Category:Capri Theater, Allentown, Pennsylvania

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Object location40° 36′ 10″ N, 75° 28′ 09″ W Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMapinfo
<nowiki>Capri Theatre; Capri Theatre; Capri Theatre; Capri Theatre; former movie theater in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States; antiguo cine de Allentown, Pensilvania, Estados Unidos; ehemaliges Kino in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA; ancienne salle de cinéma à Allentown, Pennsylvanie, États-Unis; Peoples Theatre; Cameo Theatre; Transit Theatre</nowiki>
Capri Theatre 
former movie theater in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States
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LocationAllentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
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  • 525 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101
Map40° 36′ 10.95″ N, 75° 28′ 07.6″ W
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The Capri was the last name of a midtown theater in Allentown PA, located at 535 Hamilton Street, near the Americus Hotel. It last closed in October 1982

The theater originally opened in November 1927 as the Cameo Theater, presenting silent films, seated 638. In May 1931, the theater was sold and it was renamed as the Transit Theater. It was sold in May 1938 and was renovated, being reopened again as the Cameo at the end of September 1938. The new Cameo, however, only lasted a short time until it was closed again at the end of November, 1939. The vacant theater was again sold, and reopened again as the Transit in October, 1940. Unfortunately, it closed again in 1951 due to low attendance caused by Television. After being vacant for nearly two years, the lobby of the theater became a music store and the auditorium a warehouse. .

In 1962, the theater was purchased by Al Moffa, owner of the Americus Hotel. Moffa operated several theaters in Allentown, the Jeanette and Towne. Moffa renovated the theater and re-opened it as the Capri in August 1963. When the Jeanette and Towne became art/adult theaters, the Capri ran first-run films. In September 1971, Moffa sold the Capri to the Budco chain from Doylestown when he was in financial straits, as part of a liquidation of his theater assets. Budco, which initially stated it would retain the Capri's first-run theater status, slowly turned the theater into a second-run cinema by the mid 1970s as attendance declined. In October 1981 due to the general decline of the downtown business retail district, the Capri Theater closed due to a lack of theatergoers, with Budco stating it was losing money.

The theater reopened in July 1982 under new ownership and began to show X-Rated pornographic films. The City of Allentown immediately obtained a court cease and desist order and in August, the owners of the Capri were informed to stop showing the porn films. In October after a series of legal challenges, the Capri again was closed. It was put up for sale in early 1983.

After several years of being vacant, in May 1986 it was announced that the theater would be converted into an office building. In 1987, the building was completely renovated and converted having three floors and 14,000 square feet of space. Today the Capri Marquee remains.

Media in category "Capri Theater, Allentown, Pennsylvania"

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