Pickwick Theatre
5 S. Prospect Avenue,
Park Ridge,
IL
60068
5 S. Prospect Avenue,
Park Ridge,
IL
60068
29 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 76 comments found
Nope
Is that a blimp mooring on top of the building? It sure looks like one.
This article talks about the renovation of the Pickwick nearing completion.
Just simply hit the photos tab in the header at the top of this page and you can see all the photos for the Pickwick
The photos tab – http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/302/photos/52019
To: BROAN, where do I find the photo of the seats?
Added a picture of the original seats. Yes I believe they were replaced in 1948.
Here is a 1949 picture featuring the original teaser curtain.
BROAN; Tell me more about the original seats. When were they replaced? Was it the 1948 reference? Where can I find more information and pictures? This was my childhood theater…
From the 7/24 Park Ridge Herald-Advocate, more on the restoration of the Pickwick, including the search for the original color scheme of the marquee.
Thanks for adding that photo of the marquee in the primer coat Brian. You’re right, so much more detail is visible in darker color. I have seen the Pickwick marquee so many times up close, and even standing nearby, whitewashed it doesn’t have the dramatic appearance like this, especially those faces.
Added a photo of the detail in primer coat. The detail is much, much more legible now, but again it should be the correct colors. The primer coat illustrates well that this is meant to be a darker color, not white.
I uploaded a few early photographs. You can clearly see at least three shades of gray, and no white whatsoever (comparing to the white of the changeable letters.) So if there’s white, it can’t be the original scheme. It would have been simple to do some sampling and map the colors using these B&W photos, but that opportunity is now gone.
On the exterior, Iannelli did the marquee (just look at the faces) and the art glass window, and likely worked closely with Zook & McCaughey throughout the process. Not sure if he did the starburst fan additions to the marquee.
The article does mention returning the marquee “as close as we can” to the original colors of black, white and some red. Was Ianelli responsible for the exterior decor as well? I didn’t know that. I always thought he just did the interior design.
This article talks about the current restoration of the Pickwick, to be completed by September, and includes a photo of the marquee, which has been stripped of several layers of paint.
Grand opening ad posted in the photo section for this theatre.
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.
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.
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.
A 1930 photo of the Pickwick auditorium can be seen here.
An unexecuted lobby scheme
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/
The marquee needs a little renovation
Very,Very, Nice.
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2010 photos of the Pickwick Theatre.
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Close up of the marquee detail.
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