Capri Cinema I & II

Fotomac, The movie in #1 was “Smokey and the Bandit” in it’s 3rd week. #2 was playing “Rocky” in it’s 25th week.

Can anyone remember what the feature was for the week of 15 July, when Star Wars came to town?

The article tntim linked to says that the Pike Theatre was designed by the Knoxville architectural and engineering firm Fred Manley Associates.

Joe, I have no idea why it would be put in the rustic category. When the Pike was built in 1946, it was the typical post war design. There was a story in Boxoffice about the innovative use of precast concrete slaps that were used for the side and rear walls. They are currently re-working the Boxoffice Vault web page, so I am unable to post a link.

The first handprints were from Ingrid Bergman from the premiere of “A Walk in The Spring Rain” in April 1970. I have posted a picture of the event in the photos section. I have also posted additional photos on the Capri Cinema III & IV thread since technically that was the former Capri-70 before it was twined.

The gentleman that is mentioned is Walter Morris. He built both the Pike and the Tower theatres. C.H. Simpson leased both theatres from Mr. Morris in 1963 and remodeled both theatres and changed their names. The Pike became the Capri Cinema and the Tower became the Lenox. In cir.1965 the state bought the Lenox for the I-640/ Broadway interchange and in 1967 Mr. Morris used the money from the sale of the Lenox to built the Capri-70 adjoining the west side of the Capri Cinema which Mr. Simpson operated. The Capri Cinema and the Capri-70 were two separate buildings that shared a common wall. They should not be considered similar to today’s multiplexes as they each had their own lobby, boxoffice, projection booth, and heat and air systems.

After Mr. Morris’s death, Simpson Operating Company bought both theatres from Mr. Morris’s estate. In the mid seventies Simpson twined the Capri Cinema and it became the Capri Cinema I & II. In the late eighties, they also twined the Capri-70 and that became the Capri III & IV.

Regal Cinemas leased the Capri theatres form Simpson Operating Company in the early nineties and ran them for three years. Regal was unable to re-negotiate a new lease and the Capri’s were closed. In the mid nineties the Capri theatres were sold to Bennett Art Gallery. They demolished three quarters of the old Capri Cinema and completely gutted the old Capri-70 which they turned into their art gallery.

The Ace Hardware store is actually in the old Shoney’s Restaurant which was on the east side of the Capri Cinema.

fergusmacivor, Look up the Capri Theater in Knoxville, here on Cinema Treasures, I think it’s the same theater?