Fox Theatre enters the digital age

Jillien and Edith Becker in front of the newly digital Fox Theatre
T. Lucas photos

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice
Updated May 6, 2013

Modernization has come to the Fox Theatre in Pincher Creek.  New Christie Digital Projectors work their cinema magic in the  projection booth and Dolby 5.1 digital surround sound transmits clearly through the 12 speakers that have been installed in each of the Fox's two theatres.

Each theater has a silver screen that is now also capable of showing 3D movies.
 

Jillien and Edith Becker

On the evening of May 2 Fox Owner Edith Becker gave a private  3D presentation to inaugurate the new equipment with 75 friends and invited guests in attendance, including three generations of the Becker family.

 Among the guests there was talk of the Fox's past as well as the new direction the theatre is going in. Some of the guests had worked in the Fox throughout it's history even as a new generation of candy counter employees kept the popcorn flowing.

A few people asked what will happen to the old equipment.  King Cinema IT Technician Trevor Endo was on hand.  He said that the old film equipment that he removed has no real place in the modern world, but a number of museums do save these older systems for historical purposes.

Candy counter staff 

New digital rack in the
projection room

The cost of the digital upgrades was $80,000 per cinema.  Additional upgrades to the facility brought the total cost of modernizing and renovations to $170,000.

"My family moved to Pincher in 1979 to take over the Fox Theatre and have experienced the changes in the industry over the years," said current owner Edith Becker.  "We twinned the theatre in 1984 to compete for current product.  The community supported us and our attendance was high.  Through the past 10 years technology has changed and in order to keep the doors open all theatres must change their projection systems to digital, which I have done to open Iron Man 3 in 3D and Jurassic Park 3D."

" In my profession I have seen many small towns close their doors and this would have happened to Pincher Creek also, as the availability of 35mm is basically at zero.  I would have had to close my doors this month for that very reason.  I was sure that The Fox would have had to retire, as possibly I was but now we both have to keep working!!"

"I had CBC Radio do an interview with me shortly after The Fox was twinned and their comment for my theatre because I offered product the same as the city was  'The Little Theatre That Could'  and I believe it cani keep the movie goers happy in our community."

Edith has leased the operation to other management people in the past, but part of the changeover to digital will apparently involve the Becker family taking a more hands-on approach to the business.

New digital projection equipment

The Fox Theatre has been at its present location at 702 Main Street Pincher Creek since 1948, when it was established by Del Fox.

Fox Theatre will re-open to the public today, May 3 with Ironman in 3D and Jurassic Park in 3D.

Related links:
Fox Theatre Show Times
Fox Theatre Memories

Old splicing unit, now removed

Film canisters from the age of celluloid

Old Projection equipment, now removed

Old projection equipment, now removed

Hello, 21st Century!