The El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard has been around since 1926 when it made it’s debut as a live stage show house. This iconic building has seen the likes of Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable, Will Rogers, and Joan Fontaine over it’s years and still boasts the biggest names in the business today. It was my second visit to the theater and it’s awe-inspiring when you think about it. We were lucky enough to go behind the scenes on our recent visit.
The stage, the lights, everything is truly amazing, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. When I was here for the Lion King 3D event I sat just rows from the stage, and this time for Iron Man 3, we sat at the top of the balcony, taking in the Dolby SR-D digital sound to it’s fullest!
History of all the Hollywood events are captured in the Wall of Fame where we briefly walked through, but I could have spent hours taking it all in. We met with Ed Collins, general manager of the El Capitan Theatre, and he filled us in on the beginnings of how movies came to be shown.
How many have seen or know of the movie, “Citizen Kane”? It’s a pretty impactful movie, right? But it’s not a very flattering portrait of William Randolph Hearst. And back when it was looking for a home to have its premiere, no theater wanted to play it. Why? Because theaters were owned by studios at that time. And Mr. Hearst’s papers reviewed their movies.
So we’re not gonna show a movie that isn’t a flattering portrait. The owner, Mr. Toberman, said, “Hey, I’ll try a movie.” So “Citizen Kane” had its world premiere here in 1941. And Mr. Toberman said, ‘Movies are the way to go.’ Close the theater and modernized it and made it look really sleek and modern. Then the theater reopened in 1942 as the Paramount.
Because it was affiliated with the Paramount Studios and ran another 50 years, premieres and first run movies. That’s when Disney came to Hollywood. And our theory was boy, Hollywood Boulevard’s a pretty famous street. But the theaters are kinda tired. We put a lot of effort into the making of our movies, right? We want the experience of watching them to match the quality of the movie itself. So that’s why Disney came to El Capitan Paramount Theater in 1989 and restored it back to the way it looked when it was new.
I was involved with that and it was a great team of people. We opened here in June of ’91 with “The Rocketeer”. Anybody seen “The Rocketeer”? That was the first movie that played here when we finished restoring it. And what made “The Rocketeer” special not only did it have its premiere on Hollywood Boulevard. But that was our first stage show. So we said, “Hey yeah. Let’s do like they did in the golden era of movies. We’ll have a stage show before the movie.”
So for “The Rocketeer” we had the El Capitan singers and dancers. It was a show that was produced by Disneyland on the stage in front of the curtain. And that kicked off stage shows and movies. And then, uh, we came along in 1998 and said, “You know, we shoulda done the stage the first go round. We’ll do it this time.” And we added the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ. So, uh, that was our second restoration. And that leads us to where we are today. We do 10 to 12 movie premieres per year.
After knowing what I’ve learned, can you imagine having a birthday party for your kids and their friends at this historical venue while taking in a Disney movie? It’s available, talk about red carpet treatment! You can visit the El Capitan and take in a movie now through the summer:
-IRON MAN 3 is currently playing at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, CA until June 20th in Disney Digital 3D and Real D 3D
-See a Display of Collectibles & Comic Books from the Private Collection of Stan Lee!
-June 21st – August 8th: MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (Plus, see Mike & Sulley in the MU Pep Rally with the Sprit Squad Live on Stage!)
-August 9th – September 19th: Disney’s PLANES
For tickets call 1 (800) DISNEY6 or visit www.elcapitantickets.com
Right next door you’ll find Disney’s Soda Fountain and Studio Store! Offering all the classics from an authentic soda jerk, you can also find hot dogs, grilled cheese, and Mickey Mouse-shaped PB&J sammies to enjoy! 
What caught my eye most was Walt’s Vault. You know the one you see in all the home entertainment videos. It’s on the wall with a reel of all the Disney movies in order, do you think you could name them all? And, before you leave, make sure you pick up some souvenirs for the kids!
If you’re strolling down Hollywood Boulevard, you must check out these two great places!
Our experience was part of a hosted press event thanks to Disney/Marvel. All opinions are my own.
I agree, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. It’s easily one of the most magical theaters.
Oh wow – that marquee looks amazing – love the lights and color!
Nice pictures! Thanks for sharing
Love this jewelbox of a theater
This reminds me of how theaters were when I was a kid. There is a lot to be said for old fashion style. It truly stands the test of time. I would love to take my kids to a theater like this.