Capitol Theatre
1645 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10019
1645 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10019
36 people
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Here are three interior images. In the first of the grand lobby with its marble staircase, please note the miniature Capitol dome in the background between the two draped arches. The vast central dome in the auditorium was completely surrounded by smaller domes, all with crystal chandeliers. The color scheme used olive, brown, and antiqued ivory. Instead of the usual gold leaf to highlight details, Thomas Lamb used silver:
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For me nothing beats the Music Hall but on this one I’m with Warren(though Dunne and Coburn are two of my favorites.) Is Under 21 shown on TCM at 8 in the morning or is it lost to the ages?
It’s weird seeing Alexander Knox as a romantic comedy lead – to me he will always be “Wilson”.
If I had to choose between these two 1945 bookings, I would have gone to the Capitol:
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1952 “The Quiet Man” opened at the Capitol
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From August 1939:
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September 1965 the Capitol was part of the showcase presentation of “The Reward"
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But I believe between Jim and Ecstasy there were a few other films. did Jim even make it to May?
8 of the 9 films Warren mentioned are listed in the directory. When I said “summer movie”, I meant it the way they use the term now: big, dumb action movies or adaptations of comic books. That’s a pretty classy bunch of titles moviegoers had to choose from in the summer of 1965. We’ve come a long way since then – a long way backward.
“Lord Jim” opened at the State on Feb. 25th, the next Roadshow into the State was “The Agony and the Ecstasy” on Oct. 7th of 1965.
But didn’t Lord Jim open as an Easter roadshow at Loew’s State and after a dismal few months(if that long) was then dumped onto drive-in double bills?
Also weren’t Magnificent Men and Hallelujah Trail the only roadshows to ever open as summer films and consequently neither made it to the fall?
The area directory of 1965 is not truly indicative of the major releases of that summer. Many of the theatres listed are second or third run or revival houses. Some of the “big” releases of that summer were still in their first-run engagements and had not moved on to these theatres. The major studios always released some of their most important movies in the summer, especially those that might appeal to school and adult vacationers. For example, in the summer of 1965, Columbia released “Cat Ballou,” “Lord Jim,” “The Collector,” and “Ship of Fools.” Paramount had “The Family Jewels,” “Harlow,” and “The Sons of Katie Elder.” 20th-Fox released “Von Ryan’s Express” and “Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines.” Saturation release was still in the evolving stage, and many of these films were shown at only one or two theatres in their first engagements.
Interesting that Mary Poppins is still playing at a number of theaters a year after it opened. And at the Cinema Village and 68th Street no less!
Here is an area directory of theaters from the Aug. 11, 1965 issue of the New York Journal-American. Considering most of the titles on view here, the concept of the “summer movie” had not yet taken hold.
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Here is a double ad from August 1965 for both of Manhattan’s Cinerama theaters:
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Christmas 1960 while “The Misfits” was playing the Capitol, Loew’s also opened it at the Metropolitan.
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1955 Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hagerty arrive at the Capitol
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Edward G. Robinson at the same premiere
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This undated photo shows Sophie Tucker arriving at the Capitol
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Here is the ad from that unusual booking of “Duel in the Sun” that opened at the Capitol and 38 neighborhood Loew's
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From the 1967 Loew’s annual report:
“The land under Loew’s Capitol Theatre on Broadway in New York City has been leased to Uris Building Corporation, which will demolish the theatre and erect a 1,700,000 sq. ft. office building. Loew’s ownership of the basic lease should enable us to realize between $16,000,000 and $17,000,000 on this property, if we elect to mortgage or dispose of it.
“Your Company has many theatres and commercial properties in excellent locations, many of which are completely free and clear of mortgage debt. It is our intention to carry out a mortgaging program over the next few years. With the addition of mortgage money and cash flow to our present cash and security position, we project having available resources approximating $200,000,000 during the next three years. At the opportune time, we intend to use this fund for a major acquisiiion. Pending the fulfillment of this program, we are making investments in marketable securities.”
A year later, that “major acquisition” turned out to be Lorillard, a tobacco company.
I’ve posted a longer excerpt from this report on the Loew’s State page.
Ron— That report, available on the page for the Camelback Cinema in Scottsdale AZ on this site, reeks of greed. It’s scandalous. Tisk-tisk, Tisch Tisch.
From the 1968 annual report of Loew’s Theatres:
“Perhaps the most interesting development in current theatre design is exemplified by the project now underway at Loew’s State, your Company’s flagship theatre on Broadway.
“The Uris Corporation, which has entered into a long-term ground lease with Loew’s, is erecting a 48~ story office building on the site of the famed Loew’s Capitol at 51st Street and Broadway in New York City. To replace the Capitol, Loew’s State, six blocks south on Broadway, is being converted into two theatres: Loew’s State I and Loew’s State II.
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"Adjoining the escalator in the lobby [of Loew’s State] will be ‘The Capitol Corner’, a nostalgic recollection of The Capitol. Among the features: an ancient, Carrara marble, Roman well-head; a, French rock-crystal chandelier; a bronze railing and the grandfather’s clock known to Broadway moviegoers for half a century.”
The report has a photo of this ‘Capitol Corner’.
Many people are afraid of ushers…but all they can do is ask you to take your assigned seat.