This was one of several theaters in downtown D.C. all within walking distance from each other which would have made a truly remarkable “Kennedy Center”! This theater had two balconies in the same horseshoe shape as the orchestra, and from the last row one could look down the rows of seats to a clear view of the stage with no obstructions from man or material. Renovations to this and other theaters would have been a lot less than all the money spent on building the Kennedy Center, not to mention subsequent repairs (due to faulty construction!) and later renovations.
The last posting from Sept. 4, 2005 got the wheels turning; the art house I remember from 1957 on was located at 14th Street and New York Avenue, NW (can’t think of the name at the moment). It was next door to the Capitol Garage which was demolished along with adjacent structures and replaced with office buildings (what else?). The theater played mostly (daring) foreign films, such as And God Created Woman with BB!
Very interesting info about Capitol. I only know it from 1957 until I left for Air Force in 1960. I remember a fellow worker and ballet lover telling me that since the National Theater stage wasn’t big enough, the Bolshoi Ballet played the Capitol. Truly, it was a huge theater !
Very interesting info about Capitol. I only know it from 1957 until I left for Air Force in 1960. I remember a fellow worker and ballet lover telling me that since the National Theater stage wasn’t big enough, the Bolshoi Ballet played the Capitol. Truly, it was a huge theater !
A footnote: I just saw the map which purports to show where the Granada stood. Actually, that would be the location of the Orpheum Theater at the junction of Pleasant, Main and Salem Streets. This at one time was my favorite theater (as a child) since it generally showed a double feature (some new, some old) with previews, cartoons,news, the whole works for a children’s price of 12 cents plus penny candy; if you remember that, you’re at least as old as I!
This website is fascinating overall, and I truly enjoyed (with much sadness and nostalgia thrown in)this segment on the Granada Theater and those who contributed to it. The last two postings are particularly good; the projectionist gives a clear, precise rendering of what was going on. I left Malden and came to Washington, D.C. in 1957, but returned briefly in 1965 when I saw several movies (Failsafe, Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, et al)when the theater was still a single screen. According to reports from those who saw films there after, another screen was added as the projectionist so ably points out, and then a third. Without a doubt, it was the finest theater in Malden; the others: the Orpheum, around the corner and across from the Public Library which played
the films just shown at the Granada at a “nice” price; the Mystic further up Pleasant Street which also showed second run films as well as older classics; ditto for the Auditorium a bit further up the street; and on the other side even further up, the Strand which usually showed first-run films which the Granada probably didn’t want since they usually were not the “mega hits” (my opinon). I didn’t know there was another theater (the Capitol, very tiny) in Suffolk Square until we moved across town to that area. As small and as old and smelly as it was, it still installed a wide CinemaScope screen albeit marred by a dent which occurred when unpacking it! Mr. Salters' posting is extremely informative, and as for his question, No, there was no atmospheric sky ceiling. If there had been, it would have been one more reason for me to gaze around this beautiful theater instead of watching the film, especially when it was shown on the big, wide screen with stereophonic sound. The boxy marquee Ron mentions was replaced in the mid fifties by a two-sided one with white background and black letters. About that time, also, the theater stopped using custom-made movie posters with 3-dimensional gold glitter letters in favor of the “standard” posters we’re all familiar with. This theater was particularly impressive if one entered from the small side-street box office which led to the front side of the balcony section. From there, one could see the full house, orchestra, balcony and all the people engaged in watching a film. Good old days? Why not!
This was one of several theaters in downtown D.C. all within walking distance from each other which would have made a truly remarkable “Kennedy Center”! This theater had two balconies in the same horseshoe shape as the orchestra, and from the last row one could look down the rows of seats to a clear view of the stage with no obstructions from man or material. Renovations to this and other theaters would have been a lot less than all the money spent on building the Kennedy Center, not to mention subsequent repairs (due to faulty construction!) and later renovations.
The last posting from Sept. 4, 2005 got the wheels turning; the art house I remember from 1957 on was located at 14th Street and New York Avenue, NW (can’t think of the name at the moment). It was next door to the Capitol Garage which was demolished along with adjacent structures and replaced with office buildings (what else?). The theater played mostly (daring) foreign films, such as And God Created Woman with BB!
Very interesting info about Capitol. I only know it from 1957 until I left for Air Force in 1960. I remember a fellow worker and ballet lover telling me that since the National Theater stage wasn’t big enough, the Bolshoi Ballet played the Capitol. Truly, it was a huge theater !
Very interesting info about Capitol. I only know it from 1957 until I left for Air Force in 1960. I remember a fellow worker and ballet lover telling me that since the National Theater stage wasn’t big enough, the Bolshoi Ballet played the Capitol. Truly, it was a huge theater !
A footnote: I just saw the map which purports to show where the Granada stood. Actually, that would be the location of the Orpheum Theater at the junction of Pleasant, Main and Salem Streets. This at one time was my favorite theater (as a child) since it generally showed a double feature (some new, some old) with previews, cartoons,news, the whole works for a children’s price of 12 cents plus penny candy; if you remember that, you’re at least as old as I!
This website is fascinating overall, and I truly enjoyed (with much sadness and nostalgia thrown in)this segment on the Granada Theater and those who contributed to it. The last two postings are particularly good; the projectionist gives a clear, precise rendering of what was going on. I left Malden and came to Washington, D.C. in 1957, but returned briefly in 1965 when I saw several movies (Failsafe, Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, et al)when the theater was still a single screen. According to reports from those who saw films there after, another screen was added as the projectionist so ably points out, and then a third. Without a doubt, it was the finest theater in Malden; the others: the Orpheum, around the corner and across from the Public Library which played
the films just shown at the Granada at a “nice” price; the Mystic further up Pleasant Street which also showed second run films as well as older classics; ditto for the Auditorium a bit further up the street; and on the other side even further up, the Strand which usually showed first-run films which the Granada probably didn’t want since they usually were not the “mega hits” (my opinon). I didn’t know there was another theater (the Capitol, very tiny) in Suffolk Square until we moved across town to that area. As small and as old and smelly as it was, it still installed a wide CinemaScope screen albeit marred by a dent which occurred when unpacking it! Mr. Salters' posting is extremely informative, and as for his question, No, there was no atmospheric sky ceiling. If there had been, it would have been one more reason for me to gaze around this beautiful theater instead of watching the film, especially when it was shown on the big, wide screen with stereophonic sound. The boxy marquee Ron mentions was replaced in the mid fifties by a two-sided one with white background and black letters. About that time, also, the theater stopped using custom-made movie posters with 3-dimensional gold glitter letters in favor of the “standard” posters we’re all familiar with. This theater was particularly impressive if one entered from the small side-street box office which led to the front side of the balcony section. From there, one could see the full house, orchestra, balcony and all the people engaged in watching a film. Good old days? Why not!