On January 28, 1972, I saw my first film in California at the Capri. I had just arrived from the Washington, D.C. area. That night “Play Misty for Me” and “Diary of a Mad Housewife” were playing there. Although I settled in nearby North Hollywood, this was the only time I went to the Capri.
I saw “What’s Up Tiger Lily” here sometime between 1/30/67-2/4/67. It played at the Town theater in downtown D.C. for five weeks from 11/16/66-12/22/66.
Roth’s Parkway 1-2-3 opened on 12/25/69. Theater 1 had “Barefoot in the Park” (1967); Theater 2 had “The Great Race” (1965); and Theater 3 had “Last Summer” (1969) which had just finished a 7 week stint at the Trans-Lux in downtown D.C. on 12/24/69.
The Rockville Drive-In opened on 3/18/54 with “Walking My Baby Back Home” (1953). It played for two weeks at the Columbia in downtown D.C. from 1/14/54-1/27/54.
On a rainy night on 10/25/67, I saw the John Ford movie “Seven Women” at the Ranch. I did not stay for the second feature which was “House of a 1000 Dolls”.
The Pike theater opened on Wednesday, May 27, 1964 with “The Pink Panther” which opened in its local run with many other theaters after playing 9 weeks at RKO Keith’s in downtown D.C.
The list of the films posted in these comments that played at the Capitol theater omitted the film “Key Witness” which opened on Saturday, October 20, 1960 and played until Wednesday, October 19th. “Ruby” opened the next day. Back in those days not all movies opened in on Wednesday, some opened on Thursday, or Friday, or even Saturday. At the Dupont and the MacArthur some films opened on Tuesdays, but not always. There are no listing for the films that played at those two theaters posted in the comments under those theaters.
In 1963 when the Ambassador ran “Brothers Grimm” the Uptown theater was the only D.C. theater equipped to show 3-Strip (3 camera, 3 projector) Cinerama. It was running “How the West Was Won” which continued there until January of 1964 when it closed for approximately six weeks. During that time the 3-strip Cinerama equipment was removed and replaced with the 70mm projection system that had been there before. I don’t know if the Metropolitan had any 70mm projection sysem for “Cheyenne Autumn”, but I doubt it.
I made a mistake in my comment back in 2009. “Becket” and “Mary Poppins” were not shown at the Ontario on a reserve seat basis, even though they were shown that way in other theaters around the country.
The Oxen Hill opened on 4/6/66 with THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS, starring Rosilind Russell and Hayley Mills. The film opened at this theater and several others as a first-run engagement. It was not shown in any downtown D.C. theater.
The Marlow opened on 11/1/63 with THE THRILL OF IT ALL, starring Doris Day and James Garner. This film had previously played for over 11 weeks at the Dupont!
I only saw a handful of films at the Town: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD,
HOMBRE, THE DIRTY DOZEN, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, and CHITTY, CHITTY, BANG, BANG.
After the 1968 riots it became unsafe to park on the streets in the area. I started college in 1969, and confided my downtown theater going to Keiths and the Palace.
I saw my first movie at RKO Keith’s sometime betwen April 14th and April 27th of 1954. The film was the re-issue of PINOCCHIO (1940).
Other films I saw at Keith’s were:
SAMSON AND DELILAH/ULYSSES (re-issuses) (on 10/31/59) BIDMAN OF ALCATRAZ (7/62)(with my then girlfriend Peggy Harris), TARAS BULBA, KINGS OF THE SUN, THE PINK PANTHER, FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE (5/23/64), GOLDFINGER, HELP!, THUNDERBALL, BOY DID I GET A WRONG NUMBER, RETURN OF THE SEVEN, HOW TO SUCEED IN BUINESS, THE ALAMO (1967 re-release), FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, EIGHT ON THE LAM, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (9/2/67), HOUR OF THE GUN, THE SCALPHUNTERS, THE DEVIL’S BRIGADE, YOURS MINE AND HOURS, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, WEST SIDE STORY (re-release), GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, MIDNIGHT COWBOY (with my friend Joyce Khosrofian), COTTON COMES TO HARLEM, CANNON FOR CORDOVA, and DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER on 1/16/72) (with University of Maryland classmate Jamie Drago) (the last film I saw in D.C. before I left for California).
Most of these films I saw were at Saturday matinees beause the admissions were cheaper.
James Bond aficionados will probably noticed that I did not see DR. NO or ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE at Keith’s. I saw DR. NO at Warner theater in West Chester, PA on 6/22/63. Didn’t think I’d like George Lazenby as James Bond, so I skipped it.
HIGH NOON opened in New York City on July 24, 1952, but did not make it to D.C. until 12/31/52. According to an article I read in the “Washington Post” by their film critic Richard L. Coe, the film was held back because of protests by the American Legion.
HIGH NOON opened simultanously at the Dupont, where it played for 16 weeks, and the Playhouse, where it played for 6 weeks.
FUNNY GIRL, the last picture to have a road show engagement at the Ontario opened on October 23, 1968 and played there until March 4, 1969 (19 weeks). It was moved over to the Cinema on March 5, 1969 where it played for another 34 weeks!
On January 28, 1972, I saw my first film in California at the Capri. I had just arrived from the Washington, D.C. area. That night “Play Misty for Me” and “Diary of a Mad Housewife” were playing there. Although I settled in nearby North Hollywood, this was the only time I went to the Capri.
I saw “What’s Up Tiger Lily” here sometime between 1/30/67-2/4/67. It played at the Town theater in downtown D.C. for five weeks from 11/16/66-12/22/66.
At the Parkway 2, I saw “The Arrangement” on 5/29/70 and “One More Train to Rob” somewhere between 6/2/71-6/5/71 and 6/7/71-6/8/71.
