The Pickwick Theater closes its doors

pickwick

The Pickwick Theatre closed its doors Thursday night after the final movie Gone With the Wind was shown to a packed house.

The exquisite art-deco movie palace chose that film for sentimental reasons. The 1939 classic was the first film theater owner Dino Vlahakis screened when he took over the theater 41 years ago.

The Pickwick has been in operation since 1928 in the northwest suburb of Park Ridge. It was most recently in the spotlight when the Chicago Fire film crews used the location to film a scene, turning the theater into what appeared to be a towering inferno, causing some locals to believe that the glorious theater truly was ablaze.

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Shortly after the filming, the theater was back in the news when Vlahakis shocked the locals by announcing that his family would be closing the theater with the hope that someone would take over afterward.

It appears likely that the theater will not be closed for long. Within days, Vlahakis was approached by movie theater operators and at least one live theater group interested in taking over the space. Vlahakis had said he’s looking for a tenant rather than someone to buy the building.

No formal announcement has been made yet, but plans are being finalized with a prospective tenant to take over the property. Reportedly the space will reopen soon with a mix of movies and live entertainment.

 


 

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