Loew's Capitol Theatre

I’ve seen photos of the Capitol screen when The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm played there in 3-strip, and I’m pretty sure it was the same screen on which I saw 2001 in 70mm Cinerama.

For those of you who were going to the Capitol in the ‘60s being that the Capitol was converted to 3 strip Cinerama and then was pretty much a single 70MM/Cinerama house I was wondering when they presented a film like Sergeants 3 or In the Heat of the Night was the Cinerama screen simply using black borders made smaller according to whether it was in Panavision or 1:85.1 ratio? Also did they install a new screen screen change when they went from 3 strip to single lens Cinerama? Thank you.

Bill, you actually have taken us back. Your descriptions make me feel like I was there! Thanks for that.

FYI: If you didn’t know: 2001 is still running at the Village East, at least through June 21, per their website. Also it is now at the AMC Garden State 16 in Paramus, June 16-19.

You’re right. If I could, I’d take back everyone who ever posted on this Capitol Theatre page.

June 15, 1968, 1:30 PM: today is my personal 50th anniversary with “2001” and the Capitol. An incomparable movie/theater combination. Who’s got a time machine?

The Oakbrook was a wonderful theatre & screen! Then they chopped it up & then torn it down for a Cheesecake Factory. Now a dine-in AMC was carved into the top floor of the Sears store there. Too bad these xtra-large screens are only a memory! I would think a once-a-month classic film at Radio City would draw big crowds. I am surprised they don’t try it. It would fill the empty seats for all the days that the theatre isn’t doing anything…Imagine the sales at the refreshment counter & liquor sales alone!

Odd Couple at the Music Hall. 2001 at the Capitol.

This is killing me.

Here is the Experience ad for the Warner Theater in Pittsburgh, August 1970.

Truthfully it wasn’t that impressive on a flat screen in a huge hall. I had a chance to see it twice in Cinerama on curved screens once in Chicago and once at the Oakbrook D-150 house near Chicago. A college student who was home for vacation mentioned to me that he had seen it in 16mm. I was working for Plitt Theatres at the time and had a pass for all of their houses. 2001 was playing at Oakbrook so we took a ride up to see it there. We sat in the first row during a matinee performance, and my friend commented that when the D-150 snipe appeared before the feature that it was the only time he had had to turn his head to read a title. Also memorable was the projectionist slightly missing a changeover and putting a tail leader on the screen. In Cinerama (D-150) it was enough to suck your eyeballs out!

I sat in the first row at the Hall when we did our tech screenings of the 70mm prints but it wasn’t the same. I considered going up on stage and sitting right in front of the screen, but the projection crew would probably have had me committed.

Thanks, Robert. I saw it there in May 1975, about three or four times in the same week.

I know. That’s how I found out the screen at the Stanley Warner (60') was 10 feet wider than the one at the Ziegfeld (50'). Apparently those Experience ads ran all across the country in 1970.

Yes, the Stanley Warner in Paramus was a great place to see Star Wars, and 2001 as well. I remember running up to see the Jupiter sequence from the front row.

I saw that marquee all the time because I was going to shows frequently. It played there for over a year which is especially astounding when you consider it was a continuous playing non roadshow run and was already running everywhere else.

I saw it at the late great Stanley Warner on route 4 when it’s orchestra was still intact and not yet multiplexed though it’s balcony had been.

Star Wars might have been one of the last summer big films to have a limited opening engagement at relatively few theaters.