Capitol Theater

There are 250 seats per auditorium with an exception for the main theatre, which has 320. The Arlington Capitol is open, and occasionally houses a film directly after it opens. There are rumors that Loews Theatres has bought this theatre.

That is not true! I work for Loews and they are definitley not looking to buy any older model theatres.

This theatre belongs to the FEI chain (same as the Somerville Theatre) and should be labelled that way in your database.

Its status is not "Unknown". It is open and doing quite well!

A small correction: the Capitol Theater is not in "Arlington's downtown", but rather in East Arlington.

Another old theatre, the Regent, is located in the center of town. The Regent presents concerts and Indian cinema.

who really owns the capitol

The Capitol Theatre seated 1600 people when it was a single screen theatre.

The Capitol Theatre seated 1600 people when it was a single screen theatre.

The lobby is not the only remnant of the Capitol's former glory. The original proscenium is preserved in auditorium number one, complete with a huge screen and about 300+ seats in what is left of the orchestra section.

Current seating capacity for the Capitol theatre is 1570.

The 'Chain' for this should be listed as 'FEI'.

Sure, it's a chain of only two theatres, but the other one (Somerville Theatre) has it correctly listed.

Since last Friday, the Boston Globe's movie listings for the Capitol and the Somerville sport a spiffy new F.E.I. THEATRES logo. Until now, the two theatres haven't really advertised themselves as a chain.

For a few years, the Capitol operated a full-fledged ice cream parlor as part of the concession stand in the lobby. You could just walk into the lobby and buy ice cream, and then sit down and eat it or take it out, without ever buying a movie ticket.

The Capitol concession stand still sells some ice cream, but only a few flavors, not the 15 or 20 they once had. And they no longer advertise it to non-movie patrons.

Does anyone here (Ian, perhaps) know when this opened?
Also, has it always been strictly a movie theatre, or did it once have live shows?

Looking back though some newspaper archives and web pages, I see that the Capitol opened on November 25, 1925, originally had an organ, and was subdivided into five screens in the fall of 1989.

The sixth screen was added a few years later, but I don't know exactly when. I think it was created from the former stage.

I hope there are some plans for an 80th birthday celebration this year.

The Capitol was built by the Locatelli family, who built and operated theaters in the Arlington-Somerville area (they built the Ball Square Theater and Central Theater in Somerville among others).

The Capitol did feature vaudeville in its earliest years, but not for long.

The theater eventually came under the control of Viano's Theatres (owners of the Teele Sq., Broadway, Somerville, and Regent theaters), although the Viano's did NOT own the building. At some point, the current owners (the Fraiman's) bought the building and when Viano wanted out of the movie business, the Fraiman's took over the operation of the Capitol.

It was originally going to be turned into apartments (to add to the ones already in the building) but it was suggested by one of Mr. Fraiman's sons that they try to keep the theater going. They did, although multiplexing was the only way to keep it going.

The sixth screen was added in 1990 and is indeed in the old stagehouse. It is reputedly haunted!

The organ lofts are still there but all equipment was removed years ago.

I don't know if they are planning a birthday celebration, but I will bring that up the next time I talk with the manager there.

That new F.E.I. THEATRES logo is now the first thing you see every day at the beginning of the Boston Globe theatre directory -- before Loews or Regal or Showcase or AMC. It's just an accident of Arlington being the alphabetically first town, but I enjoy it every time I see it.

The Fraimans, operating under the moniker Chatham Light Realty, were my landlords while I operated Somerville Books and Records in Davis Square. They wanted us out of the building, so sent in a demolition crew and started demolishing the building while we were open for business, destroying much of our stock. Later, when they wanted to get Garen Daly out of the Somerville theatre, they padlocked the buiding against him. the landlords were always jealous of the money their leasees were making from their property. They would see a sold out crowd lining up for a concert at feel they were being ripped off since all they got out of it was a rental fee for the use of the building. So they thought they could run these businesses on their own. Fraiman was a miserable and incompetent theatre operator, relying on bookings from a nitwit who took what was given him. At least Mr. Fraiman did not buckle in to the Arlington prudes who threatened him against showing the NC-17 Henry and June, although we had to put up cardboard on the auditorium windows so that children would not peep in. I was fired as manager after Mr. Fraiman found me in the office on the telephone during a rush in the lobby. that I was on the telephone speaking to a delayed employee was of no significance to him. He wanted me gone for reasons of his own, which I never bothered to investigate. As for the ice cream, it was very difficult for employees to keep their spoons out of it, and we all gained weight.

The Capitol was placed on the National Register in 1985.

The Capitol Is one of my favorite places to see a movie. They have good clean theatres great popcorn a good concession stand parking is not much of an issue the price is good. A with The Somerville Theatre they do a very good job. I am very happy we have these two theatres.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985

Capitol Theater Building (added 1985 - Building - #85001025)
202--208 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Drummey,William J.
Architectural Style: Classical Revival
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Business, Multiple Dwelling, Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Business, Theater

Here is a photo of the Capitol:
http://tinyurl.com/2fkzbz

This is a 2007 photo of the Capitol Theater.

Very Nice Photos Great JOB!

I am pleased to have a low price but quality theater in my town. The "original proscenium" screen is very good, the other screens are all OK, but the sixth screen in the "stagehouse" is mediocre: it's long and narrow, and the screen is quite high off the floor. Very reminiscent of the "stagehouse" screens at the Harvard Square, Church St theater in Cambridge.

2007 photo of beautiful drinking fountain in the theater-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goodharbor/288726979/

More photos of the Capitol Theater are here.

1983 Photo