Here is an interesting exerpt from William Goldman who grew up in Highland Park. He is one of the great screenwriters and wrote the screenplays for movies like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, “Marathon Man”, “The Princess Bride” and alot more novels. I found it interesting how after his entire career…he talks about this movie theater.
This is from his book “Adventures in the Screen Trade”:
“Because of my Hollywood work, I have seen films on three continents and in at least twice that many foreign countries.
But for me, still, always, it is the Alcyon….
Certainly not a great movie theatre. Probably not even a very good one. But the Alcyon stands alone in memory because it stood alone on Central, even then an aging monopoly; if you wanted to go to the movies in Highland Park, Illinois, in the 1930’s, it was the Alcyonâ€"or it was no movie at all.
And the thought of no movie at all was just too painful.
Even when I was six and seven and eight, I was hooked. I suppose I still am, but the stuff I see today often vanishes, while the Alcyon remains."
I pretty much feel the same way about this movie theater…almost…well kinda like a church. The next time I ever make it back to Chicago…I’ll have to see how the 4 screens turned out. I bet it sucks.
I was an usher at the Highland Park Theater in 1975 and 1976. I have fond memories of this place. Back then it was still just one screen but you could feel the history of the place even back then. In back of the screen was like an old playhouse with old dressing rooms and wardrobes still there…kinda spooky but cool. They must have also put on stage plays there a long time ago. Changing the lights in the ceiling of the theater was an adventure. You had to climb an old ladder behund the screen and make sure U didnt fall thru the ceiling while changing the lights. Even in the 70’s the old balcony was closed by the fire dept. but it was great for an usher to take his dates up there…we had the whole balcony to ourselves! I used to superglue a quarter on the sidewalk in front just to watch people trying to pick it up. Hey ushering can be boring during the movie! I still think of that place for some reason….even after 30 years. Kinda sad its 4 screens now. But such is economics, I still vividly remember every nook and cranny of that place.
Here is an interesting exerpt from William Goldman who grew up in Highland Park. He is one of the great screenwriters and wrote the screenplays for movies like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, “Marathon Man”, “The Princess Bride” and alot more novels. I found it interesting how after his entire career…he talks about this movie theater.
This is from his book “Adventures in the Screen Trade”:
“Because of my Hollywood work, I have seen films on three continents and in at least twice that many foreign countries.
But for me, still, always, it is the Alcyon….
Certainly not a great movie theatre. Probably not even a very good one. But the Alcyon stands alone in memory because it stood alone on Central, even then an aging monopoly; if you wanted to go to the movies in Highland Park, Illinois, in the 1930’s, it was the Alcyonâ€"or it was no movie at all.
And the thought of no movie at all was just too painful.
Even when I was six and seven and eight, I was hooked. I suppose I still am, but the stuff I see today often vanishes, while the Alcyon remains."
I pretty much feel the same way about this movie theater…almost…well kinda like a church. The next time I ever make it back to Chicago…I’ll have to see how the 4 screens turned out. I bet it sucks.
I was an usher at the Highland Park Theater in 1975 and 1976. I have fond memories of this place. Back then it was still just one screen but you could feel the history of the place even back then. In back of the screen was like an old playhouse with old dressing rooms and wardrobes still there…kinda spooky but cool. They must have also put on stage plays there a long time ago. Changing the lights in the ceiling of the theater was an adventure. You had to climb an old ladder behund the screen and make sure U didnt fall thru the ceiling while changing the lights. Even in the 70’s the old balcony was closed by the fire dept. but it was great for an usher to take his dates up there…we had the whole balcony to ourselves! I used to superglue a quarter on the sidewalk in front just to watch people trying to pick it up. Hey ushering can be boring during the movie! I still think of that place for some reason….even after 30 years. Kinda sad its 4 screens now. But such is economics, I still vividly remember every nook and cranny of that place.