Loew's Capitol Theatre
1645 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10019
1645 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10019
47 people
favorited this theater
Showing 401 - 425 of 1,085 comments
Time for my annual post remembering the one and only time I saw a movie at the Capitol. 48 years ago today: “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
July 20th 1944 photo & copy added courtesy of The Flickers Facebook page.
All six of MGM’s legendary “Thin Man” features with William Powell and Myrna Loy had their NYC premiere engagements at the Capitol Theatre. Ads have been posted in the Photos Section.
All six of MGM’s “Tarzan” adventures with Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan had their New York premiere engagements at the Capitol Theatre. Ads have been posted in the Photos Section…After “New York Adventure,” MGM sold its rights to independent producer Sol Lesser, who made a distribution deal with RKO starting with “Tarzan Triumphs.”
On this eleventh day of March in 1943, the Capitol Theatre resumed the stage/screen policy that was dropped in 1935 due to Depression conditions. With the wartime boom in attendance, the Capitol had been losing patronage to rivals with stage presentations— Radio City Music Hall, the Roxy, Strand, Paramount, and Loew’s State. The resumption of stage shows at the Capitol lasted until 1952, when the theatre switched back to films only.
And Bill if there’s anyone I envy it’s someone who saw 2001 at the Capitol. Perhaps the ultimate movie experience? Though seeing it at the Rivoli in ‘76 was pretty stupendous. I was completely floored.
Very odd that for the big 50 for Dr. Z there hasn’t been much of a flurry. Nobody thinks about it anymore though for many years it was considered a classic? No listing of premiere engagements? No restored print theatrical showings? It deserves better. Though I do think it was a crime not filming it in 70MM. Penny wise pound foolish.
Happy “2001 at the Capitol” anniversary to me. 6/15/1968, 47 years. Heading toward the big 5-0.
1945 photo added courtesy of the Fifties Fun Facebook page. Capitol blade sign lit at night.
Joe, I think you missed Coate’s point. A chat involves give and take, comments and responses, questions and answers and follow ups… It’s more interesting for everyone if we reply to posts by addressing the info in the previous post, rather than just going on to more questions…
to Coate-
i assumed this website was for people interested and wanted to chat about the history of movie theaters of which roadshow engagements played a significant part at least for the 7 theaters I listed.
so to answer you question i am just curious. i don’t appreciate your assumption i’m trying to squeeze info from you for a book.
bigjoe59… How ‘bout you comment on my previous reply before moving on to new questions?! Sheesh. Granted, I don’t think I actually asked any questions in my last reply, but you’d think something in there would’ve prompted a reply of some kind. At least maybe a “thanks for the info” or a new question based on something stated. Whatever.
As for your (sigh) new questions… I can’t comment on your souvenir program or intermission request. Someone else will have to chime in. As for the NYC roadshow theaters you cited, I’d say the list for such bookings during your time-frame was more than double the number you have.
It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re compiling information for a to-be-published project or if you’re just curious. Several folks here, myself included, enjoy the discussions and exchange of information, but at times your requests come off like you’re expecting others to do all of the labor (research). Anyone else feel this way, or am I misinterpreting?
As my mother used say in answer to my endless queries, “What, are you writing a book…?!”
Hello to Coate-
as you have suggested i now define the prime roadshow period with having started with the Sept. 1952 opening of This Is Cinerama rather than the Oct. 1955 opening of Oklahoma. to which a question.
during this period there were 7 Times Square movie theaters that the studios used for their roadshow engagements- Criterion, Loews State, RKO Palace, Demille ,Warner , Rivoli and the Loews Capitol. now do you know of any roadshow engagements that played the 7 theaters listed during the prime roadshow period that did not have a souvenir program and or intermission?
bigjoe59…
Regarding Kim R. Holston’s “Movie Roadshows” book, I’ve read much of it but not every single entry. Overall I think it’s pretty good even though I spotted quite a number of errors. I think it’ll appeal more to readers unfamiliar or less familiar with roadshows than to those coming to the book with knowledge of the subject, as those already familiar will more easily spot errors or questionable claims which could be a distraction to the reading experience and lessens the book’s value as worthy reference material.
“The Trojan Women” isn’t Holston’s only omission. As well, he has some titles listed in the “Anomalies” section that, in my opinion, should’ve been placed in the main part of the book. He also backed himself into a corner by including a few titles that were not true roadshows and were actually reserved-performance engagements rather than specifically reserved-seat engagements. This is why I mentioned in my previous comment how the book could’ve been extended beyond 1972 [sic] since he had (inadvertently) included a couple of titles that would’ve been better off in the anomalies section.
There is another recently published roadshow book: Matthew Kennedy’s “Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s.” As well, in 1998, Widescreen Review magazine published in one of their special edition issues a lengthy article on roadshows, which included titles not mentioned in Holston’s (and, naturally, its share of questionable claims), but nevertheless essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the subject.
