Catlow Art Center
116 W. Main Street,
Barrington,
IL
60010
116 W. Main Street,
Barrington,
IL
60010
16 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 27 comments
Still closed since 2020. Projected reopening before May 2026 for it’s 100th anniversary.
https://wgntv.com/news/northwest-suburbs/efforts-underway-to-restore-reopen-historic-catlow-theatre-in-barrington/?fbclid=IwAR3ZUr0t6uMvvcQ-LzVO91YLDKHcE0vtoG_qKbH9ailCSx1zoaTHECV7bFU
11/12/2022 article about the new owners as of 10/20/2022, Brian & Julianne Long.
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20221112/bring-it-back-to-the-original-barrington-family-plans-to-wake-the-catlow-from-hibernation?fbclid=IwAR39dnlc8IlOa4okEtIwxRU0_TEJCNiB-bS_BExo3qWXDCx2VcxQIPjvsWI
The Catlow Theatre reopens Friday, January 10 though efforts continue to seek financial assistance to keep afloat. “Little Women” will be screened at at 5:10 and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. “Future movies here will be a week-to-week thing until we get back on our feet, so, of course, we will need heavy, heavy, heavy support during this feature’s run to keep things moving along at the Catlow,” said manager Tim O'Connor to patrons today, adding “We still need your help to get us to the next level — a live stage venue,”
The Catlow Theatre closed because owner Tim O'Connor didn’t have the cash to pay bills. He sent an email over the weekend to say “Unless we meet our crowd fundraiser goal, we may not be able to book any movies until we come up with enough money to pay more bills.” The Catlow was to open for special events such as scheduled screenings of Oscar-nominated short films on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9. (Tickets for those are available through the village government: www.barrington-il.gov/oscars ) The Catlow nearly closed over unpaid taxes last October but struggled through. Still, Catlow Theater LP filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. District Court in Chicago that month with the majority of its creditors listed being film studios. O'Connor says the Catlow is in disrepair and cited a lack of interest in its offerings there. In 2012, supporters raised $175,395 online to buy a digital projector. Crowdfunding paid for some repairs to the heating system and marquee. The latest online fundraising drive seeks $30,000. As of last week, almost $15,000 had been raised.
Closed until further notice.
Article below that references website and fundraiser that began in October.
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200104/barringtons-historic-catlow-theater-has-closed?fbclid=IwAR2RrbdRNFw6l0ff-r0nIixtq0ECkP7guCJU6WOFf6uRBjBprOesZIsExCY
A brief article about the Catlow Theatre appears on this page of Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World of April 14, 1928. Two photos of the auditorium can be seen on this page.
The Catlow Theater is threatened with extinction with Hollywood’s move to digital films. The cost of new equipment to show digital films runs around $100K. No problem for the huge multiplex chain theaters-but for a small single-screen cinema like The Catlow, this can easily put our beloved cinema out of business.
Tim and his fiance, Roberta, have launched a fundraising campaign to get the money for the new equipment and keep The Catlow alive and kicking. Go to the website below to contribute. In just one day 179 supporters have already pledged more than $16K for the new equipment. Barrington residents, those of us who grew up in Barrington, and cinema lovers from around the world are rising up to save this icon from extinction.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/468036259/rescue-the-historic-catlow-theater-from-extinction
PS to Tim: You and Roberta are doing a FANTASTIC job! Thank you!
Good luck Tim,some people think money justs falls out of the sky.Nice looking vertical and marquee.
“They should renovate this place its sort of a dump”
Ouch!
Yeah, we would love to, but with what money? We’re doing the best we can considering the times. There’s a lot more competition (with all the latest equipment) out there these days. Being an old-time single screen theater isn’t easy, but we’re still plugging along on our own. And most of our loyal patrons seem to enjoy coming here.
-Tim
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y63kp3t
Here is a December 1968 ad from the Daily Herald:
http://tinyurl.com/oawryq
Wow, I had no idea this place existed.
Thanks to CT & everyone whose posted pictures.
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dlewtu
I serviced the Catlow projection and sound system in the 80’s and 90’s. I still remember Jim the relief projectionist and also the old gentleman who was the original full time projectionist there. He retired in the late 80’s and Jim retired sometime in the mid 90’s. I also remember him telling me about how he installed the very fisrt television antenna in Barrington.
The Catlow sound system was upgraded in the mid 90’s to include JBL 4675 stage speakers and JBL 8330 Surrounds. These speakers replaced the original RCA magnetic sound system speakers. In the booth we installed a Dolby CP-65 processor and new BGW power amps. This gear replaced an again EPRAD Starscope system.
