When a theatre averages over 600 patrons a show, you know it’s doing well. Never mind the Chicago area; that’s one of the largest attendance totals in the country (for a classic film program). However, we arrived at that season average by riding on the coattails of all the gigantic shows we opened with: Rear Window (701), Young Frankenstein (803), The Wizard of Oz (930), Home Alone (683), White Christmas (847), and The Godfather (701) in January 2018. The rest of the season was around the 450 mark (which is still outstanding considering we’re showing these films in the middle of the week– and we have no sponsors). What we’d like to do next year is bolster that second half of the program.
Unfortunately, silent movies will not be on the agenda for the 2018-2019 program. There was little support from the community for our screening of Wings in April. Granted, it was shown on a Wednesday night, but we expected to see more silent film enthusiasts there for this Best Picture winner, particularly those who have been asking repeatedly for silent movies at the Pickwick Theatre. Additionally, genre films will be selected with greater discretion. For instance, in Season 4, we had played a martial arts movie– one of the best (Enter the Dragon), which tanked, especially with seniors. This past season, we presented a landmark science fiction film for our season finale (Planet of the Apes) which only drew 261. Although we do intend on showing other important science fiction films in future programs, the plan to offer Conquest of the Planet of the Apes has certainly evolved!
Nor did we fill the theatre with Some Like It Hot (387) for our Valentine’s Day Eve show, which was a surprise considering it’s ranked as one of the greatest comedies ever made and stars one of the most popular screen icons, Marilyn Monroe. But unlike Frank Sinatra or Kirk Douglas– two actors we showcased with centennial events– we’re not giving up on Marilyn’s ability to fill the Pickwick! Some other titles that are “on the wheel” for upcoming seasons include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Niagara.
As we look forward now, we will open the new season in October 2018. Although we plan on taking advantage of the new IMAX-sized screen that should then be in place, we’d like to stress that our first film in the series will not be a widescreen presentation. Opening Night 2018 was conceived with the old screen in mind. We will be presenting a film pre-1950s , which of course will have a different aspect ratio than a widescreen film. How this will look on one of the largest screens in Illinois we shall find out together.
We again thank everyone who came out this year, even if it was just for one show. During the off-season, we encourage you to tell your friends about the Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series. The new season will be an exciting time for us with a revamped theatre and special guests, great films and audience requests in a spectacular venue. And on a personal note, I look forward to presenting more classics to the community. In Season 5, I played my favorite movie of all-time. In Season 6, we’ll open with my second-favorite. And next April, I’ll present a film that represents something more important to me than the movies themselves. What we see on the screen can inspire and reward. Our goal has always been to make sure classic entertainment and culture will survive in a computer games world.
~MCH
Presenting King Kong in March 2018– one of the last times on the old stage.
