Naperville theater owner as colorful as the characters he brings in

Hollywood Palms owner Edwin C. "Ted" Bulthaup has brought an array of celebrity characters to his Naperville theater. He's a bit of a colorful character in his own right.

Bulthaup, 57, of Woodridge, has owned the theater in Naperville since 2009, arranging for personal appearances of such actors as Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu in "It's A Wonderful Life,") Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite" and Robert Englund - Freddy Krueger in "A Nightmare on Elm Street." He also owned Hollywood Blvd theater in Woodridge from 2003 until earlier this year and previously worked as a concert promoter and as a theater operator in Indianapolis.

Bulthaup's theaters also were known for their decorations, ambience and full drink and dinner service. Hollywood Palms has what Bulthaup has called a "tribal" feel, including a four-story atrium decorated with live palm trees, coffee plants and bamboo. Aiming to recreate a 1920s "movie palace," Bulthaup said he used his carpentry skills to build Hollywood Palms' box office with support masts from Indonesia and tribal columns from Afghanistan and to create a three-story waterfall.

While he's been busy creating a theater experience, Bulthaup also has been through legal proceedings before. Court documents show he's been sued four times, but he's also been on the offensive end of at least one well-publicized case.

In 2011, Bulthaup sued porn star Jenna Jameson for failing to show up at appearances scheduled for March 2011 at the Naperville and Woodridge theaters.

Jameson failed to mount a defense, and was ordered in 2012 to pay Bulthap $92,000. She originally hired a lawyer, but the lawyer withdrew after Bulthaup sued him for defamation, citing comments he made to the Daily Herald alleging an "extortion" attempt.

Before closing his Indianapolis theater in 2006 on its 15th anniversary, Bulthaup tangled with Indianapolis officials about downtown parking rates. He took out a full-page ad in the Indianapolis Star blaming the theater's demise on two public officials, then he moved all operations to Illinois.

He spoke out last month about the Route 59 widening project that has torn up the highway in front Hollywood Palms since August 2013.

"They just don't get how badly they can disrupt business," Bulthaup told the Daily Herald. He said the construction caused a 20 percent drop in his business and closing of some nearby shops and restaurants.