Loew's Capitol Theatre
1328 F Street NW,
Washington,
DC
20004
1328 F Street NW,
Washington,
DC
20004
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 52 comments
A CORRECTION TO MY COMMENT ABOVE: The rebuilt console featured four manuals, controlling 28 ranks of pipes. It was rebuilt again and controlled 31 ranks.
The Wurlitzer organ at the Capitol was a three manual, fifteen rank instrument, not a 4m/31r. Known as a Style (model) 260, the organ chambers were installed on one side of the auditorium. When moved to Thurmont, it was combined with with another Wurlitzer from the Manos Theatre in Greensburg PA using the console from the Capitol. This console was rebuilt with manuals and eventually controlled thirty-one ranks of pipes. Its owner passed away in February 2023. The organ is now being installed in a private residence in southwest United States.
I worked at the Capital theater . From 1958 to 1960 as the secretary to the Manager .I ,Also ran the switch board and cashiered . I too like Ipa, loved to explore backstage . The Capital theater was truly a magical place to work,in. All of the Management that were in place at the time Ipa and I worked there are no longer living. There is an exception. The man who managed the Loews Palace.is still,living,
musiclover…I think 1939 to 1946. She did sing for many military functions, raising money for war bonds, singing at Walter Reed, the Navy Sail Loft, and for many military brass (when Hap Arnold got his 4th star in 1943.) She even sang at the White House for FDR, and then again at his last birthday party before he died. She also sang at a memorial service for him at the Department of Ag.
ChattTraveler, glad to see your comment. What years did your mother sing at Loew’s Capitol? I’m doing research on USO camp shows and trying to find out if SJK & his orchestra performed in them at Westover Field in Massachusetts in late 1944/early 1945.
My mother, Lynn Allison, sang with SJK at the Lowe’s for 7 years. When they tore it down, he sent her one of the tassels from the curtain, which I still have. They were great friends. (Can’t remember if I posted this before; don’t mean to be redundant.)
If anyone has recollections about or photos of Sam Jack Kaufman, Conductor and Musical Director of Loews Capitol Theatre 1940-54, would like to see them. He was the Conductor at the Truman Inaugural Gala in 1949.
1929 photo added. Fox Roller Skating Girls 1929 by Schutz Photo, Capitol Photo Service Collection. Courtesy Panoramic Images. Fox marquee just visible on the far right. It was the largest version of the image I could find. It was in an e-mail from the Historical Society of Washington D.C.regarding an upcoming event called the Bootlegger’s Ball.
August 14th, 1936 grand opening ad in photo section
Monday, July 27, 1936 newspaper article announcing the contest of the new name of this theatre. Capitol, Congressional, Diplomat, Embassy, Federal, Marcus Loew, Nation, President, Union
Capitol won
September 19th, 1927 grand opening ad in photo section.
In the late 1940s my mother used to take me on Saturday mornings to the Capitol to see a stage show, news reel, cartoon and movie. On one of my visits the headliner was a very young female vocalist named Rosemary Clooney. We went backstage to meet her and she gave me a headshot photo and a kiss on the cheek. I fell in love with her and showbiz. In 1997 I again met her at Walt Disney World where I was an Entertainment Manager. Small World?
In 1947 my family lived in Washington for a time. Every Friday evening we would meet my father in town and go to the Capitol, the reason being that my dad loved vaudeville. In fact he lived with the hope that someday Vaude would come back to Nashville, our home town.
One time when Sammy Kaye was playing the Capitol my mother was selected to go on stage and lead the band. I still have the signed baton that Mr Kaye gave her.
Another act I recall was Drapo, a man who would wrap lengths of cloth around models and create dresses right before you eyes. My dad had seen Drapo on stage a number of years earlier.
I wish I could remember more of the acts but at 76 my memory is failing.
tineseltoes, if the fox theatre renamed as loews capitol in 1936 as of 2011 an that was 75 years ago that means my ticket was between 1927-1936 ? because it says fox lol
i have a ticket from this theatre when it was known as the fox, price was 60 cents lol
My grandfather Dick Leslie was a comedian that would introduce acts at the theater. I was wondering if anyone has information on him. He would open as a warm up act for Jackie Gleason sometimes to.
Thanks to sconnell1 for correcting my entry – “Key Witness” indeed played at the Loew’s Capitol. My research has it during the week of 10/12/60 which also had a stage show. The reason I use Wednesday dates is because MOST movies did open that day of the week back then (although not all) and when going through old microfilms it would take forever to look at every single day. In addition, VARIETY came out on Wednesdays and is an invaluable source for finding out first-run movie openings in its box-office pages. I do plan at some point to put in the films of the Dupont, MacArthur, and other great DC theaters. Stay posted.
Now if you want to here the real story why the Capitol was demolished, here it is. When the Kennedy center was being planed, it was known that it could not compete with the Capitol. The Capitol was with out a doubt the most beautiful theatre in Washington DC seating almost 4000. The stage was able to handle anything including the Metropolitan Opera witch was booked about once a year. The only thing the Kennedy center had in its favor was parking. Other wise, it was and is and will always be a poor theatrical experience.
Click here for an exterior view of the Fox Theatre in 1929.
The list of the films posted in these comments that played at the Capitol theater omitted the film “Key Witness” which opened on Saturday, October 20, 1960 and played until Wednesday, October 19th. “Ruby” opened the next day. Back in those days not all movies opened in on Wednesday, some opened on Thursday, or Friday, or even Saturday. At the Dupont and the MacArthur some films opened on Tuesdays, but not always. There are no listing for the films that played at those two theaters posted in the comments under those theaters.
My first visit to the Capitol was in 1952. The feature was “Son of Ali Baba” with Tony Curtis. (“Yondah lies da castle of my fadduh”). There was also a stage show featuring Patti Page, who sat atop the charts with “Doggie in the Window.”
I later saw the 1961 release of “Gone With the Wind” there for the princely sum of a buck. My last visit was in July, 1962 for “Hatari.” About a year later, it was gone.
If Glenn Miller played at a Loews in Washington in June of 1942 they did not advertize it in the Washington Post.
He did play the Loews Capitol the week of March 9th 1942.. the Movie was Joe Smith, American w/Robert Young
How do I find out what movie was playing at Loew’s in D.C. in June of 1942 when Glenn Miller was on the stage bill?
Marcus Loew was born on this day in 1870.
Vintage postcard:
http://flickr.com/photos/streetsofdc/4333794382/