Capri Theatre
444 S. Glendora Avenue,
West Covina,
CA
91790
444 S. Glendora Avenue,
West Covina,
CA
91790
2 people
favorited this theater
A few miles down from the Wescove Theatre, this was also one of the largest one screen theatres in the San Gabriel Valley. It opened on June 19, 1963 with Dick Van Dyke in “Bye Bye Birdie”.
In 1971 when I was eleven, I saw the movie “Mrs. Pollifax, Spy” with Rosalind Russell and Darren McGavin at the Capri Theatre (as of now this movie has not been commercially released in any format). I barely recall the movie, but there were many cameras flashing a few rows behind us before the movie started. The next day in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune newspaper we saw the photos of Darren McGavin at the Capri! We had no idea he was at that theatre. I can’t recall any big star going to a theatre in West Covina to see their own movie!
The Capri Theatre was converted into a 3-screen theatre on June 13, 1980. It was probably demolished in the late-1980’s, and where it stood is part of a parking lot of a small shopping center.
Contributed by
Brenda Brubaker
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
Maybe in listing some of the movies I saw there, i might rekindle some memories for others…
Earliest movie I remember seeing at the Capri was “The Heart is A Lonely Hunter”. On one occasion, c. 1969-70, they had a kid’s day when they ran “The Last Safari” and gave away raffle prizes (I won a toy truck, one the few times I’ve ever won a damned thing).
Other films: “Big Jake”, “Stanley”, “The Doberman Gang”, “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad”, and “Paper Moon”.
I saw many, many more flicks there from the late seventies to the late eighties, part of the reason being that during its later years it became a tri-plex.
Sad to see so many of the San Gabriel Valley’s older theaters closed…
Here is a larger view of the Capri from the Loew’s report posted by Joe Vogel on 2/12/09:
http://tinyurl.com/yfxw353
Joe,
The Capri operated for many years as a single screen then toward the end they tried to do the multiple screen thing…If I recall ..IT wasnt too great…but as a single screen theatre it was wonderful!
Remember seeing the cast of Munster GO Home there promoting the movie way back in 65 or 66…
This is my favorite theater in the world, as it is where I spent a great deal of child/teen years. Almost every weekend my friends and I would walk, yes walk, it was just over 2 miles, hmmm seemed farther back then LOL. It cost about 15cents for a matinee and a quarter would get you snacks too. I saw Billy Jack, The Way We Were, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Sound of Music, The Exorcist (scary), Fiddler on the Roof,etc. etc. etc. Tooooo many to mention : ) Some of my favorite memories with friends involve this theater : )
SRO Theatres took over this and other Loewstheatres that didn’t go to GCC,including The Paramount/El Capitan in Hollywood and The Crest in Westwood,sometime around 1976.
The ‘Capri’ opened in 1963… “Bye Bye Birdie” was the first film screened. I went with my Dad. It was a fabulous theater when it was new! It had the latest amenities, (touchless drinking fountains!) It felt very much like a trip to ‘Tomorrowland’ :) A photo of the ‘Capri’ has become the ‘holy grail’ of our WC FB groups!
Other memorable films that I saw at the ‘Capri’ in its early years… “How the West Was Won”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, “The Music Man” and “Mary Poppins”!!
This reopened as a 3-plex on June 13th, 1980. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
“Mrs. Pollifax-Spy” was aired on TCM in letterbox no less, that’s where I copied most of my favorite unaired movies or not on VHS, DVD or Blue Ray. To this day, thet have not been re-broadcast on TCM either. When I saw it, it was the bottom of the bill with “What’s The Matter With Helen?”. IF UA-Tranamerica released “Pussycat, Pussycat I Love You” a 1970, six day engagement with Sat.-Mon. matinees of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, they can put out “Mrs. Pollifax-Spy”. I love all the movies that I listed in this post and realized that Ian McShane in 1969 was a very talented actor at that time (along with Jennifer Thompson) long, long before “Deadwood”.
The Capri theatre opened on June 19th, 1963 with Bye Bye Birdie. Grand opening ad posted.