Capitol Theatre
55 Broadway Street,
Milton,
PA
17847
55 Broadway Street,
Milton,
PA
17847
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The Capitol Theatre actually opened its doors on July 28, 1934 with Shirley Temple in “Baby Take A Bow” (unknown if any short subjects added). It originally had a capacity of 1,250 seats, with 850 in the main auditorium, 200 in the lounge, and 200 in the balcony.
“BECKET” was a major motion picture to play here.They ran a 2 pm matinee and an evening 8 pm show.This on Feb.6 1965.Today, another showing would have been squezzed in somehow.
The Capitol mural is completed, along with several other “works in progress” on walls in Milton, PA
The following three links are articles in the Sunbury Daily Item about the artist, The Cinestage Group, and the impact of the murals (and the Capitol) on the area.
The commemorative celebration honoring the 1972 re-opening is now scheduled for 2011.
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Very nice write up Jack…You young star you.
A mural is planned which depicts the Capitol theatre and it’s restoration and reopening in 1972. Picture and story at:
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There is some talk of a celebration scheduled for this summer at the park that is now on the site of the theatre. The event will include a reenactment of the original gala reopening.
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Oh, I believe the date is wrong in the write-up. It says: “On that special evening, August 6, 1972, some magic happened and for three hours, the glory days of the movies lived again.” But that couldn’t be right, because then it says “Two years after the grand re-opening, an historic flood raged through the town.” And the flood was in June, 1972, so the correct date must have been August 6, 1970.
I was raised in Milton, and the Capitol was an important part of my youth. Yes, I was one of those standing in line for that showing of King Kong!
The Capitol wasn’t just a “box with a screen”. It was a class act, from the front doors to the upstairs lobby to the gracefully sweeping ramps that led down from the balcony to the exits near the organ pipes.
The theatre did not “burn to the ground”. However, it was declared to be “structurally unsound” after the fire. But, as anyone who was there watching the day they tore it down remembers, when they swung the wrecking ball at it, the theatre didn’t budge! The onlookers cheered! And my memories of the Capitol are as sturdy as that theatre was. From the soda machine decorated with an odd-looking fellow named Mr. Dee-Lish came the best cherry soda 15 cents could buy. Every few rows was a double seat, to accomodate either affectionate couples or the backsides of patrons who’d made too many trips to the snack bar for Junior Mints. You could “hoot the boxes”, too!.
In addition to the balcony, there was also a loge, which was basically a balcony in the balcony. Since they chaged extra to sit there, I never did. I remember two films in particular. Silent Running, which was the film showing during the 1972 flood, and Electra Glide in Blue, which was showing when it burned. I was in school, science class, Mr. Gates, when the word came in that the Capitol was on fire. Funny how we remember the day the celluloid died. My dad was fire chief at the time, and he brought home letters from the marquee as souveniers.
The building might be long gone, but the Capitol lives on in the minds of every Miltonian.
Jack, I was in Milton on Sunday evening. Milton now has a walking tour of the town. Its a one mile tour with 14 sites. Each stop features photo/literature kiosks. The Capitol site features a lengthy write on the Capitol as well as some neat pictures. Pictures that are included are the one of the Agnes flood, the fire and the Dec.21st 1963 picture of the auditorium filled with kids waiting for Santa to appear.
Sorry John, I really don’t know. I’ve not been involved with day-to-day operations for several years. Louis P. Silverman is in charge of operations on the corporate level.
Jack, since Bob Hambright passed away. Who now is responsible for the Millers operation? There is a young guy there, I would say around mid forties and an older gentlemen who is the projectionist.
I don’t know. If it were up to me, I would have done it years ago. The Miller neon was very distinctive, rather unusual colors, if memory serves. I’m sure today’s high energy costs affect use of outside signage. In 1972 it cost about $300 a month to heat/cool the Milton Capitol. I shudder to think what that cost would be today.
So Jack I have been to the Miller in Lewistown several times. The renovations to the Miller make it much nicer. Will the marquee ever get the neon redone and the signage relit?
oops…Cinestage also had the Manor (originally Jerry Lewis) Cinema in Shippensburg, PA. I may have blocked it out since it was such an utter disaster in the cash department.
Actually, Holiday also has a multi-plex in Ashtabula, OH, as well partnerships with other exhibitors in PA and NY. Louis Silverman is the CEO/Secretary of Holiday. I (Jack) am sort of a “Director emeritus.†While semi-retired I still accept renovation consultation assignments. Most of my time in recent years has been the writing of several books for children and charity work. The foregoing is submitted in the “for what its worth†vein
The theatres owned by Cinestage were: The Milton Capitol, the State in suburban Wilkes Barre, PA, and the Motor Vue Drive-In near Berwick, PA.
VERY NICE WRITE UP!!!!!I know where the Capitol sat. Hard to believe a 1126 seat movie theater sat in what now is an empty lot. The Holiday Entertainment Company is down to one theater the Miller in Lewistown. I would love to see pictures of the Capitol.