Capitol Theatre
7941 S. Halsted Street,
Chicago,
IL
60620
7941 S. Halsted Street,
Chicago,
IL
60620
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 58 comments
Please read my comment dated 9/26/2017,if you went to DS Wentworth in the 50’s please call Jeff Reach @ 815-546-9659, my email is () I currently live in Plainfield IL
The Capitol Theatre may have stayed open a little longer than 1974. I came across a couple of newspaper ads from 1977 in which the Capitol is listed in the visual display ads of certain movies. There are no individual ads for the Capitol; but the Capitol is listed as one of the Chicago area theatres playing the movie, ORCA. I posted a photo of the newspaper ad for ORCA in the Photos section.
I lived at 6927 S union in the 50s and always walked to the movie with a quarter which gave me entry, candy, popcorn,and a drink. saw a news real, cartoon and two movies. WOW those were the days, moved out to Villa Park in 1957 and graduated form willowbrook high school 1963. Joined the USMC and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. Now live in Plainfield IL. If anyone went to DS wentworth grade school please email me at . My first girl friend was Betty Swanson, Mary Holland, and Bonnie Myer.
I saw movies at this theater including Disney comics and Davy Crockett. My father, Louis Harper, owned the Wimpy’s Grill hamburger diner just down the street. I was just a kid in the 50’s. All the 12c hamburgers I could eat free, buying popcorn balls and candy apples next to the theater, and watching kid movies in a Roman village with stars on the ceiling. It was a great life. My last visit to Wimpy’s was in 1968 and the whole neighborhood was totally different than my childhood 1950’s.
Sad to look at all those vintage b&w archive photos. Those beautiful statues and light fixtures! I hope they were salvaged by appreciative collectors and not vandalized or thrown in the dumpster!
your recollection has summed-up a boys weekend pleasure budget of those beautiful old days excellently! but would I have bought THREE popcorns?
When I was a kid I lived near 105th & Halsted and I’d go by myself to the Capitol almost every weekend. Back then $1.00 covered my bus fare (15c each way), admission (25c), and 3 boxes of popcorn (15c each, and a drink (10c). Plus, I got to see a double feature.
T-bird79: never knew there was residential in the Franks' building. We moved on Peoria Street in 1965…just as the whites were leaving. An inglorious chapter of chicago’s race relations. There were so many nice things….the sunset club, capitol theater, walgreens with a soda fountain and restaurant, house of lum’s chinese restaurant, wimpy’s, Oglesby and Calumet used to be good schools, as well as Leo high school…loved spending my saturdays at the Capitol Theater watching triple feature karate movies.
I lived at 79th & Halsted from 1956 to 1964 in the Frank’s department store building, on the top floor above local loan. They were always getting robbed. I went to the capitol many times. It was my favorite place to go as a kid. Green mill pool hall across the street always had a crowd. I went to Oglesby, my brothers went to calumet. I miss the old place. lots of good memories.
I did a little newspaper research. The Capitol Theatre closed in 1974.
Just added a circa 1925 exterior photo, courtesy of Mike Tuggle.
January 19th, 1925 grand opening ad posted here.
A Karen do you remember this
The restaurant across the street next to the Cosmo Theatre was the Green Mill, They had great milk shakes there.
And many more photos Here
Additional SAIC photos: 1, 2, 3
That is a nice shot,Thanks for posting btkrefft.
Was a nice looking theatre.
Does anyone remember Lewis-Champlin elementary school in Englewood? Does anyone know where in Englewood it was located? It was torn down in 1937. Thanks
We would love to see them jimbarry.
Hi, all
I have alot of pictures from the Captiol, dating back to the 40’s.
And Before, when my dad was a usher and Chief of Service
Jim Barry
Looking at the picture brings back so many memories. I lived at the time in the 60’s at 8013 S. Emerald Ave. Me my sister and friends would go there to see movies and stage shows. I don’t know if anyone remembers when the Jackson 5 played there with Jackie Wilson. I was there for the rehersals because my stepfather played in the band. My sister and friend got Michael Jackson to give us his phone number, we call but Joe did not let us speak to him. I also got piece of Jackie Wilson’s shirt it was a blue shirt. I remember getting in trouble from my stepdad for ripping the man’s shirt. Those were the good old days.
Here is a March 1968 ad from the Woodlawn Booster:
http://tinyurl.com/pxnm8z
Here is the Capitol in 1962:
http://tinyurl.com/c2bo4o
It reminds me of the Royal in South Philadelphia, or the Imperial in Inglewood, CA. Both sat empty and rotting for years, although the Royal has been saved. The Imperial was razed for a strip mall.