Capitol Cinema

Capitol Cinema was Ottawa's principal movie palace and one of Canada's most prominent early twentieth-century theatres. Located at the southwest corner of Queen Street and Bank Street in downtown Ottawa, the theatre opened on November 8, 1920, under the Loews chain. Designed by the American theatre architect Thomas W. Lamb, it contained approximately 2,530 seats and was built on a scale that made it substantially more than a conventional screening venue. Its marble staircase, colonnaded mezzanine, domed lobby, crystal chandelier, decorated auditorium, balcony, box seats and ornate proscenium made it a major example of the North American movie-palace tradition. The opening was staged as a major civic and entertainment event. Marcus Loew, Thomas Lamb and a group of silent-film performers travelled from New York to Ottawa by a special train. They were welcomed by crowds, a military band and municipal and federal dignitaries before attending the inaugural performance. The program combined D. W. Griffith's The Love Flower, the comedy Cheer Up and several vaudeville acts. A celebration at Ottawa City Hall after the show later attracted controversy because of allegations that the festivities had involved excessive drinking and possibly public expenditure on alcohol. The episode became one of the earliest public controversies associated with the theatre. The cinema changed corporate identities several times. Loews sold its Canadian theatres in 1924, after which the Ottawa venue was acquired by the Keith theatre circuit. It was renamed Keith's Vaudeville and then RKO Capitol as its programming and branding reflected the continuing relationship between motion pictures and live entertainment. In 1929, Famous Players merged with RKO's Canadian operations, bringing the theatre into the Famous Players chain. The venue eventually became known simply as the Capitol. Although films remained its core business, the Capitol also served as Ottawa's most prestigious large auditorium for concerts, plays, opera, orchestral performances and variety entertainment. Its stage hosted performers and organizations including Nelson Eddy, Ethel Barrymore, John Gielgud, Maurice Chevalier, Michael Redgrave, Victor Borge, Pearl Bailey, Nat King Cole, Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould, the Metropolitan Opera Company, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. During the 1960s it also presented popular music artists such as The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Ravi Shankar. Recordings associated with Hendrix's 1968 appearance and The Who's 1969 performance later circulated among collectors, with the Hendrix recording eventually receiving an authorized release in 2001 and material from The Who's concert appearing with a remastered Tommy release in 2013. By the late 1960s, the Capitol's large single auditorium had become difficult to operate economically. Famous Players announced in 1964 that it intended to divide the theatre into two screens, following the success of a nearby two-screen venue, but the plan was not carried out. The development of the National Arts Centre and the emergence of multiplex cinemas further weakened the Capitol's position. Famous Players president George Destounis described the building in 1969 as beautiful but no longer suited to its purpose. The theatre closed on May 1, 1970, and was subsequently demolished. Its final regularly scheduled film was M*A*S*H; the last event was a sold-out benefit featuring a stage program and a screening of Mary Pickford's Pollyanna, hosted by Alex Trebek. The audience concluded the evening by singing Auld Lang Syne. An office building containing the three-screen Capitol Square multiplex replaced the original site, but Capitol Square itself was later closed and converted to offices in 1999.