Also in the late 90’s the Catlow underwent major structurial modifications. The main roof is supported by large wooden beams and some of these beams began to pull apart and or crack. This very extensive structural modification was done to guarantee the Catlow would not collapse and that it would be around for many years to come.
I do miss Baloneys alot… Roberta was constantly making the sandwiches bigger and bigger… Tim would raise the prices to accomodate the extra use of stuff going into them and then Roberta would make them larger yet…. It got to the point that if you could eat half the sandwich for lunch you were doing pretty good. The other half would be consumed for dinner.
We have no good deli’s out here in SLC… Hey Tim and Roberta… want to expand the sandwich shop?
m2violin: I don’t know when it was removed but it can’t be much later than 1968 (I would have thought earlier). I think it was removed by a Larry Coleman and someone else. They tried to install it in a church. Terry Kleven found it in a house’s basement and sold
it to me in maybe 1970. I only got the console; I don’t know what happened to the rest of the stuff. Someone told me the 16' diaphone was left behind in the theatre and was disposed of sometime later by persons unknown. You can reach Terry at 612-331-2444. I know he knows more than I do.
To Gary Rickert,
I vaguely remember the organ (my family moved to Barrington in 1968). I can’t remember ever hearing it played, though. Do you know when the organ was removed?
I’d definitely be interested in knowing what became of the organ’s components.
Here is a 7/20/61 ad from the Arlington Herald:
http://tinyurl.com/2uc94d
I have the original 3 manual console from the Kimball pipe organ form the Catlow connected to the organ in my home. I believe the remainder of the organ was scatered to the winds. Anyone want more info.?
Gary Rickert
To Michael LeVan – the Patio always was always (and still is) the Patio (closed) – the Avalon was and still is the Avalon (closed).
From what I’ve read in the DAILY HERALD, periodically there seems to be news that this theatre will close. Yet it always appears to bounce back.
Here is a photo of a replica of the Catlow’s auditorium from the fourth of July. It was truly a spectacular replica.
Hey everybody
I am a Michael LeVan. I have lived in the city of Chicago my entire life. I am a filmmaker and a attendee of Columbia College, heading into my final year. I love all the old movie palaces of Chicago. It has been my intent for sometime to Make a documentary on the history, and the ongoings of these historic theaters in the present. The means to make this documentary are finally in my grasp. I planned on featuring 3 theaters, the Copernicus Center(formally The Gateway), The Patio(Formally The Avalon), and The Uptown. While the Documentary will focus on the entire history, These are the three that will be visual examples, and the ones i would like to film in. I have spoken with the People at The Gateway Theater, and they are estatic that i am doing this. The only problem now is The Uptown and the The Patio. These two theaters seem to have ghosts of owners , or even managers. If somebody could help me in finding someone to talk too, i would be very appriciative. Also, this documentary will require interviews, and finding old information as well. If anybody would be kind enough to do either that would be fantastic. My somewhat set date to start filming is June 10 ,2006. My goal with the entire project is to help and benifit these theaters. Help alot more people to gain interest, and all the profit that i attain, if any, will be donated to help with these theaters. I am going to submit it to Wttw(Pbs Chicago) , and also the History Channel. So if anyone would like to help in anyway, they can contact me at my email.
or by phone (773)-656-5821
Well i appriciate if you read that entire thing, and hopefully i will be hearing from you
Michael Levan of Bleeding Chicago Productions
Ah, you brought back so many happy memories from my youth! How well I remember all the movies I saw first-run at the Catlow in the 1960’s & 1970’s.
The Catlow was truly a theatre for the community. I remember the children’s matinees during what were called “Teacher Institute Days” when kids were out of school. Also how Ed Skehan (did I get the name right?) used to add his own hand-lettered notes to the posters to provide guidance to parents above/beyond the movie ratings system (which was very new back in the 1960’s-1970’s). Does anyone remember the mini-controversy over the screening of “Midnight Cowboy,” the first X-rated film shown in Barrington? I don’t think it would even be rated “R” today.
The Catlow Theatre is an incredible, one-of-a-kind theatre. No shoebox theatre in those 60-screen multiplex monstrosities can come close to the experience you get taking in a show at the Catlow. I notice that people even interact differently in the Catlow than in other theatres — there’s something about the Catlow that encourages a sense of community. Maybe it’s just the English village design.
I hope the Catlow is around for many years to come. I have faith that it will be — the people of Barrington have been smart enough to preserve the beauty and unique small-town atmosphere of our lovely town, and I have faith my fellow Barringtonians will continue to cherish the Catlow for generations to come.
I saw “Kagemusha” at the Catlow in 1980 or 1981. One of my favorite cinematic memories. I sincerely hope that this one-of-a-kind theater can be saved.
First one in Tudor Revival style that I’ve seen…very interesting.