Artsculture

This Old Movie House

Say goodbye to the Capitol Six and others theatres of yore.

By Dorothy Woodend, 4 Apr 2005, TheTyee.ca

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It's the end of an era. The Capitol Six Theatre in downtown Vancouver is closing. If you’ve seen a movie there any time recently, likely you knew this already. The place has been in a state of decline for quite a while now, the seats are broken, the carpet threadbare and the popcorn substandard. The theatre has two more weeks to live, and it's looking like it will crawl towards the end on its hands and knees. On the day I was there, there was a huge ragged leak in the ceiling with plastic tubs underneath to catch the drips.

The man who took my ticket is happy to be moving to a new theatre on Burrard and Smithe. "It's swanky!" he says. "Swanky is good," I say. But the fact that the Capitol Six has gone so precipitously downhill makes me a little sad. There was a time, when every snack bar was busy, and every theatre packed with punters. But then movies used to cost $2.50 on Tuesday. Man, I am old. My eyelids are falling down the same way the theatre seats are cracking, time the great leveler marches on.

When The 6 closes it will join the ranks of Vancouver movie theatres since passed, including Royal Center which is now a food court. I still miss Royal Centre even though it wasn't much of a theatre, more like many little living rooms with screens. I liked it despite the fact that there were pillars in the middle of rows of seats, because they played any number of strange art house films, and often if you went in the middle of the day, there was no one there but you. Vancouver Centre is gone. The Fine Arts, the theatre that used to be out on West Georgia where The Gods Must be Crazy played for approximately 120 years is long gone. And now The Park Theatre as well. It closed on Sunday. The last time I saw a film there, every person who walked in the theatre asked the manager whether something or someone else would keep the place open, to which he dutifully informed them, that they were a number of parties who had expressed interest. Whatever that means, your guess is as good as mine.

The old days

I am old enough to remember when the Stanley on Granville was still a movie theatre, though mostly what I recall is standing in line out on the street, waiting to get inside. I also remember a time, when I opened the paper and realized I'd seen every film that was currently playing. Those days are gone, and maybe that's for the best. When you're younger, your judgment or taste is not always what it should be, if you find yourself thinking, "Have movies gotten a lot worse recently or is it just me?" It's probably it's a bit of both. If you take small children with you to something like Robots, for example they may emerge from the theatre tootling in piping tones, "That was AWESOME!!" whereas you will be bemoaning the fall of modern culture where there are no new ideas, just an endless rehash of already slung hash.

Theatres come and theatres go, but mostly they go. And now it’s the Capital Six's turn to darken the houselights.

Twenty years ago, the notion of six theatres in one building boggled my imagination, Wow!!! Bright lights, big city. Since it's been here the almost 20 years I've lived in Vancouver, I have spent many days and evenings and so on sitting in the dark, staring at the screen. One summer, in a somewhat misguided attempt to take my sister's mind off a broken heart, we saw every film that was playing including the vehicular homicide that was Madonna's Who's that Girl, Jaws: The Revenge, and Howard the Duck. After seeing these, she forgot all about her sadness and decided that she wanted to kill me, her helpful sister, instead.

Drunk or sober

So yes, I paid good money to sit through Howard the Duck in the theatre, but I tell you it was in pursuit of a higher cause because nothing takes your mind off a broken heart like the sight of a talking duck from outer space, or Michael Caine being eaten by a mechanical shark, it simply doesn't get any worse than that, which has the odd effect of making you feel a little better about your own life. At least that's not you up on the screen. Over the years I have gone to movies for many reasons, often alone, so that I could watch things in secret. My Jean-Claude Van Damme years. I've gone drunk, I've gone sober. Although unlike many other people, I have never gone stoned. Upon hearing that the Capitol Six was closing a friend of mine said, "But that was my stoner theatre!"

Some of the film going experiences that mark you are the ones you're least prepared for. For example, during a particularly bad breakup I got a pass to see a film with Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, something called Thelma and Louise. I went because it was free, and when Louise pulled out a gun, and shot a would-be rapist, I felt the back of a head blow off, because killing men seemed like a really good idea at the time. Where and when you see a film can have a major impact on your feelings about it. Sometimes you go back, wanting to recapture that initial thrill. Nothing has come close to seeing Aliens in Theatre Number 1 at the Capitol Six. It was so huge and dark, that you could virtually feel, the blackness around you rustling with xenomorphs, creeping up behind you and your bucket of popcorn.

