El Capitan Drive-In
1900 E. 5th Street,
Metropolis,
IL
62960
1900 E. 5th Street,
Metropolis,
IL
62960
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Opened in April 1949, in the far southern Illinois town of Metropolis (the fictional hometown of Superman). The El-Capitan Drive-In was an indoor/outdoor theater, with around 450 parking spaces and 520 seats indoors. In its later years, the El Capitan featured mostly adult fare.
It closed in 1973 and was demolished a few years later. The site has remained vacant ever since.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
1952 aerial photo added to this page. it was on E. 5th and Bullock Lane.
2012 Goggle View. You can still see the car ramps yet.
Approx. address for this drive-in was 1900 E. 5th St.
From the Aug. 13, 1949 issue of BoxOffice:
METROPOLIS, ILL. – The 600-car El Capitan Drive-In Theatre on Route 45 one mile west of here has been sold by Russell Baker to Malco Theatres of Memphis, Tenn., headed by M. A. Lightman. The drive-in was opened last April. Its acquisition marks the entry of the Malco Theatres into the St. Louis film trade territory.
“The El Capitan Drive-In at Metropolis re-opened July 11. Its screen tower was wrecked in a tornado on June 13. The new screen tower is of concrete block construction and designed to withstand a wind of 120 miles an hour.” —BoxOffice, Aug. 8, 1953
This must have been when the El Capitan added the 520 seats, but I wonder what enclosing a whole ramp looked like.
The Exhibitor, Oct. 8, 1952: “In Metropolis, Ill., Eddie Clark plans enclosing one ramp at his El Capitan Drive-In to provide space for some 500 seats for persons.”