CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

Art Deco theatre. The first picture palace to be built in Australia, the theatre was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and opened with Cecil B. De Mille's "The Ten Commandments". In April 1929, the Capitol Theatre was installed with sound equipment. The Phillip Brothers relinquished control to Paramount Pictures for a 10 year lease. The cinema was leased to Paramount Pictures Inc. from 1924 until December 25 1940. Paramount then sold the capitol to Commercial Enterpises who managed the theatre with the same Paramount staff until Hoyts became a shareholder in the theatre.

Hoyt's took over the theatre in 1940 and opened December 26 with a seating capacity of 2,115. The Capitol building at this time was owned by the Lucas Estate. The company that controlled the Capitol was called Commercial Enterprises of which the Victorian manager for Hoyts had an interest in. It was not until Ernest Turnbull became managing director of Hoyts that the Capitol and the Hoyts name became fully identified with the Swanston Street cinema. The Hoyts lease expired in October 1963. The cinema closed February 5 1964. The theater was reconfigured in 1964, reducing seating capacity from 2,115 to 791 and the former balcony area which had been extended forward. The former stalls area were converted into a shopping mall.

The Capitol Theatre re-opened 18th December 1965. Later taken over by Village Cinemas in August 1974.Closed and reopened December 2, 1982. The theatre had been closed for three weeks for major refurbishment including complete reseating and an increase in capacity to 785. Operated as a arthouse cinema by Mike Walsh in July 1987. Chinese movies began to be screened from 1992 through to 1997 when the Capitol Theatre finally closed.It was purchased by the RMIT University in November 1999.

The Capitol Theatre's Wurltzer organ is now installed in the Dendy Theatre, Brighton, a suburb of Melbourne.

Film Weekly records the following changes in capacity:
1946/7 = 2116
1947/8 = 2115
1958/9 = 2109
1960/61 = 2115
1965/6 = 793

Film weekly records the following exhibitors:
Commercial Enterprises Pty Ltd (1946/7- )
Hoyts Theatres (1960/1 -)
Prudential Theatres (1965/6 -)

References
'A permanent film theatre' The Age 7 January 1964

'Capitol Theatre may yet be saved' The Sun 22 September 1964

Cook, Rod 2000 ' The Capitol Theatre', CinemaRecord, no. 30., p. 8.

Film Weekly, Film Weekly: motion picture directory, Film Weekly, Sydney. 1946/7-1971

Gill, R 1996 'A Capitol relaunch' The Age 24 April A16 (relaunch as mainstream cinema)

'Hopes to preserve Capitol Theatre' The Age 22 September 1964

Hudson, S 2000 'Exit stage neglect', Herald-Sun, 3 March, p. 92

Kino: journal of Australian theatre historical society. No. 3, Jan. 1983. p.13.

Kinsman, I 'Future of the Capitol' The Age 9 January 1964 (letter to the editor)

Manzie, K 1953 'Devil debut provides grade-A pubicly material,' Film Weekly, May 14, 1953, p. 13.

'Melbourne gets a showcase' The Sun June 18 1987, p. 24

Millar, R 1998 'Threat to historic cinema' The Melbourne Times 14 October, p.1

'My beautiful theatrette' The Age 26 June 1987, p.19 (reports on arthouse cinemas in Melbourne)

'The Capitol's final curtain next month' The Age 9 January 1964

Walters, T. 2005 The picture palaces of Melbourne: revised edition Trevor Walters.

Whateley, G 1996 'Capitol idea' Herald Sun 26 April, p.85

'World's a stage for Capitol idea' Herald Sun 27 November 1998, p. 29

1924 'CAPITOL THEATRE.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), 8 November, p. 25, viewed 11 October, 2011, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2065316