On this last, and probably final visit, the movie won't start, and when it does, the framing is all wrong, there are a few quiet groans, but the nice man at the door gives everyone coupons "to make up for trouble we had there at the start." The people who work at the theatre all seem remarkably cheerful, maybe it's just me that feels sad. The movie Beauty Shop, is full of sassy black mamas, 'oh no you di'nt', and fried cat fish, but even Queen Latifah's magnificent bosoms fails to cheer. I feel like a little bit of my history is passing, a tiny little piece, but it is going nonetheless.

Thanks for the memories

All you have left eventually is memories, a movie screen in your brain that features flickering, scratched images from your life. Many movies about movies have made this link explicit whether its the sappy Italians in Cinema Paradisio, or introspective Chinese in Farewell, Dragon Inn. To paraphrase John Prine, "Old trees just grow stronger and old rivers grow wilder every day, but old people (and theatres) just grow lonesome. Waiting for someone to say hello in there oh. . . ."

Over the years, with friends, boyfriends, family, and now my own kid I have gone to the movie theatre. And even now when I walk in, and the lights go down, I feel comforted. Thank God, I am at the movie theatre. I am home.

Dorothy Woodend reviews films for The Tyee. [Tyee]

8 Comments:

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  • Jennifer

    7 years ago

    Comments on "This Old Movie House"

    I too remember the Royal Centre theatres and miss them greatly. I'll miss the Capital 6 theatres as well! I'm glad for theatres like Tinseltown that show a wide range of movies. I miss the other theatres that used to be on Granville street that are now clubs.

  • Yammer

    7 years ago

    The Cap Six was great in its day, but stadium seating is just flat out better. The angles, the seat shape and design, are more conducive to extended viewing. The primary feeling you get from the Ridge or the Van East isn't nostalgia, it's lower back pain.

    As for the Royal Centre, maybe it was convenient for you, but 50-seat microtheatres were always an outrage to me. Where is the sense of going to the movies? There was nothing to distinguish that experience from watching TV, apart from the appalling ticket price.

  • dimitrios

    7 years ago

    This is supposedly a piece about the Capitol 6 and other defunct moviehouses, but instead I got a litttle of the subject and a lot of the author's ruminations on movies and on her own dreary sentimentalizing about going to movies years ago. The piece provided very little insight or commentary on older movie theatres. p.s. -- the Park is being re-opened by Leonard Schein.

  • chris_planb

    7 years ago

    it's kinda funny when people have a sentimental spot for the Capitol 6. as a former manager of that theatre, i'm pretty happy to see it go. it's about time. the paramount will be pretty good. when famous players began building new theatres, the cap 6 should have been the first to go. it's unfortunate they're moving off of granville street (it was the perfect spot) but it was the only option.

    movie theatre politics dictate that if the cap6 had closed before a new theatre had opened, famous players would have lost out bidding rights to tinseltown and the granville 7. even if they had kept open the vancouver centre, they would have lost out based on the number of screens. film distribution is all about big $ and if famous players were to close down the cap and rebuild, money would be lost in both the short and long term. for those of you who think tinseltown is better because they show "arty" movies, they do it out of necessity... they wouldn't have anything to show otherwise. they are park of cinemark, a large american corporation with some operations here in canada. they're big in the US and south america. not that famous players is better (canadian run but owned by paramount, in turn owned by viacom). so, the capitol 6 had to stay open until the new theatre opened. of course, that new theatre was delayed several times for one reason or another. i remember working at silvercity metropolis in 1999 and being told that in 2000 i could transfer to the new theatre. instead i went to the capitol 6 and it isn't until this year that the new theatre opens.

    in any case, the capitol 6 had too many problems to remain practical. yes, it used to be busy, but tickets got too expensive and kept many people away... plus all the new theatres made it difficult for the old Cap. opening night for a blockbuster movie is still crazy though.

