Capitol Theatre

Historical note: the theater acquired Western Electric sound equipment in early 1929

I grew up halfway between the Capitol and the Regent in Arlington. I was about seven (b. 1943) when I went to the Capitol with my buddies Stevie and Paul to see “King Kong”. When Kong first appeared out of the jungle with Fay Wray squirming in her nighty, I told my friends I was going to get popcorn, but I went and got my dime back and went home.

We’ve installed Digital 3-D in auditoriums #1 and #4 at the Capitol; 35mm film remains alongside the digital in the main house (#1) but #4 is now 100% digital. While we are very pro-35mm film, installing this equipment was a way to ensure the Capitol gets first run movies in these formats. “Avatar” opened this week in the new Real D process and the presentation was top notch. The second-run market has dried up & this installation will help keep the Capitol open.

-Ian/FEI Theatres

to Bill White:

I worked for the Fraimans also, Doug, his son was a super nice guy… to show you the greed his father had, he pushed his own son out of the way so he could “develop” the property…and boy was his wife a b*tch

I am pleased to have a low price but quality theater in my town. The “original proscenium” screen is very good, the other screens are all OK, but the sixth screen in the “stagehouse” is mediocre: it’s long and narrow, and the screen is quite high off the floor. Very reminiscent of the “stagehouse” screens at the Harvard Square, Church St theater in Cambridge.

Here is a photo of the Capitol:
http://tinyurl.com/2fkzbz

The Fraimans, operating under the moniker Chatham Light Realty, were my landlords while I operated Somerville Books and Records in Davis Square. They wanted us out of the building, so sent in a demolition crew and started demolishing the building while we were open for business, destroying much of our stock. Later, when they wanted to get Garen Daly out of the Somerville theatre, they padlocked the buiding against him. the landlords were always jealous of the money their leasees were making from their property. They would see a sold out crowd lining up for a concert at feel they were being ripped off since all they got out of it was a rental fee for the use of the building. So they thought they could run these businesses on their own. Fraiman was a miserable and incompetent theatre operator, relying on bookings from a nitwit who took what was given him. At least Mr. Fraiman did not buckle in to the Arlington prudes who threatened him against showing the NC-17 Henry and June, although we had to put up cardboard on the auditorium windows so that children would not peep in. I was fired as manager after Mr. Fraiman found me in the office on the telephone during a rush in the lobby. that I was on the telephone speaking to a delayed employee was of no significance to him. He wanted me gone for reasons of his own, which I never bothered to investigate. As for the ice cream, it was very difficult for employees to keep their spoons out of it, and we all gained weight.

The Capitol was built by the Locatelli family, who built and operated theaters in the Arlington-Somerville area (they built the Ball Square Theater and Central Theater in Somerville among others).

The Capitol did feature vaudeville in its earliest years, but not for long.

The theater eventually came under the control of Viano’s Theatres (owners of the Teele Sq., Broadway, Somerville, and Regent theaters), although the Viano’s did NOT own the building. At some point, the current owners (the Fraiman’s) bought the building and when Viano wanted out of the movie business, the Fraiman’s took over the operation of the Capitol.

It was originally going to be turned into apartments (to add to the ones already in the building) but it was suggested by one of Mr. Fraiman’s sons that they try to keep the theater going. They did, although multiplexing was the only way to keep it going.

The sixth screen was added in 1990 and is indeed in the old stagehouse. It is reputedly haunted!

The organ lofts are still there but all equipment was removed years ago.

I don’t know if they are planning a birthday celebration, but I will bring that up the next time I talk with the manager there.

Does anyone here (Ian, perhaps) know when this opened?
Also, has it always been strictly a movie theatre, or did it once have live shows?

Since last Friday, the Boston Globe’s movie listings for the Capitol and the Somerville sport a spiffy new F.E.I. THEATRES logo. Until now, the two theatres haven’t really advertised themselves as a chain.

The lobby is not the only remnant of the Capitol’s former glory. The original proscenium is preserved in auditorium number one, complete with a huge screen and about 300+ seats in what is left of the orchestra section.

The Capitol Theatre seated 1600 people when it was a single screen theatre.

A small correction: the Capitol Theater is not in “Arlington’s downtown”, but rather in East Arlington.

Another old theatre, the Regent, is located in the center of town. The Regent presents concerts and Indian cinema.