The original Ciné
Capri Theater stood at the corner of 24th Street and Camelback
Road in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1966 to 1998. Gayle's father, W.E. "Bill"
Homes, Jr., was the president and CEO of Homes & Son
Construction Company, Inc., the contractor who built the famous landmark.
In 1997 the original landowners decided the Cine Capri was in the path of so-called "progress." And in spite of a massive grass-roots efforts by thousands of fans to save the theater, it was not to be. The theater was razed in February, 1998.
As
a tribute to her father, and as a thank you to the many thousands of
fans who both patronized and tried to save the Ciné Capri, his
daughter, Gayle Homes Martin, commissioned a 1/4 inch architectural
scale model of the Ciné Capri in his memory.
In May, 1998, with the
help of local architect Harold Williams, the project was awarded to
architectural designer Doyle Hostetler. The result was a 4 x 5 foot
highly detailed replica that captures the spirit of the original
theatre.
On May 15, 1999, the Ciné Capri Model was officially
dedicated to the public at the Arizona Historical Society Museum in
Tempe. A silent auction was also held at the museum that day, featuring
an opening night photo, autographed by Charlton Heston. Bil Keane also
donated a Family Circus cartoon paying homage to the Ciné Capri. The
silent auction, along with donations from family and friends of Bill
Homes, raised over $2800 for two local charities. The model remains in
the museum's permanent collection and it now a part of the Desert
Cities gallery.
Photo by George Aurelius
For more information about the history of the Cine Capri Theater please visit our website.
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