Movies returning to Des Plaines Theatre for $1-a-ticket series
Like Rocky Balboa to the boxing ring and Shoeless Joe Jackson to the batter’s box, movies will return to the city-owned Des Plaines Theatre this month.
City officials are teaming with venue operator Ron Onesti for a series of classic family films, beginning with “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” on May 19. Director Steven Spielberg’s award-winning 1982 blockbuster will roll at 7 p.m. at the theater, 1476 Miner St.
Tickets will cost only $1.
“The city is excited to partner with the theater operator to bring residents a fun and affordable entertainment option this summer,” city spokesperson Brad Goodman said Thursday.
More films will be shown on Tuesday nights through the summer and fall, Goodman said. The schedule hasn’t been finalized.
A home for concerts and other live events since a $6 million renovation concluded in 2021, the Des Plaines Theatre’s relationship with the motion picture business is a long one.
Upon opening in 1925, it hosted vaudeville acts and movies. The first movie that reportedly played at the theater was a silent picture called “Are Parents People?”
The theater’s focus shifted almost entirely to films when vaudeville began its long decline in the 1930s. A second projection screen was even added.
The theater specialized in films from India for many years until it was shuttered by the city for safety violations in 2014. The city bought the building in 2018 and subsequently renovated it.
When the theater turned 100 last year, “Are Parents People?” was shown again, with tickets going for a mere 25 cents. The upcoming series is another way to celebrate that centennial, Onesti said.
Onesti said he frequently meets Des Plaines Theatre customers who recall seeing movies there for under a buck years ago.
The film series could be expanded to include other classic films or even a film festival, Onesti said.
Because federal copyright law gives movie owners the exclusive right to control public screenings, a venue must purchase screening rights from a licensing agency to show a film to a large audience that consists of more than relatives or friends. The city council on Monday authorized a $10,000 outlay for that purpose.