View of the spacious auditorium from the projection booth…
This past Tuesday morning (10/8/13) WGN-TV came out to visit the Pickwick Theatre– home of the new classic film series. This was part of the “Around Town” feature seen on the WGN Morning News. Entertainment reporter Dean Richards did several live segments throughout the morning that highlighted aspects of the historic theatre.
Theatre co-owner Dave Loomos took Dean backstage and showed him the fly system of ropes and pulleys that were so important in the days of live theatre when curtains and backdrops had to be raised and lowered. There was also the light board which reminded Dean of something out of Flash Gordon. Dave demonstrated the various dimmers and lights, which were all controlled by old levers.
Organist Jay Warren was on hand as our guest to demonstrate the theatre’s mighty Wurlitzer organ. “There’s No Business Like Show Business” served as background music for “Dean’s Buzz” on Casey Kasem, Hangover 3, and Will Ferrell Dodge Durango commercials.
Though it was Dean who was seen rising from the orchestra pit banging on the organ keys, it was Jay Warren of the Silent Film Society of Chicago who was the real star! For more on Jay Warren, check out his new website! Click here!
As the classic film series programmer, I was interviewed in the projection booth between the old and new– the old being the 35mm projector and the new the digital projection system. Movies now are simply downloaded onto a computer. The modern projectionist has become essentially an I.T. guy. I’m old-school, so I’m glad we had several 35mm film artifacts to show television audiences, including film strips, film reels, and the projector itself. If I didn’t have time to talk about film history, we’d at least show it.
Afterward, back in the main auditorium, director Robert Rodriguez and his star, the lovely Alexa Vega, arrived to discuss their upcoming film Machete Kills. This was a routine appearance for them on their press junket–not exactly an exclusive interview by Dean. Ironically, they were discussing a movie that most likely will not be shown at the Pickwick Theatre.
But the 89-year old The Thief of Bagdad will be shown on Nov. 20.
A closer look at the original 1928 fire curtain!
It was The Thief of Bagdad whose shadows played across the screen during the interview with the Machete Kills guests. For WGN, it was “silent movie” backdrop, but for us, what towered above the guests was at the forefront of what we are trying to bring back in the suburbs.
Machete Kills, Anchorman 2 and Gravity— all films plugged by others throughout the morning news broadcast– are not part of my repertoire or anything I would devote time to, but I hope I said enough (in less than a minute) to get viewers to check out an alternative: the Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series. We’re not interested in the celebrity culture– only the enduring heritage of our movie past.