William Fox (producer)

William Fox (born Wilhelm Fuchs in January 1, 1879–May 8, 1952) founded the Fox Film Corporation in 1915 and the Fox West Coast Theatres chain. Although Fox sold his interest in these companies in a 1936 bankruptcy settlement, he remains the ancestral namesake of the FOX television network and 20th Century Fox

Wilhelm Fuchs was born to Jewish parents in Tolcsva, Hungary, then part of Austria-Hungary. He came to America at the age of 9 months where his name was changed to William Fox. He had many jobs starting at the age of 8. In 1900 he started his own company which he sold in 1904 to purchase his first Nickelodeon. In 1915 he started Fox Film Corporation. In the 20's Fox purchased the rights to put sound on film and made the first movie with Movietone sound in 1927. In 1933 a company that made movies Twentieth Century Pictures was founded. Two years later in 1935 Fox Film Corporation merged with them to form 20th Century FOX which operated itself until 1985 when it became a News Corporation company.

Fox died in 1952 at the age of 73. No producers came to his funeral.

News Corporation, 20th Century Fox's corporate parent continues to make movies and started the FOX Network.

External links

* William Fox at IMDb
* Fox profile from germanhollywood.com

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