Loew's Capitol Theatre
1645 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10019
1645 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10019
47 people
favorited this theater
Showing 626 - 650 of 1,086 comments
Here’s a 1936 ad which includes a photo of crowds outside the Capitol. The elaborate signs over the Capitol’s entrance were always sent to other large Loew’s houses such as the Valencia, Paradise and Triboro as soon as the engagement ended. Their teaming in “My Brother’s Wife” sparked a real-life affair between Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor that scandalized Hollywood’s moral guardians and finally caused them to get married in 1939. They were divorced in 1952.
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41 years ago this very minute, I was watching my all-time favorite movie, “2001”, on what is still the most amazing theater screen I’ve ever encountered, the Cinerama screen at the Capitol.
Here is a January 1937 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/pfq3l6
Here is a June 1954 ad from the New York Times:
http://tinyurl.com/o8qxsa
The Capitol opening, December 1919.
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Renewing link.
1967
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Renewing link.
Ditto on the Mermaid and did see it at the Music Hall (probably the first show when the admission was only 90 cents, and probably using the “secret” subway level box office and bypassing the long lines outside. Hope you read the bio of Esther. It’s really a great read.
“Million Dollar Mermaid” is my favorite Esther Williams movie! Oh to have seen it at Radio City Music Hall along with the Christmas show!
Attn: Warren G. Harris – Interestingly, I was speaking with a friend of mine today and I mentioned this site. Then she began reminising about the theatres she had attended. She singled out the Valencia in Jamaica, Queens with the twinkling stars in the ceiling and the pond with a waterfall and fish. I guess the latter feature became a common denominator in the Loew’s movie palaces re our exchange about Loew’s State.
The Center Theatre was the second, smaller theatre in the Rockefeller Center complex. Center. It was subsequently used for ice shows and then television. It was then torn down very publically. Whatever TV show was housed there had a whole big production number “The Center Theatre’s coming down.”
If I remember correctly, “King Kong” played at the Music Hall and the Center Theatre (which may have still been the RKO Roxy at that point)simultaneously. That means roughly 9,000 seats were available for every show! At that rate it’s pretty amazing it had a two week run.
I'f I’m not mistaken, “King Kong,” when it played at Radio City Music Hall, only ran for two weeks. I was surprised it wasn’t there longer.
Prices then were amazing. I recall the first show at the Music Hall being 90cents.
“Pat and Mike” is a staple on Turner Classic Movies.
It’s interesting that I posted my comment on Saturday and then watched Cinema 13 on NY PBS 13. At the end of the movie they announced that next week’s movie is Pat and Mike. I’ll have to make it a point to watch it.
Since I lived on Long Island most of the theatre excursions my family took me to were at the Music Hall, the Roxy or Loew’s State. Which of the latter had the fountain? I think I was once in the theatre to see Pat and Mike with Tracy and Hepburn. But my real recollection of the theatre was that it’s white neon name could be seen for a dozen or more blocks before you got there.
Thanks, Warren. Full issues of Boxoffice magazine are available on the web – I should check there.
Good question, Rory. I’ve seen photos of the Capitol showing “2001” (probably my favorite of all the pictures I’ve seen on the internet) and “Doctor Zhivago”, but so far no “Planet of the Apes”.
I still wonder if there’s a photo anywhere on this planet of the Capitol marquee when “Planet of the Apes” opened at the theatre on February 8, 1968?
The great lost classic LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT had it’s NYC opening here in 1927.
Star on Vine Street, Hollywood:
http://tinyurl.com/5lhdwv
Ken: as a kid I loved going to that same Automat you can see in the picture. I’ll bet if someone revived that idea today, in a location like Times Square, the tourists would eat it up (excuse the pun).
Seeing the Automat sign in the old photos reminds me of Horn & Hardart, Philadelphia’s version in the sixties. You opened a little door in the wall and took out your sandwich or piece of pie. I don’t think any automats exist today.