Loew's Poli Theatre

591 Main Street,
Hartford, CT 06103

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Comfortably Cool
Comfortably Cool on August 22, 2018 at 2:36 pm

The Capitol was a replacement for Poli’s Theatre, which opened in 1903 with about 2,200 seats and used portions of the Coliseum, a bankrupted indoor arena built in 1899. S.Z. Poli purchased adjacent land to create a Main Street entrance for his first Hartford outlet. Vaudeville was the main attraction, but movies were gradually added as the medium developed. Poli’s profits were enough to build the nearby Palace Theatre, which opened in 1914 and made the showman dominant on Main Street. By the end of the decade, the older theatre was becoming obsolete, so Poli decided to replace it with the larger and grander Capitol Theatre, which opened in August, 1920, at the same location. Poli’s Theatre was almost totally demolished, except for part of a side wall and brickwork that dated back to the original Coliseum.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on July 12, 2017 at 4:08 pm

Link with a 1945 photo of Loew’s Poli.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2016/04/11/hartford-connecticut-1940s/

lucap
lucap on March 31, 2016 at 1:17 pm

hello we are making a documentary on Poli and Poli’s theater, and we are looking for anyone who worked there or used to go to Poli’s theaters often. Please email me () we want to hear from you. Luca

TheALAN
TheALAN on June 15, 2014 at 12:26 am

In September of 2010, Joe Vogel referred to an interesting item in the November 8, 1913 issue of the trade journal The Moving Picture World. After 3yrs.8mos., I thought someone would have an answer. I guess not?

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on April 5, 2011 at 4:35 pm

Thanks again for the photo Brad.

Brad Smith
Brad Smith on February 10, 2011 at 4:59 pm

This photograph of the Fox-Poli Capitol Theatre was taken in 1929 by George Mann of the comedy dance team, Barto and Mann.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on February 8, 2011 at 4:43 pm

Nice photo posted by ken mc,of the Loews Poli.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 12, 2010 at 7:39 am

An interesting item in the November 8, 1913, issue of the trade journal The Moving Picture World says that construction of the foundations for a new Poli theater at Main and Gold streets in Hartford had begun. If that was not the exact location of the Loew’s Poli then it must have been very close. The item said that construction was being rushed on the project, in hope that the house could be opened in January, 1914. Architect for the project was Ferdinand Von Beren of the New Haven firm Brown & Von Beren, who did other work for the Poli chain.

I’ve found no later references to this project in the trade publications. I’m wondering if Loew’s Poli was later built on the foundations begun in 1913? Or did something else get built there, or nothing at all? Maybe the city decided it needed part of the site for a street widening project or something of that sort, and the theater project was halted? Perhaps Mr. Poli ran into financial difficulties and the project had to be delayed? A mystery, anyway. Does anybody know the answer?

khollywood
khollywood on June 21, 2006 at 8:35 am

I’ve been told that my great-grandfather was the stage manager of this theater, I think when the vaudeville circut was still passing through.

SpikeSpiegel6262044
SpikeSpiegel6262044 on January 31, 2006 at 7:45 pm

Was this place across the street from the Wadsworth? When I worked at Media Play, there was this man who used to come in and he would talk about how beautiful this place was. Wow, I remember picturing it.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 15, 2005 at 6:55 pm

Here is a picture from the Online Archive of California:

View link

William
William on December 8, 2003 at 4:09 pm

Before being called the Loew’s Poli Theatre it was known as the Capitol Theatre.

William
William on November 19, 2003 at 8:30 pm

The Loews Poli Theatre was located at 591 Main Street and it seated 3014 people.