Capitol Cinema emerged during the period when large urban movie palaces were becoming important commercial and social institutions in North America. Loew's Incorporated selected a prominent corner at Queen and Bank streets in central Ottawa for a theatre designed by Thomas W. Lamb, one of the leading architects of the era's entertainment buildings. Unlike theatres that used a narrow street entrance and placed their auditoriums behind less expensive frontage, the Ottawa project occupied the full corner site. This allowed Lamb to create an unusually expansive public interior, including a ceremonial marble staircase, balustrades, a colonnaded mezzanine, a domed ceiling and a large crystal chandelier. The auditorium incorporated an elaborate proscenium, decorated ceiling dome, balcony and box seating. Contemporary and later assessments treated it as one of the finest movie palaces in Canada and possibly the most accomplished of Lamb's theatre designs. The Capitol opened on November 8, 1920, with approximately 2,530 seats. Loews promoted the event as a national spectacle. Marcus Loew, architect Thomas Lamb and more than a dozen silent-film personalities arrived from New York on a special train. Their arrival at Ottawa's Union Station was met by a military band and large crowds, followed by a motorcade and official receptions involving municipal and federal figures. The first program combined D. W. Griffith's The Love Flower, the comedy Cheer Up and four vaudeville acts. Demand exceeded capacity, leaving would-be patrons outside the theatre. An extended celebration at City Hall after the performance became controversial when newspapers and civic critics questioned the conduct of the event and the possible use of public money to provide alcohol. The controversy did not prevent the theatre from becoming a central part of Ottawa's cultural life. The venue's ownership and branding reflected the consolidation of the North American exhibition business. In 1924, Loews sold its Canadian theatres. The Ottawa property was acquired by the American Keith theatre circuit, which renamed it Keith's Vaudeville and soon changed the marquee to RKO Capitol. This period preserved the building's combined film-and-stage identity, even as the vaudeville industry was being transformed by sound films and changing audience habits. In 1929, Famous Players merged with RKO's Canadian operations, and the Ottawa theatre entered the Famous Players chain. The name was eventually shortened to Capitol. Throughout its life, the Capitol operated as both a cinema and an important performance hall. Its scale and acoustics made it suitable for touring musicians, theatrical productions, opera, orchestral programs and public events. The stage hosted figures from popular entertainment, classical music and drama, including Nelson Eddy, Ethel Barrymore, John Gielgud, Maurice Chevalier, Michael Redgrave, Victor Borge, Pearl Bailey, Nat King Cole, Vladimir Horowitz and Glenn Gould. It also welcomed the Metropolitan Opera Company, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In the later decades of its operation, rock and international music expanded its cultural reach. The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Ravi Shankar all performed there. Recordings of Hendrix's 1968 show and The Who's 1969 appearance acquired a long afterlife among collectors; Hendrix's performance was officially released in 2001, while The Who recording later appeared as bonus material connected with a remastered Tommy release in 2013. The theatre's decline resulted from structural changes rather than a single operational failure. In 1964, Famous Players announced a plan to divide the auditorium into two cinemas, following the success of the nearby two-screen Elgin Theatre. The conversion was never completed, perhaps because the Capitol still served as Ottawa's principal large stage. By the end of the decade, however, the economics of a 2,530-seat single-screen theatre had deteriorated. Large audiences could no longer reliably be generated by ordinary film bookings, while multiplexes offered several films and more flexible scheduling. The planned National Arts Centre also reduced the Capitol's unique position as the National Capital Region's leading cultural auditorium. In 1969, Famous Players president George Destounis characterized the building as beautiful but functionally obsolete. The Capitol closed on May 1, 1970. M*A*S*H was the final regularly scheduled film, but the last event was a sold-out benefit featuring live entertainment and a special showing of Mary Pickford's Pollyanna. Alex Trebek served as emcee, and the audience ended the evening with Auld Lang Syne. Ontario heritage-protection legislation was not yet available to preserve the building, and demolition followed. An office development replaced it and included a three-screen venue called Capitol Square. That later multiplex also closed and was converted to office use in 1999. The original Capitol survives primarily through archival records, photographs, recordings, theatre-history scholarship and the memory of its role in Ottawa's public life.

• 2013

  The Who recording issued with Tommy reissue

  [1]Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org

  Material from The Who's 1969 Capitol performance appeared as bonus content with a remastered release of Tommy.

• 2001

  Hendrix Ottawa performance receives authorized release

  [1]Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org

  A recording associated with Jimi Hendrix's 1968 Capitol performance was officially released as Live in Ottawa.

• 1999

  Capitol Square converted to offices

  [1]Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org

  The replacement three-screen Capitol Square venue closed and was converted to office space.

• 1970

  Closure and demolition

  [1]Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org

  The Capitol closed on May 1 and was later demolished; an office building with the Capitol Square multiplex replaced it.

• 1964

  Two-screen conversion announced

  [1]Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org

  Famous Players announced plans to split the auditorium into two theatres, but the proposed conversion was not implemented.

