Capitol Theatre

Capitol Theatre Box Office Movie attendance in the United States began to steadily decline following 1946 as suburbanization scattered the audience away from urban centers and television increasingly became an available entertainment option for the public. The role of movie theaters as a recreational pastime and center for social activity further suffered over the last quarter century as movie watching transitioned into an experience that occurs at home rather than in a theater. The film industry has in part responded to these changes through the development of multiplex theaters and the introduction of new projection and audio technologies. Similarly, the renovation of the Capitol Theatre included the creation of multiple state of the art screening rooms in an effort to entice the public back into their seats. Photograph courtesy of the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization

On April 8, 1921, the Capitol Theatre opened its doors to the public at the dedication of the Gordon Square Arcade and Community Building. Developed by the West Side Amusement Co. and Canadian motion picture theater promoters Jule and J.J. Allen, the theater began as a vaudeville and silent film house. During the surrounding neighborhood's prosperous years, the theater remained a centerpiece of Gordon Square. The arcade and theater slowly fell into disrepair, though, following the outmigration of both Cleveland residents and businesses following World War II.

In 1978, the parapet of the Gordon Square Arcade collapsed and damaged the marquis. Plans were quickly prepared for the demolition of the building. Although the building itself was spared through the efforts of the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, the Capitol Theatre eventually closed down in 1985 due to years of deterioration. With the revival of the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood and the designation of the Gordon Square area as a cultural arts district, the theater was renovated and reopened in 2009. It is now owned by the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and operated by the Cleveland Cinemas.

Video

Capitol Theatre; Weekends at the Capitol Theatre Donna Belles, a Detroit Shoreway resident, recounts her impressions of the Capitol Theatre as a child. Source: CSU Center for Public History + Digital Humanities

Audio

The Television of Its Day Frank Murphy, who grew up in what is now known as the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, remembers his trips to the Capitol Theatre as a child. Source: Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection