Capitol Theatre
391-395 Dundas Street,
Woodstock,
ON
N4S
391-395 Dundas Street,
Woodstock,
ON
N4S
3 people
favorited this theater
The Woodstock Opera House was located at 391-395 Dundas Street, where the Capitol is now.
Owned and operated by John Griffin’s Griffin Amusement Company of Toronto, it opened in 1908 as a 1,480-seat theatre that included a balcony and balcony boxes, and could mount stage as well as silent-movie shows. In the early 1900’s, it had the largest stage (23 x 60 feet) between Windsor and Hamilton. Although silent films were shown regularly, with a 6-piece orchestra in a pit before the stage to provide accompaniment, touring stage shows also made routine and very popular visits. Every summer a stock company would visit for several weeks, putting on a different play each night. The local YMCA also had a singing group, Y Beaver Minstrels, that performed there to packed houses. During the intervals, 11 and 12 year-old YMCA members would be drafted to walk up and down the aisles selling Crackerjacks, as a fund-raiser.
The same building had earlier housed the 1,075-seat Opera House, owned by a local businessman, Thomas Carter, and built in 1893.
In 1927, Famous Players Ltd. bought the Woodstock Opera House, renamed it the Capitol Theatre and soon began showing the first talkies. In 1940, The Capitol Theatre was sold to another local businessman, Tom Naylor, who made extensive upgrades, including adding an up-to-date sound system and fireproofing the projection booth: the nitrate-based film then used was very flammable, unlike the safety film in use today. However, live stage performances were still popular and vaudeville was a part of every Saturday evening show until 1956.
The last change came in 1975, when the balcony was converted into a second and separate theatre, Capitol 2. The Capitol closed in 1999, and was demolished in 2010.
Contributed by
Brian Morton
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
Brian Morton and everyone else – live theater sounds great, but it’s a shame for a theater to not be used in between productions. Special movies that wouldn’t be shown at a multiplex could be the answer. There are cinemas around that are fairly successful showing special films in between live productions. These theaters need to be found and then copied.
Does the theater have landmark status? Who owns the building?
“A dark theater is terible thing to waste, any night of the week!”
I have no idea alas who owns the building. I live in Hamilton, ONT which is about 90 minutes away. I would see this building every time I drove up to Owen Sound or Blyth… So I was looking for it in the Cinema Treasures listings… and when I didn’t find it I added the info myself. There have been a number of historic theatre’s knocked down in Ontario this past five years (Uptown in Toronto, Lyric in Kitchener, Grand Opera Houses in Barrie and St Catherines, Capitol in and Century in London)….
There are also many under real threat – Century in Hamilton, Heritage in Brampton and this one.. So I was hoping that someone might read this and start to care…
1982 photo of the Capitol Theatre.
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This is a 2009 photo of the Capitol.
Its wild to see that the building is still there after being closed for some time.That the marquee is still there is amazing.Must be in a bad part of town.
Does anyone know if the Capitol Theatre has to be redone as a theatre? Could some other form of entertainment go there? This building has been a part of woodstock way too long to be demolished! I have some ideas for the building IF it can be changed from a theatre. It may be the only way to keep this building standing is to make it something else but keep all historical value. lots of renovations need to be done! There is just so much potential for this building that i would hate to loose forever!
s clement, woodstock ontario
The Capitol Theatre had a manager who like most men in those days promoted movies.It is lost on Managers today. Mr. Gerry T. Wormald promoted a all out street ballyhoo for “CUSTER OF THE WEST”. Feb 10 1969.
Capitol Theater to be Demolished
Historical building’s roof collapsed
The City of Woodstock has issued a demolition order to the owners of the Capitol Theatre.
The numbered Ontario corporation1723719 was informed in a letter dated June 24 that they had been ordered to provide the city with a demolition work plan by noon on Monday June 28.
According to the city the building has experienced a “major roof collapse in the middle of the building” and “the last exterior walls remain standing and unstable.”
The Capitol Theatre, formerly known as the Woodstock Opera House, was built in 1893.
In 1927 Famous Players bought what was then known as the Woodstock Opera House and renamed it the Capitol Theatre and began shown the first talkies.
It closed in 1999.
The Capitol is no more:
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Staus should now be Closed/Demolished.