Park Ridge Classic Films to continue under Pickwick’s new arrangement with Copernicus Center
Popular series Park Ridge Classic Films is gearing up for its first showings of the season and the last screenings on the Pickwick Theatre’s “megascreen,” according to the series’ organizer, before it comes down in late September.
When the giant screen does come down, it will be part of the process of fitting the Pickwick for both live and screened entertainment under a recently announced operating agreement with the Copernicus Foundation of Chicago’s Northwest Side.
Pickwick co-owners Dave Loomos and Dino Vlahakis first announced they’d close the theater in December 2022, setting off a flurry of local residents’ reminiscence for the theater’s past and speculation regarding its future.
As Vlahakis and Loomos searched for an heir to the theater operation — they have retained their ownership of the building as a whole — the classic film series was a tradition they sought to preserve. It’s continued to show vintage films at the theater throughout the up and down of finding a new occupant for the theater
Series coordinator Matthew Hoffman said after months of uncertainty regarding the theater’s future, he’s relieved that the series will be able to continue in the Pickwick’s iconic Theater One, also called the main theater. The series has run since 2009, taking a year off in 2020 due to the pandemic.
According to an email from Hoffman to moviegoers, the first show of the year will be Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982), set for Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The second film planned is Fred Zinnemann’s “High Noon” (1952), featuring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, set for Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
“We wanted to show a film that would really take full advantage of the megascreen,” Hoffman said of his picks to start the season.
Vlahakis earlier said that the theater has its original screen behind the megascreen.
Hoffman said he is planning an October showing as well but wants to hold off on announcing a picture and a date until he has more information on changes to Theater One.
Hoffman said he hasn’t yet spoken with the staff of the Copernicus Center about the logistics of continuing Park Ridge Classic Films, but said it was his understanding that the series would continue to show pictures every month in Theater One.
Longtime General Manager Kathryn Tobias will run and program the smaller four theaters in the back of the Pickwick.
