Loew's Capitol Theatre

8 of the 9 films Warren mentioned are listed in the directory. When I said “summer movie”, I meant it the way they use the term now: big, dumb action movies or adaptations of comic books. That’s a pretty classy bunch of titles moviegoers had to choose from in the summer of 1965. We’ve come a long way since then – a long way backward.

But didn’t Lord Jim open as an Easter roadshow at Loew’s State and after a dismal few months(if that long) was then dumped onto drive-in double bills?
Also weren’t Magnificent Men and Hallelujah Trail the only roadshows to ever open as summer films and consequently neither made it to the fall?

Here is an area directory of theaters from the Aug. 11, 1965 issue of the New York Journal-American. Considering most of the titles on view here, the concept of the “summer movie” had not yet taken hold.

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Christmas 1960 while “The Misfits” was playing the Capitol, Loew’s also opened it at the Metropolitan.
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Edward G. Robinson at the same premiere
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Here is the ad from that unusual booking of “Duel in the Sun” that opened at the Capitol and 38 neighborhood Loew's
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I’ve posted a longer excerpt from this report on the Loew’s State page.

From the 1968 annual report of Loew’s Theatres:

“Perhaps the most interesting development in current theatre design is exemplified by the project now underway at Loew’s State, your Company’s flagship theatre on Broadway.

“The Uris Corporation, which has entered into a long-term ground lease with Loew’s, is erecting a 48~ story office building on the site of the famed Loew’s Capitol at 51st Street and Broadway in New York City. To replace the Capitol, Loew’s State, six blocks south on Broadway, is being converted into two theatres: Loew’s State I and Loew’s State II.
…
"Adjoining the escalator in the lobby [of Loew’s State] will be ‘The Capitol Corner’, a nostalgic recollection of The Capitol. Among the features: an ancient, Carrara marble, Roman well-head; a, French rock-crystal chandelier; a bronze railing and the grandfather’s clock known to Broadway moviegoers for half a century.”

The report has a photo of this ‘Capitol Corner’.

Vincent: I saw it at the Capitol on a Saturday afternoon in June 1968, two months after it opened, and the hippie types had not discovered it yet. My dad and I sat in the front row of the upstairs (what the Capitol called the “divans”) and there was a huge balcony above us filled with people. The audience was very quiet throughout the film, but there was lots of laughter when HAL was trying to prevent Dave from disconnecting him (“I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over.”) There was no pot smoking and no one sat on the floor in front of the screen, but my dad did suggest we move down to the front rows during intermission. We chickened out, though, because we had reserved assigned seats and we figured the ushers would object if we tried to change seats. Now I wish we had moved – Cinerama is always more impressive the closer to the screen you sit.

I can only speak for myself……my Dad took me to see this at night (and if memory serves it was the premiere). We dressed up and I seem to recall that everyone else was dressed nicely. One of the reasons I remember that we had on nice clothes is that I discovered that there was a small hole in one of my pants pockets and I ended up losing my ticket stub.

As for smoking pot in public, I kind of doubt that would’ve happened without arrests as things were quite different back then…..the cops looked for any excuse to bust a hippy type, you could serve jail time for a single joint (unlike today).

Warren, I’ve seen your numerous and highly detailed posts for quite a while (and for which I thank you) but am wondering how you come by all this info. Do you have access to some library or have you collected this over the years? Regardless, if you haven’t already, have you considered writing a book or books? Seems to me that you have more than enough info to pen a multi-volume work…don’t know how much of a market there would be, but it would still be fascinating and invaluable to future fans and scholars.

April 6, 1948 the Capitol was presenting Lucille Ball and Franchot Tone in “Her Husband’s Affarirs” on screen and Frank Sinatra (post Dorsey) with the Skitch Henderson Orchestra. On the top of the ad in that days NY Times was the message…….“Due to illness, Frank Sinatra will be unable to appear at todays performances at the Capitol. Miss Jane Powell will appear in his place. Mr. Sinatra’s doctor assures the management that Frank will definately will be able to resume his appearances on Tuesday”.

Re: the interior photo’s…..it looks like the projection booth was added after the theatre was built. Can anyone verify? Thanks.