Pickwick Theatre
5 S. Prospect Avenue,
Park Ridge,
IL
60068
5 S. Prospect Avenue,
Park Ridge,
IL
60068
28 people
favorited this theater
Designed by the firm of Zook & McCaughey, the Pickwick Theater began life in 1928, as a vaudeville and movie house.
In 1975, the theater was named to the National Register of Historic Places, insuring its preservation as a cinema treasure. But it did not reach true acclaim until the theater’s facade was used as the backdrop for the opening sequence of Siskel and Ebert’s “At the Movies” in the 1980s.
In 1990, three smaller screens were added to the rear of the Pickwick, enhancing the theater’s commercial prospects without endangering the theater’s original auditorium.
In 2007, the Pickwick was also the home to the Bog Theatre company, which presents live theatrical productions. The Bog was formerly housed in the Masonic Temple building in downtown Des Plaines. However, by the end of 2007, the Bog Theatre company departed from the building. The Pickwick also hosts other ocassional live entertainment and special events.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 61 comments)
2010 photos of the Pickwick Theatre.
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Close up of the marquee detail.
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Very,Very, Nice.
The marquee needs a little renovation
The Pickwick is set for renovations:
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I really hope the owner tries to do this with historic accuracy. Iannelli’s work was such a total architecture, and the finishes were a crucial part of the whole. The harmony was a huge part of the power.
I’ve added a number of historic photos to http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/ctid302/
An unexecuted lobby scheme
A 1930 photo of the Pickwick auditorium can be seen here.
Absolutly gorgeous theatre. I do hope that when the owner states that the new screen will be “huge” that he isn’t planning to install it in front of the procienium. But still a treasure to be loved and protected.
I went here last night with my wife to see “The Descendants” in the main theater.
While it is a treasure, the place needs some work. Some of the tiles on the stairway leading to the men’s room are loose. I’d like to see the old water fountains restored too. And the men’s room needs some work.
The Pickwick is about 1/3 of the way through replacing the seats in the main auditorium with high-back, vinyl, rocker chairs. It’s… different.