Classics at Capitol
Movies are Returning to Singapore’s Oldest and Most Iconic Theatre
Experience the magic of cinema's golden age as classic films return to the historic Capitol Theatre for the first time since its grand restoration in 2015.
Look forward to an ongoing program of cinematic masterpieces under the banner of CLASSICS AT CAPITOL, all meticulously remastered in stunning digital formats. The inaugural season was a resounding success, featuring three sold-out screenings of Singin’ in the Rain (1952), David Lean’s epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and Alfred Hitchcock’s thrilling North by Northwest (1959).
HISTORY OF CAPITOL THEATRE
Nearly a century old, the Capitol Theatre stands as Singapore’s last great movie palace. Originally built in 1930 by Persian businessman M.A. Namazie, it debuted as the city’s most luxurious and best-equipped venue for "talkies." From 1946, under the stewardship of the Shaw Brothers, it solidified its reputation as a premier destination, hosting Hollywood legends such as Charlie Chaplin and Ava Gardner.
While many of Singapore’s historic cinemas were eventually demolished or converted into modern cineplexes over the decades, the Capitol Theatre proudly remained a single, grand hall until its closure in 1998. Throughout its history, it served as the definitive backdrop for glamorous premieres, international film festivals, and high-profile events.
In 2015, the theatre was meticulously restored to its 1930s glory and reopened as a versatile venue for live performances, music, and film. It is currently managed by The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore.
INFORMATION ON THE FILMS
Now, Season Two is here to bring more beloved favourites back to the big screen.
AUGUST
Sunday, 23 August 2026 at 17:00
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968. Dir: Stanley Kubrick, 149 mins. (with 10 min. intermission), Colour, 4K DCP (PG)
Starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, Douglas Rain
One of the great masterpieces of cinema, Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey, is a work of extraordinary cinematic vision. It begins in prehistoric times, then leaps forward into the future of 2001, telling of humanity’s capacity for self-destruction. 2001 remains prescient, especially in our era of Artificial Intelligence.
Kubrick wanted to take Science Fiction, a genre often seen as ridiculous, and create an interplanetary spectacle as realistic and believable as possible. Sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke developed the story, about a mysterious monolith that appears on the moon, which has previously visited earth during a critical stage of human evolution. We then follow an expedition to Jupiter through deep space on a covert mission, derailed by the increasingly odd behaviour of HAL, the distinctively voiced AI that controls their spaceship.
In addition to the extraordinary special effects photography, production design and the choreography of the ‘Dawn of Man’ sequence (memorably parodied in Barbie!), Kubrick made iconic use of classical music on the soundtrack, including Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra as a recurring theme, and Johann Strauss’s The Blue Danube to accompany the elegant movement of space flight.
On release in 1968 (eight months before the actual moon-landings), 2001 overwhelmed and fascinated audiences. They were often perplexed by the final section of the film, which Kubrick designed to be an purely visual and sonic journey open to interpretation. It is still utterly mind-blowing 58 years later.
SEPTEMBER
A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS: Tuesday, 1 September at 19:00
FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE: Sunday, 13 September at 17:00
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: Wednesday, 23 September at 19:00
'THE DOLLARS TRILOGY’
This September ‘Classics at Capitol’ travels back to the Old West, via Italy, for a rare screening of the complete ‘Dollars Trilogy’. Directed by the great Italian director Sergio Leone, starring iconic actor Clint Eastwood, and scored by the maestro Ennio Morricone. These films created a new cinematic style. Westerns and the movies would never be the same again.
Presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Singapore.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS
Tuesday, 1 September at 19:30
1964, Dir: Sergio Leone, 96 minutes, Colour, 4K DCP, (PG)
Starring Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch
“Get three coffins ready.”
A mysterious stranger enters a desolate town torn between warring families and plays one side off against the other with deadly consequences. Taking the story from Akira Kurosawa’s Samurai classic Yojimbo, Sergio Leone, infused the most American of genres with a distinctively flamboyant Italian style, creating the ‘Spaghetti Western’.
Clint Eastwood – then a TV actor from Rawhide – plays the laconic anti-hero (later known as ‘The Man With No Name’), who cares only for survival and fortune. This was a shocking contrast with moralistic Western ‘good guys’, and Eastwood’s detached cool set the template for the modern action hero.
Ennio Morricone’s theme – mixing whistling, church bells, a male choir, and surf guitar, along with orchestra, was a humorous counterpoint to the on-screen mayhem, and paved the way for greater themes to come.
Note: All films are in English language without subtitles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE
Sunday, 13 September at 17:00
1965, Dir: Sergio Leone, 130 minutes, Colour, 4K DCP, (PG)
Starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volonté, Klaus Kinski
“This train'll stop at Tucumcari.”
The success of Fistful lead to a sequel, and Leone seized the chance to create a more ambitious film. After the startling opening sequence, we’re plunged into the cruel, corrupt world of the Old West, where loners track down wanted criminals for money. Eastwood’s cynical bounty hunter crosses paths with sharp-shooter Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef – a hawk-faced Western regular) who enmeshes him in a plot to find and kill psychopathic bandit El Indio (Italian actor Gian Maria Volonté as one of the great villains) by infiltrating his murderous gang. The Man With No Name wants the reward money, but Mortimer is driven by revenge.
For A Few Dollars More unfolds on a larger canvas than Fistful, and Leone’s visual signatures – extreme close-ups against vast landscapes and elaborately violent set-pieces, shift to another level. Morricone’s score is – of course – magnificent.
Note: All films are in English language without subtitles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Wednesday, 23 September at 19:00
1966, Dir: Sergio Leone, 181 minutes, Colour, 4K DCP, (PG)
Starring Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
“Such ingratitude, after all the times I've saved your life.”
The third and final ‘Dollars’ film is grander in scale than its predecessor (and any other Spaghetti Western) and arguably Sergio Leone’s finest achievement.
The bounty-hunting and treasure-hunting plot revolves around amoral Blondie (Eastwood – reprising this character for the last time), his fractious partnership with chaotic Mexican bandit Tuco (Eli Wallach), pitted against stone-cold killer Angel Eyes (Van Cleef again – as the villain), in a race to claim a secret stash of confederate gold. The saga unfolds against the backdrop of the American Civil War, allowing Leone to mount large-scale, explosive sequences amidst stunning landscapes, while building toward a nerve-shredding three-way duel at a graveyard.
As the story twists and turns (with plenty of macabre humour), Leone relishes the scope to tell an epic tale of characters driven by greed and evil. By the finale, they have elevated into the realm of myth and archetype.
Morricone concludes the trilogy with some of his greatest music – the main title theme, with its infectious ‘coyote’ cry, is his best-known, and the soaring, elegiac The Ecstasy of Gold is extraordinary.
Note: All films are in English language without subtitles.
Content Warning: While all three films are rated PG in Singapore, they contain frequent violent scenes. Sexual violence is depicted in FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE.
Timeless Film Timeless Stay
Immerse yourself in heritage luxury at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore with our Timeless Film Timeless Stay package. Enjoy a refined escape in the Deluxe Room, paired with 20% off dining privileges across our signature restaurants and bars. Complete the experience with classic films screened at the iconic Capitol Theatre, where history and cinematic magic come alive.
The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
15 Stamford Road
Singapore 178906
T +65 6368 8888
F +65 6384 1929
[email protected]
or to enjoy up to 10% off your next stay.