Pickwick Theater
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Pickwick Theater Building
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Pickwick Theatre
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| Location | 5 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, Illinois |
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| Coordinates | 42°0′38″N 87°49′45″W / 42.01056°N 87.82917°WCoordinates: 42°0′38″N 87°49′45″W / 42.01056°N 87.82917°W |
| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1928 |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference # | 75000657 |
| Added to NRHP | February 24, 1975 |
The Pickwick Theatre is an art deco movie palace located in Park Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
Designed by Roscoe Harold Zook, William F. McCaughey, and Alfonso Iannelli, the Pickwick opened in 1928 as a vaudeville stage and movie theatre. It is widely recognized for its marquee and 100-foot tower, which appeared in the opening credits of Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. The main auditorium, built to resemble an Aztec or Mayan temple, originally seated up to 1,400 people. Seating capacity in the main auditorium was reduced by 200 seats in 1968 and an additional 400 seats in 2012 as the result of renovations. The 2012 renovation project, valued at $1.2 million, also included a new roof, mechanical improvements and exterior renovations including those to the original marquee.
The theater was named in 1928 by, then Park Ridge Mayor, William H. Malone I for the title character Samuel Pickwick in Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers.
The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and continues to host films as well as live stage shows. In 1990, theatre management expanded the Pickwick by adding three new screens behind the original auditorium. In 2017, owner Dino Vlahakis added a 39-seat theatre located on the second floor of the rear building, in place of the theatre's offices. New movies arrive every Friday. The newest movie is usually played in the original, main theatre for the first week and then is rotated throughout the three back theatres for the following weeks at the theatre.
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