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Chicago filmgoers who appreciate the unique mix of independent films and classic reissues shown at the Music Box Theatre can breathe a sigh of relief.
While ownership of the Theatre, which was built in 1929, changes hands, its programming and vintage appeal will remain largely the same, says new owner William G. Schopf.
Schopf, who has owned the Music Box building since 1986, plans to retain the Theatre's staff, including programmer Brian Andreotti. Further, while the building undergoes a $50,000 facelift, there are no plans to alter the 750-seat theater.
"The building had gotten a little tired over the years so we invested in some masonry work," said Schopf, who also runs a business litigation practice. "But I've resisted cutting the theater into more screens."
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[1] 1929: Opened as a more intimate alternative to the downtown Movie Palaces that dominated the day. First film was "Mother's Boy", starring Morton Downey Sr.
[2] 1930-1950s: Served mainly as a third-run theater as studio-owned theaters downtown controlled film distribution. This was not to change even after the breakup of the studio monopolies.
[3] 1960s-1970s: Opened and closed sporadically. Served as an alternative theater for Spanish and Arabic-language films as well as for pornography.
[4] 1983: Reopened after 4-month restoration period. New owners Chris Carlo and Robert Chaney would go on to run the theater for 20 years.
[5] 1991: Opened up second theater to serve the renewed appetite in independent films.
[6] 1993: Established current format of Specialty Films.
[7] 1999: Landmark Theatres returns to Chicago, competition cuts into box office.
[8] 2003: Sold to building owner William G. Schopf.
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Schopf added that he is "hoping to find the financial reserves" to compete for films more effectively with Piper's Alley and Landmark's Century Centre Cinema. Landmark Theatres, which owns more than 20 theaters nationwide, was recently acquired by an investment group led by Mark Cuban, a multimillionaire who founded and sold Broadcast.com for billions during the Internet boom. Piper's Alley is owned by Loew's Corporation.
Landmark's arrival to Chicago had an immediate impact on the turnstiles at the Music Box, as its attendance dropped approximately 20 percent (according to a recent article in Crain's Chicago Business). While Andreotti acknowledges that he "had to adapt to [Landmark's] presence" when competing for films, he said there are more than enough Chi-Town cinefiles to keep everyone happy.
"There are enough patrons of art and alternative film in Chicago so there's certainly room for all of us," he said. "Distributors also realize that we have certain strengths that Landmark does not."
The Music Box was the first choice of local distributor David Sikich for his film Lana's Rain. Sikich, who spent 10 years running the Chicago office for Orion Pictures and who also independently marketed Hoop Dreams, says smaller films have a better chance of succeeding at the Music Box because of its strict programming calendar.
Unlike Landmark and Piper's Alley, which can shorten a film's run if it fails to draw at the box office, the Music Box plans and promotes its calendar months in advance.
"I can plan around it and focus all of my marketing efforts on getting people into the theater at that time," Sikich said. "I couldn't get that commitment anywhere else. If there were a Music Box in every city, that would be very healthy."
Lana's Rain will begin its limited engagement on February 27.
While Andreotti hopes to be able to "take more chances and offer edgier programming," he said the Theatre will continue to heavily feature reissues of classic films. Reissued films are not often pursued by the chains and Andreotti says his primary competition for reissues is the DVD market.
"DVD releases are biting at our feet a little bit," he said. "But the good news is that studios are striking new prints. We can then show the reconditioned films."
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Written by Brad Spirrison
001: Music Box Theater
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