Capitol Theatre
29 Second Street W.,
Cornwall,
ON
K6J 1G3
29 Second Street W.,
Cornwall,
ON
K6J 1G3
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The Capitol Theatre in Cornwall is one of my favourite theatres, built in 1928 by the Palace Amusement Company, a Famous Players partnership situation. Clarence Markell was the spark behind this building and the Palace Theatre in Cornwall, Ontario — and during the twenties and thirties both these theatres did very well. Clarence Markell was extremely GOOD theatre operator!! During the first year or two of the Capitol Theatre’s operation — the Palace Theatre was kept closed, but later was re-opened and much later became the number one house when remodelled completely about `1949. Business was so good in Cornwall, that the Markells and the Whithams seriously considered building a third theatre in Cornwall, but it never happened!! The Capitol Theatre had a wooden floor and I remember hearing the crowds move on that wooden floor (it sounded very loud almost like a herd of elephants moving).
The change in policy at the Capitol to first-run movies in 1983-84 led directly to the demise of the Palace Theatres which Canadian Odeon could not find profitable when competing against a non-profit theatre.
Here are some updated links to two of the pictures of the theatre previously posted above as well as two others from the Ontario Archives:
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011937.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0020938.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0020939.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0020940.jpg
The Capitol Theatre was a ‘sister’ theatre to the Runnymede Theatre, Toronto.
An article about the failed restoration of the Capitol is at:
http://www.cornwall-lacac.on.ca/Capitol.html