William Fox Would Be Pleased

Entertainment

1904 - William Fox (born Wilhelm Fuchs) acquired 146-seat Brooklyn storefront Nickelodeon theatre for $1,660.67, started Greater New York Film Rental Company; 1912 - Supreme Court ruled against movie monopoly of Motion Picture Patents Company (Thomas Edison); 1913 - Theater "chain" pioneer William Fox (born Wilhelm Fuchs) established Greater New York Film Rental, distribution firm, Fox Office Attractions Company, production company.; 1915 - consolidated companies, formed Fox Film Corporation; concentrated on acquiring, building theaters; 1916 - moved company to 13 acres in Hollywood, CA; March 3, 1929 - acquired Loew's Corporation's 500 theatres (added to existing nationwide circuit of 1100 theatres), large equity position in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture Studios; July 1929 - Fox seriously injured in car accident; October 1929 - net worth valued over $400 million wiped out; 1930 - Fox forced out as CEO; May 31, 1935 - president Sidney Kent, new owners merged company with Twentieth Century Pictures, formed 20th Century Fox; 1936 - Fox forced into personal bankruptcy; 1942 - began jail time for felony conviction of bribing judge during bankruptcy proceedings; 1985 - Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation acquired by News Corporation; renamed Fox, Incorporated; 1989 - film production unit renamed the Fox Film Corporation; October 7, 1996 - Fox News Channel made its debut.