Capri Cinema

The Capri was built adjacent to and as part of the post WWII Pike Theatre. The Pike and Capri formed a very 2-screen complex. The Pike was a very *ahem* innocent little hall whose main claim to fame was that it was the first in an experiment in prefabricated construction techniques.

The Capri was built to present single strip cinerama with a deeply curved ribbon screen.

Both halls were subsequently twined to form a 4-plex. Long closed as a theatre, in the mid-1990's the buildings were converted into an art gallery: the larger hall had its main floor leveled and a 2nd floor inserted into the auditorium space. The front +/- 1/3 of the older, smaller hall was torn down and the rear portion made into office and storage space.

The only realy memorable exterior feature was/is the two story window-wall which formed the front of the Capri's lobby.

I've got a listing from a 1952 directory showing a Pike Theatre at 4200 Kingston Pike. Is this the same as mentioned above? This Kingston Pike area appears to have the most growth in theatre construction in Knox County since the late 1960s.

Jack, yes, that is the Pike - a.k.a. the Capri. Kingston Pike is the main street on the west side of Knoxville. That area has had the most growth since WWII and continues to expand at a phenominal rate.

Apologies for a typo above: it should say "...formed a very EARLY 2-screen complex." We need tntim to tell us the whole story here. His father was the projectionist at the Capri (I think) for the theatre's whole existence.

Small photo of the Capri Cinema.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Chuck1231/Tennessee%20Theatres/CapriIII5304KingstonPl.jpg

Photo of the Capri Cinema can be found here: http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c-1%2c3%2c1509&ProductID=33612 The doors to the far right of the picture is the enterance to the Capri-70 which was the Cinerama house that was build in 1967. The window to the right of the photo was the boxoffice for both theatres.

ON SEPT. 25 1967 KNOXVILLE HAD THE RATHER ADULT FEATURE BY ROGER VADIM STARRING JANE FONDA THE FILM, THE NAME OF THE GAME IS SEX! ADULTS ONLY. IT SHOWED AT 6;00 7;40 AND 9;35 PM. ALL THIS FOR THE MOVIE CALLED '' THE GAME IS OVER '' . HYPED UP ONLY LIKE THE 60'S COULD DO.

Sept.28 1967 Now showing Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Shows start at 2:30 at the Capri Rocking chair theatre, There was a no reserved seating.Tickets were $1.75 for evening shows and $1.50 for matinees.

The Capri Cinema and Capri-70 Cinerama is how a Boxoffice article of March 26, 1973, styled this twin. The article was about the opening of the new Capri Terrace by the Simpson Operating Company, the same chain that operated the earlier Capri cinemas.