• 1929

  Theatre joins Famous Players

  [1]Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org

  Famous Players merged with RKO's Canadian operations, bringing the Ottawa theatre into the Famous Players chain.

• 1924

  Canadian theatres sold by Loews

  [1]Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org

  Loews divested its Canadian theatres, and the Ottawa venue passed to the Keith theatre circuit.

• 1920

  Capitol opens in Ottawa

  [1]Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org

  Loews opened the approximately 2,530-seat movie palace at Queen and Bank streets on November 8, presenting films and vaudeville.

A grand downtown movie palace and civic cultural venue, positioned as Ottawa's premier large-scale destination for film, live entertainment and prestigious performances.

• Cinema programming · 1920

  Feature-film exhibition

  The Capitol's principal commercial activity was the presentation of motion pictures, beginning with silent-era films and continuing into the late 1960s. Its large auditorium was designed to make filmgoing a highly theatrical experience, with architectural spectacle complementing the screen program. The theatre's final regularly scheduled film was M*A*S*H in 1970.

• Live entertainment · 1920

  Vaudeville and stage programs

  Live variety acts were part of the opening program and remained an important part of the venue's identity during the transition from vaudeville to cinema-dominated programming. The building's stage and auditorium enabled it to host theatrical presentations, touring productions and special events alongside regular film screenings.

• Performing arts venue · 1920

  Concert and cultural events

  The Capitol served as Ottawa's largest and most prestigious auditorium for concerts, opera, orchestral performances and popular music. Its presenters hosted artists ranging from Glenn Gould and Vladimir Horowitz to Nat King Cole, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Cream and Ravi Shankar, making the theatre a cross-genre cultural landmark.

• 1920

  Controversy over the opening-night City Hall party

  The celebration following the Capitol's opening performance became a local scandal. Reports and public discussion focused on alleged excessive drinking, the conduct of guests at City Hall and questions about whether municipal funds had been used to purchase alcohol. The episode drew responses from civic officials and councillors but did not materially prevent the theatre from becoming an Ottawa landmark.

  Source

Read more

• 1970

  Closure and replacement by a multiplex developmentStrategy

  Background

  By the end of the 1960s, ordinary film programs could no longer reliably fill the 2,530-seat auditorium. The National Arts Centre and multiplex model also reduced the Capitol's strategic role.

  Action taken

  Famous Players closed the theatre on May 1, after which the building was demolished and replaced by an office development containing Capitol Square, a three-screen multiplex.

  Aftermath

  The original movie palace disappeared, while the replacement multiplex later closed and was converted to offices in 1999.

  Source

• 1964

  Proposed conversion to a two-screen cinemaGeneration change

  Background

  Multiplex-style exhibition and the success of a nearby two-screen theatre suggested that a divided auditorium could improve scheduling and occupancy.

  Action taken

  Famous Players announced plans to split the Capitol into two theatres, but did not carry out the conversion.

  Aftermath

  The venue remained a single large auditorium until its closure, leaving it exposed to the changing economics of film exhibition.

  Source

• 1929

  Famous Players merges with RKO's Canadian operationsM&A

  Background

  Famous Players and RKO consolidated their Canadian theatre interests after years of competition for major urban venues.

  Action taken

  The Capitol entered the Famous Players chain and was eventually branded simply as the Capitol.

  Aftermath

  Famous Players controlled the theatre through its final operating years and made the later decision to close it as exhibition economics changed.

  Source

• 1924

  Loews sells its Canadian theatresM&A

  Background

  Loews reorganized its Canadian theatre holdings during a period of competition among major North American exhibition circuits.

  Action taken

  The Ottawa theatre was sold to the Keith theatre circuit and subsequently operated under Keith's Vaudeville and RKO Capitol branding.

  Aftermath

  The change established a succession of corporate identities before the venue ultimately became part of Famous Players.

  Source

1. 1Capitol Cinema (Ottawa)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Palaces of the Night: Canada's Grand Theatresbooks.google.com
3. 3All That Glitters: A Memorial to Ottawa's Capitol Theatre and its Predecessorspc.gc.ca