actor -Dean Jagger and Best Sound Recording -Thomas T. Moulton.
So ends the first 14 years of 20th Century Fox, the studio who had its own stars -Shirley Temple, Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Betty Grable...but it was also a studio that took risks with powerful and unforgettable dramas that dealt with real life stories and not just the usual glamourous Hollywood fantasy. It had documentary style crime dramas and film noir. Of course it did have musicals and comedies thrown into its repertoire, which were entertaining.
