Capitol Theatre
Main Street,
South River,
NJ
08882
Main Street,
South River,
NJ
08882
2 people
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This opened on January 20th, 1928. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Found on Newspapers.com
Have fond memories of the Capital Theatre. As a pre-teen in the mid to late 50’s my sister and I went to many Sat. matinees. My dad also would take me on school nights. I remember seeing “the Ten Commandments”, “The Bridge on the River Kwai” and “Rebel Without a Cause”.
I remember the Sat. matinee in the 50’s. Yes, 25 cents. You got several cartoons, a short or two like Flash Gordon or The Three Stooges and two features. My mother who lived there in the 30’s and 40’s remembered seeing The Three Stooges live on stage. I believe the huge chandelier was saved and moved to the Imperial Music Center, but I don’t know if either still exist.
Bernice and “Tiny” Heppel ran the Capitol Theatre. They were both super-size people. I don’t remember Tiny’s first name. They were great people. They had a little girl who was adopted when they were older – in their fifties. Bernice used to call for her during the shows “Beverly” – wonder what ever happened to her?
Tiny died in the late 60’s early 70’s and the theatre was shut down.
I have many fond memories of the theatre – they used to show a lot of kids films.
Triangle-Liggett Theatre Service was a film booking company, while Snaper Circuit was a independent theatre owner, who by the way ran everything he leased or owned into the ground, until they closed or had to be demolished.
Also listed as part of the Snaper Circuit in the 1961 Film Daily Yearbook. Was it common to be part of more than one circuit?
Listed as open in the 1944 FDY. Listed in the 1961 FDY as part of Triangle-Liggett Theatre Service.
Greetings from St.Peterburg, FL. This picture Post-Card dates way before my time….. But,very much as I remember it in the early 60’s. Small Town USA – somethings never change. Many Thanks to the person who shared this picture!
1930 postcard:
View link
A Robert Morton organ was moved to this theater in 1928. This organ came from the Grove Theatre in Irvington, NJ.
Listed in the 1951 FDY as having 1300 seats.
My memories of the Capital Theater are very vivid. I can still see the HUGH Chandelier that was hanging, the Beautiful Italian Marble on the walls, the Crimson Red-Velvet Curtains. As a young man “the Balcony was the place to be!”. Every kid during the 50’s and 60’s should remember the Christmas event ending with one lucky kid holding the ticket to a BRAND NEW Schiwinn Bike from Stan’s Bike Shop. To the best of my recollection…. they closed it down either ‘68 or '69. During the early to mid 60’s a Saturday Matinee cost Twenty-Five Cents (if you were under 12) and ALWAYS included a trip to Eskins (on Ferry St) for a bag of penney candy’s. Anyone out there remember the name of the couple that ran it? Now at the age of 52, I think that our kids are being cheated out of so many experiences. It was more than an ordinary Theater, more likened to a Movie Palace. I’m sure anyone who knew South River would agree.
My parents told me that during the 30’s and 40’s that BIG names were headliners there ie: Cab Calloway, Tommy/Jimmy Dorsey, Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, Ethel Murman, Constance Bennett, Jimmy Durante…. They were there to raise money for War Bonds. There is lots of history within them walls.