The El Capitan Theatre Sets Plans for 100th Anniversary of Historic Cinema

The El Capitan Theatre, Disney’s home on Hollywood Boulevard, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this month. To kick off the celebration, the city of Los Angeles will be presenting a proclamation, presented by Council District 13 council member Hugo Soto Martinez on Thursday May 21 at 7:30pm,  at the sold-out opening night of “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”

A new archival display will be featured inside the theatre, and includes rarely seen models of the theatre’s 1991 restoration made by Joe Musil, the theatre designer who helped bring the El Capitan back to its original 1926 Spanish Colonial Revival splendor.

Also debuting will be a brand-new curtain show, featuring a special nod to the motifs and designs of the original curtains. The curtain show will be accompanied by a presentation of a soundtrack highlighting the historic story of the theatre.

When the El Capitan Theatre re-opened, the first feature to premiere was Disney’s “The Rocketeer.” To acknowledge this special connection, a screening of Disney’s “The Rocketeer” will take place on Monday June 1 at 7:00pm featuring a special Q&A with Director Joe Johnston and Executive Producer Larry Franko. Tickets will be on sale soon.

To round out the celebration, an assortment of merchandise will debut throughout the year, celebrating this historic milestone, including but not limited to an exclusive Spirit Jersey, Limited Release print, Limited Edition Keychain and Limited Edition pins. El Capitan tickets and more information are available here. 

History of The El Capitan Theatre

The El Capitan Theatre is an exclusive first-run movie theatre equipped with state-of-the-art technology, operated by The Walt Disney Studios. Known as Disney’s Home on Hollywood Boulevard, the theatre also hosts live stage shows, world premieres, special events and screenings of classic Disney films. In 2014, the City of Los Angeles declared the theatre a Historical Monument after its restoration showcasing the original lavish architecture.

 In the 1920s, real estate developer Charles Toberman built the Egyptian, Chinese and El Capitan theatres. Los Angeles based Stiles O. Clements designed the elaborate cast-concrete Spanish Colonial style exterior; San Francisco architect G. Albert Lansburgh, known for his design of over 50 West Coast theatres and luxury cinema houses, designed the lavish East Indian inspired interior.

Dubbed "Hollywood's First Home of Spoken Drama" the El Capitan Theatre made its debut as the largest legitimate theatre in Hollywood on On May 3, 1926. Stars filled the 1,550 seat theatre for the premiere of the fresh-from-Broadway play CHARLOT'S REVUE, starring Jack Buchanan, Gertrude Lawrence and Beatrice Lillie.

On May 8, 1941, Orson Welles premiered his first feature, and very controversial, film CITIZEN KANE, at the El Capitan Theatre. The theater closed for a two month renovation and reopened in March 1942 as the Hollywood Paramount, a new, streamlined "art moderne" first run movie house. 

In 1989, the Walt Disney Company joined forces with Pacific Theatres and began a two-year, remodel of the El Capitan Theatre. The remodel was led by renowned theatre designer Joseph J. Musil with the supervision of the National Park Service's Department of the Interior, and guidance from conservator Martin Weil and architect Ed Fields.  The theatre reopened its doors to the public on June 19, 1991 for the world premiere of Walt Disney Pictures' THE ROCKETEER.

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