    and it has been falling apart for a long time, leaking was a problem even when i was there in 2000/2001. but what can you expect from a 30 year old theatre. they've had the carpets replaced and some other minor improvements done over the past few years but it doesn't take long for them to wear out again. of course, it's downtown so there is always graffitti and vandalism and people sleeping behind screens. and this is just what people see. then there's behind the scenes: old projectors that are always in need of repair, electrical systems that made me wonder if the whole thing might burn down (oh granville street and it's difficulties with power), people who are not necessarily trained properly, management in head office who would like to sweap the cap under the rug and forget it's their downtown location. aren't downtown locations supposed to be grande? just the number of complaints we would have makes it worth shutting down. oh, the stories i could tell. funny stuff.

    but hey, cinema #1 is/was great. any theatre that can seat 1000 people and sell out... that rocks! i just wish they had run a couple of 70mm films in there again. man, i remember when i was younger and saw it in use. wow. but, then, who makes 70mm films anymore so it doesn't really matter.

    and don't say the popcorn doesn't taste like is used to... they've been using canola oil for years now to stop you from having heart attacks like might have happened back when coconut oil (or something similar) was used. sure, it tasted better but, man, the chest pains sucked.

  • Jennifer

    7 years ago

    Yes, Royal Centre was small, I'll give you that, but it was awesome for the fact it brought in art flicks, small budget and foreign films that most other theatres at the time weren't showing. Tinsletown seems to be doing this more and more, which is great as they do have stadium seating!

  • lovitz

    7 years ago

    As a die hard fan of the Capitol 6, it's good to read an article such as this one.

    First of all, Capitol 6 is an VERY unique theater. It's holy cinema #1 is in fact unique in all of Canada. It has the biggest seating capacity in a multiplex in all of Canada. 1031 seats.

    Before the days of Silvercities and stadium seating and good presentations ( before the lockout ) Capitol 6 was pretty much the flagship theater for FP (until Station Square was built in '88 )

    All the big blockbusters of the 1980's and 1990's showed there ( most of the time in 70MM )

    Last year, a friend of mine tried to get in and photograph the Cap and despite one of the managers eagerness to fullfill his wish, the GM ?? I guess is her position flexed her bicep and the head office issued a cease and desist.

    What are they hiding upstairs??? The equipment is nothing too special. It would have been a privledge to see the booth to the all mighty #1 though.

    FP pure and simple turned its back on this place. It's disgusting.

    P.S

    Btw Chris I know what it's like to be a former FP employee.

    And for the record last 70MM screening at Cap #1 was Top Gun in 1996.

    R.

  • chris_planb

    7 years ago

    there's nothing "hiding" in the booth for #1... just a small old projector with some newer computer parts attached. nothing too exciting. it's cooler above the booth for the top floor... you can get on the roof.

    if they ran top gun in 96, it was before my time with fp. maybe it was also before they switched over to the platter system? i don't think they could even run a 70mm film in there any more without some serious adjustments. wouldn't be worth it really. i did see films there when i was younger though, and it was always just as ugly as the silvercities, just in a different way. they don't make beautiful theatres any more. no one really cares. if they did, people would still dress up when they go out and be considerate of the people around them in the theatre.

    i can see missing the stanley (it was fp too... and a beautiful theatre) or the orpheum (it has always been beautiful... i never had the privilege to watch a film there... way before my time) but not the cap.

    yes, #1 holds 1000 people but it's really not a pleasurable movie going experience when it does. it gets too hot, too loud and if you're stuck in the sides (esp toward the front) you can barely see. seats are also small and uncomfortable compared w/ newer theatres.

    i would much rather see the films with new projectors (ones with a powerful enough bulb to see some more detail!). more seats does not make a good theatre. for me it's the equipment in the booth and the screen it's presented on. it's just plain better on the large screens (not the smaller ones) at the silvercities. if i wanted i nice place to watch, i'd stay home. if i want good presentation on a large screen, i go out.

    the cap might have been the flagship, but now the torch passes on to the paramount. i'll say it again, the location of the cap is perfect but the theatre is not worth saving. move past the sentiment and enjoy new things.

    as film technology moves toward digital, even the newer theatres will become obsolete. will younger kids miss metropolis or riverport some day? probably.

  • lovitz

    7 years ago

    Hey Chris

    FP switched to Platters in 1998 I believe.

    R.

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