Capri Theater

Worked there from late sixties to about 1974. Best job I ever had and Mr Brand was best boss I ever had. Bert Higgins , mr Anderson, the projectionist who’d smoke whacky tabacca while working. The popcorn room upstairs where I spent many a hour popping popcorn. Charlotte premier of the exorcist was there. Loved working there.

“SMILE” on the marquee in 1974.

Hello Worth. Daddy was always fun because he loved what he did. He also loved to work! Glad you agree about the no rocking chairs – don’t know where those guys got that from. The ghost…Mr. Brand used to tell about working late at night in an upstairs office. Daddy used the other end of the upstairs to paint a lot of his signs and banners before he finally made a place at home to do that. Because of this, he had a key to the theatre. One night, after the theatre had closed, Mr. Brand was upstairs at a desk that was situated so that if you leaned over you could look down the narrow hallway and see who was coming up the stairs when they reached the top. On this particular night he heard someone enter the side door (where the cigarette machine used to be!), walk to the door to the closet/stairs and then footsteps on the stairs. He figured it was my Daddy only when he leaned over to look there was no one. The hairs rose on the back of his neck and he quickly finished up and went home. As teen employees, we tried a seance but didn’t have a clue as to what we were doing and conjured up nothing but a bunch of giggles.

The Capri Theatre was home to exclusive engagement showings of select films that made their North Carolina premieres here. Among them were the following:
“My Fair Lady"
"Throughly Modern Millie”

Here are my December 2010 pictures of the Capri Theater.

I have by the Capri I think,Had good friend managed several ABC Theatres there.

Thanks PatriciaNC.outta check out Diane 29 drive in Gastonia,Maybe YOU can answer the rumor I wrote,Seems like no one from your state has ever heard about the story of the Diane 29 Drive-in owner finding his family dead.

The ghost of the Capri…it was said to be haunted by the ghost of the first manager, Ryt Suez (Ryt Hassan “Suez” D'Suesse) who committed suicide at home April 25, 1967. One of the cleaning crew (a husband and wife team) back in the 1970s was down in front of the auditorium (in the wide expanse from the front row to the stage – yes, a real stage!) when she saw a man standing in the doorway at the back as if to start down the aisle. Assuming it was Mr. Brand, the current manager, she waved and called out to him. The figure gave no response and when she started forward, the figure vanished. Another time, just as she entered the lobby she saw a man in a suit cross the lobby to the office. Again, assuming it was Mr. Brand she followed him only to discover she was alone. The cleaning crew, understandably, preferred cleaning in the early morning rather than late at night. More later…

I worked at The Capri in 1972 – 1973. It was still a single screen theatre, but it still required a staff of up to ten on a Friday or Saturday night. I lost my job at the Capri for spending too much time watching the films. I returned to the Capri in 1979 when a movie that I had directed premiered there.

Note – I keep putting an “e” on the end of Stewart & Everett – my apologies as that is not correct!

Patricia,I saw your flickr pics of the Capri Theatre when it was a single screen theatre back in 1966. The showing on the marquee was “Promise Her Anything” with Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood. The picture shows a line of folks stretching towards the parking lot. Interesting. Tell Chuck its in there.

Also interesting that you added to:
flickr pics of the Ansonia Theatre in Wadesboro in 1963 along with the Center Theatre in Monroe and also The Colony Theatre in Wilmington from 1963. Write me sometime. I do have an email address on my site under “raysson”.

Okay, here’s my little history of The Capri. I don’t really know when it opened so will stick with c1965 for now. One thing, it wasn’t twinned first and a third screen added—see as follows: The Capri Theatre opened around 1965. It was built and operated by Stewart & Everette Theatres. Unusual ceiling detail (we called them upside-down pyramids but I’m sure there is an architectural word for them) was not only outside but inside the lobby as well. It had one screen and 995 seats with a back center smoking section in the auditorium. (a low wall surrounded these seats and ashtrays were attachedâ€"I believe to the back of the seats). It had a real stage with a beautiful gold, satin(silk?)-brocade curtain that was raised just before the previews and lowered between shows (though eventually they stopped doing that). Wonderful to watch the rippled pleats as it rose and fell. They often used a color-wheel on the curtain when it was closed along with background music. Color wheels were also in place in a double-fountain out front. A double driveway with overhang for the comfort of passengers being let out or picked up was between the fountains and the box-office. Ladies’ restroom had a separate lounge area (though not as pretty as the Park Terrace’s). Sometime around 1975 a 2nd auditorium was added—seating capacity maybe around 350? After 1980 the large auditorium was split and the Capri could then call itself a tri-plex.

Picture of the theatre from 1966 posted at my flickr site: View link

One more thing: Stewart & Everette did not own/operate the Freedom Mall Cinemas but I have honestly forgotten who did! Only The Village and The Capri were Stewart & Everette’s in Charlotte.