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Recollections
Capitol Picture House
Manderston Street, Leith
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Recollections
1.
Alan Sinclair
British Columbia, Canada
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"The Capitol Picture
House in Manderston Street, Leith, must have be one of the few, if
not the only one, having a railway line pass right over it.
Thinking back to the
1940s, I'm sure we could hear the rumble as the train passed over.
I hope others can
remember this."
Alan Sinclair, Squamish, British Columbia, Canada:
January 10, 2008
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Recollections
2.
George Clydesdale
Edinburgh |
"Does anyone remember the
'Capi Club' on a Sunday in The Capitol Cinema, with all the talent
and fashion shows?
George Clydesdale, Edinburgh:
Message left in EdinPhoto guestbook: August 15, 2008.
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Recollections
3.
Lily Burke (nee
Cavanagh)
Thetford, Norfolk, England |
Thank you to Lily Burke
for replying to George Clydesdale's comments above.
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"I
remember the Capi Club at
Manderston Street Leith, George
Clydesdale was writing about in August
2008."
"I wonder if George remembers the guy
who impersonated Danny Kay he was great I
can't remember the guy's name
but will always remember him singing 'Ball-in
The Jack'. He had the whole of the
Capi Club singing with him, and
then he got encores. The audience
would not let him off the stage.
I
also remember the singing competitions.
A few of my friends, myself
and my cousin aired our lungs on the
Capi stage.
I think my cousin, Harry,
won first prize. He was a
really good singer but, sadly, he passed
away in Adelaide, Australia many years
ago.
I
hope there are more Capi members out there who
can remember that guy. He even looked like Danny Kay."
George Clydesdale, Edinburgh:
Message left in EdinPhoto guestbook: August 15, 2008.
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Recollections
4.
Frank Ferri
Leith, Edinburgh |
Thank you to Frank Ferri
who wrote:
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"The
Capi Club was the Saturday morning kids' cinema matinee, with its
own song that the kids sang. On their birthday, each child
received a card giving them free admission.
"I
remember the talent contests of the very early
1950s well. They were
called the Sunday Capi Concerts.
They had a mixture of professional talent, anything from
conjurers to ventriloquists, with a spot for local amateur
singers.
I
don't recall the Danny Kay impersonator, but I
do remember two well known regular competitors. They were:
-
my late brother-in-law,
Johnny Walker of the Lochend area
-
Jimmy
Minto from the Corporation Buildings
Leith. He is still with us, now in
his late 70s.
They did songs by popular singers of the day,
Mario Lanza, Billy Eckstein, Frankie Lane, Johnny Ray,
Eddie Fisher etc
"These were the austere days when all
cinemas were closed on a Sunday and there was literally
no entertainment anywhere other than The
Capitol, and perhaps something similar happening at the
Regent cinema at Abbeyhill."
Frank Ferri, Leith, Edinburgh:
February 22, 2011
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Recollections
5.
James A Rafferty
Falkirk,
Stirlingshire, Scotland |
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Thank you
to James A Rafferty who for allowing me to reproduce this Gaumont British
Program for 1935. It lists films being shown at two of the Gaumont
British cinemas:
- The Capitol, Leith
- The Regent, Edinburgh.
James wrote: |
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British Gaumont
"I noticed a few
postings about the Leith Capitol Picture House recently, and thought that
some of the EdinPhoto visitors might like to see this old program from
1935."
©
©
James A Rafferty, Falkirk Stirlingshire,
Scotland: November 30, 2011 |
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Recollections
6.
John Fraser
Inch, Edinburgh |
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Thank you
to John Fraser who wrote: |
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Manderston Street
"I was born at 27
Manderston Street, Leith, in 1935,
straight across the road from the
Capitol Cinema.
The EdinPhoto
web site has a photo of Manderston Street, but it's a recent photo.
 ©
Perhaps someone, somewhere
will
have a photo showing the old houses in the street."
Cinema Queue
I went to the Capitol Cinema with my sister,
Sadie, to see 'Snowhite
and the Seven Dwarfs'.
The Queue went from the cinema to Thorntree
Street, then out to Easter Road.
My
sister said we had plenty time, but
we ended up at Thorntree Street.
Maybe some of my generation will remember
some of the stories that were used to get to the
front of the queue:
'Oh,
look. There’s that girl from school that
I owe thruppence to, twenty feet up the line.'
or
'Look, there’s Doreen Sadler,
my mum’s friend’s daughter, who lived in Glover street in the stair
next to the ‘High Wall’ (Leith Central Station)'."
John Fraser, Inch, Edinburgh:
April 7, 2013 |
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