Buckhead Theatre

Closed as Capri in 1977. More to come.

Stan Malone, you’re right about the extended runs at the Capri. I think they often used the term “road show” for those extended runs. The Capri had numbered seats … and I think some of these “road shows” were possibly reserved seats.

“The Taming of The Shrew” with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor was a 1967 run. I reached a point where I was repeating dialogue from “Shrew” and “To Sir, With Love” after seeing them so often. I also worked some shifts at The Fine Art in ‘67 while “A Man For All Seasons” (6 Oscars including Best Picture, Director and Actor) was playing.

LOST HORIZON played for quite a while at the Capri. I remember the big lit up marquee for it. I wonder if anyone took pictures of the Capri’s marquees back then. I would love to see it.

To the contrary, from the years 1968-1977 the Capri was one of if not THE top presenter of first run films in Atlanta. Of course no theater can get all of the hits, but for those years the Capri had more than any other. Every Christmas and summer you could count on the Capri to offer a big, highly anticipated movie. Because these bookings required big, upfront advances that required runs often exceeding four or five months it may have seemed like this was not a consistently major player, but it was. Among those attractions were Funny Girl, To Sir With Love, Out of Towners, Love Story, The Godfather, Poseidon Adventure, Pappion, Earthquake, and others that could certainly be described as showcase attractions. Even when not showing what is now referred to as tent pole movies, the bookings were strong with such as New Centurions, Oklahoma Crude, Dollars, and If.

There seems to be some sort of misconception that if a film was not presented in 70MM, assuming that it was even available in that format, then it was not a prestigious booking. If that were true then Atlanta was a cinema backwater as there were comparatively few 70MM engagements in that period. Such 70MM worthy movies as Fiddler on the Roof, Camelot, Lion In Winter, Thoroughly Modern Milly, That’s Entertainment, Ryan’s Daughter, Patton, Scrooge, Deliverance, Rollerball, Star Wars, and Funny Lady just to name a few played in 70MM equipped theaters for the most part but were run in 35mm usually 35mm mono. The fact that in those days many of the big theaters still had union contracts that called for two projectionists or time and a half pay for one on 70MM presentations gave theater owners little incentive to run a 70MM print even if one were available. It was not until 1978 when the Fox Theater reopened with its summer movie series using the 70/35mm projectors purchased from the Loews Grand that most of the 70MM releases from this era were finally shown in that format in Atlanta.

As for the Capri, that is a moot point as it never had 70MM equipment anyway. While none of its lengthy list of “showcase” worthy hits, or a shorter list of failures like Gable and Lombard or Lost Horizon ran in 70MM that did not mean that it was not a major player in the first run movie business of those years.

I sit corrected! I do recall seeing the Out of Towner’s playing there. I guess what threw me off was never having to wait in a long line to get tickets as was the case at Phipps and Lenox. So glad that the Buckhead and the Marietta Strand have so far missed the wreaking ball.