El Capitan Theatre
6838 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6838 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
95 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 318 comments
SFGate reporter Julie Tremaine writes about her experience going to the El Capitan to see The Little Mermaid, the showmanship employed leading to a fun experience.
El Capitan
Abbott and Costello Opening Colgate Comedy Hour - 1952. Exterior shots at head end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHyoVmVNeQc
Operated by Disney. Official site below.
https://elcapitantheatre.com/
After the 2021 demise of Pacific Theatres / ArcLight Cinemas, who is currently operating the El Capitan?
Please update, the theatre is owned by Disney and Pacific Theatres use to run the theatre
This theatre has Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos according to the El Capitan theatre website.
Fifty years ago today, George Lucas’s directorial debut, “THX 1138,” opened here (and Loews Cine and State 2 in New York).
Hello-
a blu-ray disc of Isadora starring Vanessa Redgrave has finally been released. interesting note- when it was known
as Loew’s Hollywood this was if I’m mistaken the only theater in the entire U.S. to play the original 2hr. 57min. cut. the new blu-ray is unfortunately the more well known truncated version.
Martin Turnbull’s site with September 1954 photos of the premiere of “Sabrina”, at then the Paramount.
https://martinturnbull.com/2016/02/23/premiere-of-sabrina-at-the-pramount-theater-hollywood-blvd-1954/
And renamed back to Paramount on December 19th, 1973 after Century Cinema Circuit took it over.
Renamed Hollywood Cinema as General Cinema took it over on July 12th, 1972 from Loew’s.
This became the Loew’s in Hollywood on April 11th, 1968. Grand opening ad posted.
The premiere of Endgame didn’t take place at this theater nor the Dolby but a specially designed auditorium at the famed Los Angeles Coliseum to show the IMAX version of the film, which has broken all sorts of records.
The owner/operatorship is only slightly correct. In the mid ‘70s,the Loews theatres that didn’t go to General Cinema went to the short lived Century Cinema Circuit. In 1976,Seattle Washington based SRO Theatres took over until Pacific acquired most of the lot in late 1983.
When I watched Reel Steel at this cinema back in October 2011 the Wurlitzer was played before the performance began.
At the time this was the closest to Full HD video quality I had ever seen on a cinema screen. Does anyone happen to know which projector they would have been using at that time?
Dolby has a Deal with AMC Theaters to only install the Dolby Cinema auditoriums in there locations in the US the spec has a Dolby designed Recliner seat with built in speakers and a Video wall entrance tunnel experience made by the producers of the film.
Answering an earlier question about why El Cap doesn’t show movies in 3D: It’s technically a Dolby Cinema house. Doesn’t use the Dolby Cinema name but it’s the same technical framework: Dolby Vision HDR projection plus Dolby Atmos audio. I have yet to see a Dolby Vision/Cinema house equipped for 3D. Frankly, it doesn’t need it! It’s presentation is already the best in the business…topped only by full screen 70MM IMAX.
I wonder how star wars is doing based on mixed word of mouth…
RE: “In 1999, the magnificent Wurlitzer ‘Crawford Special’ 4 manual 37 rank theatre organ, which was originally installed in the much missed Fox Theatre, San Francisco, was found a new home in the El Capitan Theatre, and is now played at program breaks regularly on weekends.”
For the record, these Wurlitzers were not known offcially as “Crawford Specials,” a misnomer. After the installation of the New York Paramount’s 4m/36r, Opus 1458, the Fox Theatre chain eventually ordered 5 of these organs fo flagship theatres, thus they were dubbed “Fox Specials.” Although the Paramount organ was basically designed by Wurlitlzer, Paramount Organist Jesse Crawford did specify some of the ranks of pipe he wanted in the organ, hence the “Crawford Special” name.
The other four remaining Fox Specials were: Opus 1894, Detroit Fox Theatre (still in situ with its slave console) Opus 1904, Brooklyn Fox Theatre (this was a 4m/37r) Opus 1997, Saint Louis Fox Theatre (still in situ) Opus 2012, San Francisco Fox Theatre (in the El Capitan) A fifth Fox Special was ordered for a Fox Theatre in Jersey City, but it was cancelled.
There was a fifth Fox flagship theatre in Atlanta, the Atlanta Fox. This Fox began life as a Shriner’s Auditorium but was taken over by Fox Theatres when the Shriners defaulted on their financing. This Fox Theatre still has its organ, a 4m/42r M.P. Möller theatre organ (Opus 5566). This organ was designed while the Shriners were still in the picture.
The Fox Specials were indeed special. All of them had a second “slave” console, a 12 note set of tuned tympani and a piano, playable from the console … not to mention the rare ranks of pipes not usually seen in most Wurlitzers.
To quote the late Ben Hall in his book, The Best Remaining Seats, a movie palace without its organ would made it as soulless as an armory. May the remaining Fox Specials and all other theatre organs installed in theatre continue to thrill audiences.
@cubdukat, Because 3D isn’t a draw anymore. The theaters have realized that when given the choice, most people choose 2D now. I had a conversation with a high-up at Arclight and he told me that 3D shows in the Dome NEVER sell as much or as quickly as 2D shows in the Dome. The theaters are just following customer preference. Even IMAX has started to cool on IMAX 3D and are offering more and more IMAX 2D engagements.
And if you go to a Dolby Cinema screen, you won’t see it in 3D there either.
Anybody know why El Capitan chooses not to do 3D presentations? I’ve only ever seen one 3D showing there, and that was for “Age of Ultron.” They didn’t even do 3D for “Rogue One” last year.
They’re certainly more than capable of it, so I’m confused as to why they don’t. If they do the same for “Last Jedi” this year, I’ll be catching it at an official Dolby Cinema screen.
I liked the remake of Jungle Book. Wonder what they’ll do with Mulan with the CGI dragons to go along with the Chinese actors.
Again, it’s the same tech used for the 2016 Jungle Book remake
Hello-
thanks to Chris Utley for your thoughts on the subject. the remakes of Cinderella, Pete’s Dragon and Beauty and the Beast were “live action”. so if I understand your new reply correctly the upcoming “live action” remake of The Lion King isn’t “live action” at all but a animated remake using different animation technology than what was available in 1994.
Substitute the phrase “Live Action” with Photorealistic. “Live Action” is a distinction between hand drawn animated cartoons vs Photorealistic movement, backgrounds and activity. But it’s still all animated. Disney with all their power isn’t gonna make a herd of lions and hyenas speak.