Century-old treasure awakens: Catlow Theater’s historic revival gains momentum
A sleeping giant in downtown Barrington is gradually emerging from its slumber.
As the Catlow Theater heads toward its 100th birthday in May, the downtown Barrington movie house is about halfway toward reaching its $6 million fundraising goal, said Brian Long, president of the Catlow 1927 Foundation, the nonprofit group spearheading the project.
The foundation is working to restore the theater, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Long and his wife, Julianne, bought the theater in 2022, two years after it closed.
Its latest fundraising effort, a match campaign, was launched last month, with an anonymous donor matching all contributions.
Long, who owns Long & Co. Jewelers and Long Story Short Pub in downtown Barrington, is guiding the project with a businessman’s sensibility.
“It’s not if, it’s when,” he said, emphasizing the project will be run responsibly. “It will be done.”
“We’re not going to sign contracts that we can’t afford,” Long said. “The good news is this. The Catlow Foundation is a foundation, but the person steering the ship is a businessman, and he is running it like a business.”
The village of Barrington’s director of cultural affairs, Brian Coyle, foresees film festivals, as well as music and dance programs, once it opens.
Coyle said the Catlow could fit into what is developing into an arts corridor in Barrington that includes Barrington’s White House, the Parker Players Theater Company and Barrington High School’s new auditorium.
Long expects benefits for local businesses, with moviegoers spending some of their disposable income on food and drink in the village.
Part of raising funds is raising awareness. A VIP gathering at Barrington’s White House and tour of the Catlow aimed at both took place last week. Attendees walked through the theater, admiring its architectural charms.
The foundation’s director of development, Deb Nestrud Gallagher, emphasized the legacy of interior designer Alfonso Iannelli. His notable work includes “Fountain Girl,” a white statue tucked inside an alcove in the foyer unveiled when the theater opened. Iannelli was an artist, sculptor and industrial designer. He also contributed designs to the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.
Gallagher noted restoration efforts have opened the eyes of those who grew up watching movies there. Many are only now discovering the beauty of its murals and sculptures. She mentioned a simple reason for the past neglect.
“Well, the simple answer is all the lights were off,” she said. “We went to see a movie. It was totally dark. And our focus was what was going to be projected on the movie screen or what they had at the candy counter.”
Guests exclaimed with wonder as they entered the building and their eyes danced among the terra cotta floors, the wooden display cases and the ornate light fixtures. Walking into the theater, they discovered the comedy and tragedy masks along the walls and the hand-painted proscenium, previously hidden by the movie screen.
One of the people taking the tour, Barrington resident Tracy O’Brien, grew up in the village and recalled watching movies at the Catlow.
“In my teen years, it was five bucks to get in,” she said. “I’m super excited about it, because I think the town needs something as an anchor and to compete with other towns. But I like that it’s going to remain quaint and historic, and they’re going to take the time to make it what it should be.”
The exterior is going to be completely finished by this fall, but Long said the interior, including the electrical and plumbing, need funding.
The Catlow Foundation has been working with Daprato Rigali Studios, a firm specializing in restoration, renovation and interior design since 1860. The firm’s projects have included Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.
The work includes stripping and restoring the wood door entryway.
The biggest challenge is the historical accuracy said Dan Rigali, the company’s sales and project manager.
“We want to do it exactly how the architect himself would have wanted to do it,” he said. “So we’ve got to be very meticulous with all those details.”