Daily Herald opinion: New owner aims to preserve Catlow Theatre’s past while protecting its future

Barrington’s Catlow Theatre fell on tough times in recent years. With the longtime owner battling financial hardships even before the pandemic hit, the historic venue hardly seemed headed for a happy Hollywood ending.

Owner Tim O’Connor decided to sell, saying in 2022 that the challenges facing the Catlow needed someone with the energy and resources to turn the theater around. He stressed from the start that he wanted a buyer who would safeguard the local landmark’s legacy.

And he seems to have found that in Brian Long, who bought the theater more than a year ago and has embarked on a fundraising campaign and renovation that is bringing new life to the 97-year-old Catlow while honoring its rich history.

Asked by Daily Herald reporter Dave Oberhelman why he was undertaking such a challenge, the owner of Barrington’s Long & Co. Jewelers had the perfect reply: “I did it because it’s the architectural gem of Barrington,” he said of the Catlow. “It needs to stay that way.”

On Thursday, Long joined with Dylan Nelson to launch the Catlow 1927 Foundation, which seeks donors to support the building’s restoration to its early majesty and reopen it for movies, live performances and private events.

Wright Catlow began building the current theater in 1926. Italian American sculptor and designer Alfonso Iannelli created an interior design that included painted crests of arms, stenciled wooden beams and carved buttresses in the auditorium.

With roots in Vaudeville, the Catlow evolved into a special place to catch a movie, but it had its limitations for modern moviegoers used to sleek lobbies and comfy reclining seats. The challenges included worn decor, cramped bathrooms and ancient wiring.

Long’s worthy mission is to rectify those problems while still preserving what made the Catlow unique. He will do so in part by displaying numerous artifacts — including autographed movie-star photos, vintage posters and documents from the original owner.

Paying tribute to the theater’s history is vitally important, but so is adapting it to succeed in a far-different entertainment landscape.

That means a lounge area, bar and new, accessible bathrooms. To make the theater more sustainable, the movie screen will be retractable, spotlighting the stage for performances but still allowing for film showings and other uses.

And the foundation aims to raise enough money to protect the theater for years to come.

“There’s a feeling you get when you walk in there that I don’t get anywhere else in this world,” Nelson said, " … and just the idea of future generations being able to experience that, that’s huge for me.”

It’s huge for everyone who counts themselves fans of this iconic theater, as we do.

Long plans to reopen on or before the Catlow’s 100th birthday in May 2027. It would be a fitting way to celebrate the venue’s storied past while ensuring its future.