I doubt Holston could give us any playdate info on “Gypsy.” If he had any he would’ve surely included it. Personally, I think he is under the mistaken impression “Gypsy” was a roadshow simply because of the presence of an overture on the album.
I’ve interview Holston a couple of times, by the way, the most recent being for the 50th anniversary of “The Sound of Music,” which can be read here. FYI: the article is a four-pager (two pages devoted to a historian Q&A and another two devoted to the film’s roadshow exhibition history). I hope you and any others with an interest in the subject will enjoy it.
to Coate-
I suppose you’re right and that the modern roadshow era as I call it should start with the release of This Is Cinerama Sept. of 1952 and not the Oct. 1955 opening of Oklahoma.
likewise I suppose The Last Tango in Paris should be considered the last prime roadshow by a big company namely United Artists which also released Man of La Mancha. but Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter’s exclusive Manhattan runs were actually reserved performance engagements not traditional reserved seat ones. likewise Napoleon’s engagement at Radio City Music Hall was a special limited run not part of a wide release.
also have you actually read Movie Roadshows by Kim Holston from cover to cover? I find it a fascinating book since its the only one I have ever come across on the subject but its loaded with factual errors. for instance he states the 1962 film version of Gypsy opened on a roadshow run but doesn’t state where. plus here’s a big no no-one of the last traditional roadshow engagements in Manhattan The Trojan Women which opened Nov. of 1971 at the Fine Arts is mentioned nowhere in the book.
bigjoe59… I’m curious why you consistently refer to the modern roadshow era as 1955 through 1972? There were roadshows before AND after that timeframe. Is it that you’re thinking of that specifically as the “large-format/roadshow” era? If so, why not move up the starting year to 1952 so that the first two Cinerama movies can be included? After all, the so-called modern roadshow era really kicked off with 1952’s “This Is Cinerama” rather than with “Oklahoma!” in 1955. But if you’re not even referring specifically to large-format/stereophonic sound releases, then roadshows can be traced back to the turn of the century.
And, for what it’s worth, I’d like to point out that 1972’s “Man of La Mancha” probably shouldn’t be considered the final roadshow release, even though you and several others (including Kim Holston in his recently-published “Movie Roadshows” book) routinely cite it as such. “Last Tango in Paris,” for instance, had numerous reserved-seat bookings in 1973. And if you really want to get picky, there were several “modified roadshow” (i.e. reserved-performance engagements) throughout the 1970s and even into the early 1980s (i.e. “Funny Lady,” “Kazablan,” “The Deer Hunter,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Napoleon” re-release, etc.).
Hello-
I refer to the period of Oct. 1955 with the release of Oklahoma to the Dec. 1972 release of Man of La Mancha as the modern roadshow era. to which a question.
the release pattern for roadshow films basically followed a three part process-a) the original roadshow run b)a subsequent continuous performance run at a 1st run theater in Manhattan and c)spreading out to NYC many neighborhood theaters. to which does anyone know of a film other than The Sound of Music that was never cut/tweaked etc….. at any point in the three part release pattern?
Apologies for going somewhat “off topic” as this is a site for the “Capitol” not RCMH !!
It would be great if RCMH still had the odd movie shows as I’m certain they would pull in the crowds if they advertised the fact of being able to see a film in a way that has disappeared now. In spite of improvements in seating comfort and sound (and that’s debatable) there is a generation out there who has simply no idea of what it was like going to the movies before the demise of the “palaces” and I’ll bet there would be some real (pleasant) surprises from the younger generation!
I find it strange that Radio City stopped showing first-run films into the late 70’s. Whenever I visted NY, I always went to RCMH and during the week they had great crowds and not just for the christmas & easter shows. The stage shows were wonderful and plenty of tourists. The huge curtains closing after the film was over and then re-opening for the stage show was a delight!
That’s also why when the big Palaces that still show movies, we should make an effort to go and experience what it’s like to see a wonderful movie in a real Movie Palace. Most people in our society today think the plain Jane nondescript box they see movies in at their local multiplex is how people have always experienced movies, boy are they wrong!
Hello-
as a fellow poster said these large theaters cost way to much to heat during the winter and cool during the summer. plus the last nail in the coffin for these large theaters was the end of exclusive first runs whether roadshow or continuous performance and wide or showcase releases. for the Roxy the cost of heating it nowadays would be astronomical and far more than any hit film could bring in.
I take your point about location but that makes the loss of the Roxy in particular even more bizarre when you see the puny nondescript building that replaced the “Cathedral of the Motion Picture” If that was torn down tomorrow no one would even notice or even remember what was there, it’s that forgettable!
Also don’t forget about the change the in exhibition landscape, the end of exclusive roadshow runs for these big theatres and the beginning the the showcase neighborhood engagements – where the same motion picture opened everywhere simultaneously, also must have hit these big houses very hard. They must have had a lot of empty seats unfortunately, and still had to pay to heat, cool these auditoriums no matter how may patrons were watching films/