Remembering Movie Palace Magic

It’s been said they don’t build ‘em like they used to, and that’s most certainly the case with movie theaters. Instead of glorious edifices that truly showcase the best of the widescreen films, today we’ve got bland multiplexes for the masses. Landmarks Illinois wants to share what it was like back in the day when designing movie theaters was a calling, even a specialty. Sculptor/architect/designer Alfonso Iannelli (1888-1965), a Frank Lloyd Wright associate, is one of those people. He was famed for his movie theater ornamentation at cinemas such as the Pickwick in Park Ridge, Ill. and the Catlow in Barrington, Ill. He is also known for designing posters for vaudeville acts at the Orpheum in Los Angeles, and he collaborated with Wright on Midway Gardens and designed several pavilions at the 1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair in Chicago. Builder Sam Guard, who worked as a student in the 1950s at Iannelli’s Park Ridge workshop, will discuss the artist’s works on Thursday afternoon in Chicago. For more information, click here.

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