Celebs come to Hollywood — in Naperville
At Hollywood Palms and Hollywood Blvd. Cinemas, it’s often about the celebrity experience. Owner Ted Bulthaup won’t divulge his costs, but he says celebrities produce anywhere from a few thousand dollars to more than $100,000 in autographs sold, travel costs, and shared profits. Here’s a look at some of the stars to appear at the theaters last year:
Ÿ Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” appeared in December for the seventh annual screening of the holiday classic.
Ÿ Five members from the cast of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” reunited for screenings in December: Paris Themmen, who played Mike TeeVee; Peter Ostrum, who played Charlie Bucket; Michael Bollner, who played Augustus Gloop; Denise Nickerson, who played Violet Beauregard; and Julie Dawn Cole, who played Veruca Salt.
Ÿ Daniel Cudmore and Alex Meraz, who played Felix and Paul, respectively, in “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” appeared in November. Four other actors from the series have also visited.
Ÿ Munchkins Margaret Pellegrini, who played Flowerpot, and Karl Slover, who played the Trumpeteer, appeared in November for the 8th annual reunion of “The Wizard of Oz” cast members.
Ÿ A “weekend of stars” event in October brought Penny Marshall, Henry Winkler, Cindy Williams and James Darren to DuPage County for screenings of “A League of Their Own,” “Night Shift,” “American Graffiti,” and “Gidget.”
Ÿ Linda Blair, who played Regan in “The Exorcist,” appeared at a Halloween event in October.
Ÿ Malcolm McDowell, who played Alex in “A Clockwork Orange,” visited in August.
Ÿ Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” appeared in July. He was one of several actors from the series to visit in recent years.
Ÿ Jordana Beatty, who played Judy Moody in “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer,” appeared to promote the film in May.
Ÿ Burt Reynolds visited for screenings of “Deliverance,” “Cannonball Run,” “The Longest Yard,” and “Smokey & the Bandit” in April.
Ÿ Zachary Gordon, who played Greg Heffley, in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” appeared in March.
Ÿ Corey Feldman appeared for screenings of “Goonies,” “Stand by Me,” “Lost Boys,” and “License to Drive,” in January.