Roth’s Parkway 1-2-3 opened on 12/25/69. Theater 1 had “Barefoot in the Park” (1967); Theater 2 had “The Great Race” (1965); and Theater 3 had “Last Summer” (1969) which had just finished a 7 week stint at the Trans-Lux in downtown D.C. on 12/24/69.
The Rockville Drive-In opened on 3/18/54 with “Walking My Baby Back Home” (1953). It played for two weeks at the Columbia in downtown D.C. from 1/14/54-1/27/54.
On a rainy night on 10/25/67, I saw the John Ford movie “Seven Women” at the Ranch. I did not stay for the second feature which was “House of a 1000 Dolls”.
The Queens Chapel Drive-In opened on July 29, 1955 with “Strategic Air Command” (1955) and “The Last Outpost” (1951).
The Pike theater opened on Wednesday, May 27, 1964 with “The Pink Panther” which opened in its local run with many other theaters after playing 9 weeks at RKO Keith’s in downtown D.C.
“Patton” played its first-run engagement at the Apex from March of 1970 to July of 1970.
The list of the films posted in these comments that played at the Capitol theater omitted the film “Key Witness” which opened on Saturday, October 20, 1960 and played until Wednesday, October 19th. “Ruby” opened the next day. Back in those days not all movies opened in on Wednesday, some opened on Thursday, or Friday, or even Saturday. At the Dupont and the MacArthur some films opened on Tuesdays, but not always. There are no listing for the films that played at those two theaters posted in the comments under those theaters.
I made a mistake. I should have said the Metropolitan played “Brothers Grimm”, and not the Ambassador.
I made a mistake in my comment on June 10th. The correct title of the film is JOHN GOLDFARB PLEASE COME HOME.
In 1963 when the Ambassador ran “Brothers Grimm” the Uptown theater was the only D.C. theater equipped to show 3-Strip (3 camera, 3 projector) Cinerama. It was running “How the West Was Won” which continued there until January of 1964 when it closed for approximately six weeks. During that time the 3-strip Cinerama equipment was removed and replaced with the 70mm projection system that had been there before. I don’t know if the Metropolitan had any 70mm projection sysem for “Cheyenne Autumn”, but I doubt it.
The Sylvan closed on July 22, 1965 with the double bill of “Dr. No” and “From Russia, With Love”.
The Park opened on April 20, 1951 with “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain”.
The Park closed on January 28, 1962 with a double bill of “The Hustler” and “The Guns of Navarone”.
Hello Ontario Theater lovers
I made a mistake in my comment back in 2009. “Becket” and “Mary Poppins” were not shown at the Ontario on a reserve seat basis, even though they were shown that way in other theaters around the country.
The Oxen Hill opened on 4/6/66 with THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS, starring Rosilind Russell and Hayley Mills. The film opened at this theater and several others as a first-run engagement. It was not shown in any downtown D.C. theater.
The Marlow opened on 11/1/63 with THE THRILL OF IT ALL, starring Doris Day and James Garner. This film had previously played for over 11 weeks at the Dupont!
I saw “Heat” there on March 17, 1997. That’s the one with DeNiro, and Pacino.
I only saw a handful of films at the Town: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD,
HOMBRE, THE DIRTY DOZEN, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, and CHITTY, CHITTY, BANG, BANG.
After the 1968 riots it became unsafe to park on the streets in the area. I started college in 1969, and confided my downtown theater going to Keiths and the Palace.
I saw my first movie at RKO Keith’s sometime betwen April 14th and April 27th of 1954. The film was the re-issue of PINOCCHIO (1940).
Other films I saw at Keith’s were:
SAMSON AND DELILAH/ULYSSES (re-issuses) (on 10/31/59) BIDMAN OF ALCATRAZ (7/62)(with my then girlfriend Peggy Harris), TARAS BULBA, KINGS OF THE SUN, THE PINK PANTHER, FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE (5/23/64), GOLDFINGER, HELP!, THUNDERBALL, BOY DID I GET A WRONG NUMBER, RETURN OF THE SEVEN, HOW TO SUCEED IN BUINESS, THE ALAMO (1967 re-release), FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, EIGHT ON THE LAM, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (9/2/67), HOUR OF THE GUN, THE SCALPHUNTERS, THE DEVIL’S BRIGADE, YOURS MINE AND HOURS, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, WEST SIDE STORY (re-release), GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, MIDNIGHT COWBOY (with my friend Joyce Khosrofian), COTTON COMES TO HARLEM, CANNON FOR CORDOVA, and DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER on 1/16/72) (with University of Maryland classmate Jamie Drago) (the last film I saw in D.C. before I left for California).
Most of these films I saw were at Saturday matinees beause the admissions were cheaper.
James Bond aficionados will probably noticed that I did not see DR. NO or ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE at Keith’s. I saw DR. NO at Warner theater in West Chester, PA on 6/22/63. Didn’t think I’d like George Lazenby as James Bond, so I skipped it.
I think RichJ meant to say that the riots were in ‘68, not in '66, which rlvjr mentioned in his remarks on September 30, 2005.
HIGH NOON opened in New York City on July 24, 1952, but did not make it to D.C. until 12/31/52. According to an article I read in the “Washington Post” by their film critic Richard L. Coe, the film was held back because of protests by the American Legion.
HIGH NOON opened simultanously at the Dupont, where it played for 16 weeks, and the Playhouse, where it played for 6 weeks.
FUNNY GIRL, the last picture to have a road show engagement at the Ontario opened on October 23, 1968 and played there until March 4, 1969 (19 weeks). It was moved over to the Cinema on March 5, 1969 where it played for another 34 weeks!