Capitol Theatre was a

George Temple-Poole George Thomas Temple-Poole (born George Thomas Temple, 29 May 1856 – 27 February 1934) was a British architect and public servant, primarily known for his work in Western Australia from 1885. As Superintendent of Public Works, and then Pri ...

designed theatre and cinema located at 10 William Street

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

. The theatre was officially opened on 4 May 1929 by the

Mayor of Perth __TOC__ The history of the City of Perth, a local government area of Western Australia is defined over three distinct periods: *From 1829 to 1838 — controlled by the Governor of Western Australia *From 1838 to 1858 — controlled by the ''Per ...

, James T. Franklin. The opening night included a screening of

Gene Stratton-Porter Gene Stratton-Porter (August 17, 1863 – December 6, 1924), born Geneva Grace Stratton, was an American author, nature photographer, and naturalist from Wabash County, Indiana. In 1917 Stratton-Porter urged legislative support for the conservat ...

's ''

Freckles Freckles are clusters of concentrated melaninized cells which are most easily visible on people with a fair complexion. Freckles do not have an increased number of the melanin-producing cells, or melanocytes, but instead have melanocytes that ...

'' and performances by the Capitol Theatre orchestra, Leah Miller's Beauty Ballet and a vaudeville act by Syd Roy's Lyricals. The theatre featured a 40 ft by 20 ft illuminated sign above its roof on the William Street facade,

art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

stencil work in the lounge foyer and the upper crush area, a bust of the late

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred ...

in the foyer and a 16 ft by 12 ft chandelier, containing 300 lights. Reportedly the lips on Valentino's bust were constantly red with the adoring kisses of his Perth fans. The bust is currently part of the WA Performing Arts Museum collection at His Majesty's Theatre. In the 1930s it was a popular cinema destination. In the 1940s and 1950s the theatre was regularly used for formal functions relating to the state of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, and the city. Lonnie Donegan, the UK King of Skiffle opened his first tour of Australia on 28 and 29 October 1960 at this theatre. On the bill were also Miki and Griff a UK country duo. Entrepreneur and later Lord Mayor,

Thomas Wardle Sir Thomas Edward Wardle (born 1912 in West Leederville, Western Australia, died in 1997) was a businessman and supermarket proprietor from Western Australia. He was best known for his "Tom the Cheap" supermarket chain as well as revolutionisi ...

bought the theatre in 1966, as a theatre and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

performed in it on his first visit to Perth in that year. Wardle sold it in 1968 and it was demolished soon after to make way for an office building.Capitol Theatre, William Street, Perth, WA
at cinematreasures.org The

chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...

from the theatre now hangs in Melbourne's Princess Theatre. Similar to the nearby Esplanade Hotel and

Barracks Arch The Barracks Arch is located on the corner of Malcolm and Elder Streets, at the western end of St Georges Terrace in Perth, Western Australia. The Barracks Designed by Richard Roach Jewell, the Barracks were originally built from 1863 to 18 ...

, the Capitol Theatre was demolished prior to the city or state of Western Australia having any effective heritage legislation—demolition of significant historical structures was carried out with little regard to the city's heritage.

References

External links

{{coord, -31.955514, 115.856398, display=title, format=dms Former buildings and structures in Perth, Western Australia George Temple-Poole buildings Former theatres in Perth, Western Australia 1929 establishments in Australia 1968 disestablishments in Australia Buildings and structures demolished in 1968 Demolished buildings and structures in Western Australia Cinemas in Perth, Western Australia Former cinemas