The Capitol Theatre marquee has been part of the Maryville streetscape since 1934. Its art deco, streamline style is the inspiration behind the Capitol logo. The original paint color was green, with white trim. Today it is painted black, white, and red. The current version has been completely redesigned with all LED lighting. Clever electrical engineering of relays and timers, and rather traditional mechanical parts allow it to blink and flash. If you stand beneath the marquee and listen carefully, you can hear a relay spinner clicking, which causes the "burst" on the logo to flash in time. The black dimensional letters are individually channel hung with a long pole. This skill takes considerable practice and a few cracked letters from hitting the sidewalk, or your head, to master!

In the 1930s and 40s, banners were often hung from the Capitol Theatre to announce premiers. In an old Maryville photo, the epic movie, Gone With the Wind, is announced with a huge banner flying above the Capitol marquee. This photo was taken by a young teenager, the late Elmer Mize, from the second story window in a building across the street. Elmer would one day be the Maryville historian. The banner reads, "Nothing cut but the price!," a promotion of the uncensored movie version where the first curse word used in a major release in modern American cinema history is delivered by actor Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) to Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) : "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

Maybe the marquee will trumpet your name in lights next!