Catlow Theater

Catlow Theater is a historic single-screen cinema in downtown Barrington, Illinois. It was commissioned in May 1927 by Wright Raymond Catlow, a Barrington businessman who sought to continue his family’s role in creating community gathering places. His father, Joseph Goodman Catlow, had previously commissioned an auditorium on West Station Street in 1916 for dances, meetings, and other civic activities. The theater therefore began as more than a commercial movie venue: it was conceived as a community building intended to anchor local cultural life. The building was designed by the architectural firm Betts & Holcomb, while its interiors were created by Alfonso Iannelli, a sculptor and designer associated with the Prairie School. The architectural treatment uses a Tudor Revival vocabulary, evoking a medieval English hall. Its decorative program includes stenciled ceilings, walls, and beams; sculpted gargoyle-like heads along the ceiling trusses; three coat-of-arms murals; iron sconces; elaborate woodwork in the organ lofts; and an original hand-painted stage curtain. A sculpture known as “Fountain Idyll” occupies the inner lobby. Iannelli’s contribution is a central reason the theater is regarded as architecturally and artistically significant. The Catlow originally presented silent films, accompanied by a theater organ played by Wright Catlow’s brother, Chester. Sunday programming also included vaudeville, bringing performers such as Gene Autry and Sally Rand to Barrington. In 1934, the venue shifted to showing movies exclusively, reflecting the broader transition from mixed vaudeville-and-film programming toward the modern cinema model. The theater remained a local movie house through subsequent ownership changes, including its sale by Catlow to film booker Ed Skehan in 1964. The theater was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1989. That designation recognizes both the building’s historical role and its unusually intact decorative interior. Unlike a contemporary multiplex, the Catlow’s identity is tied to a single auditorium, a preserved historic setting, and its relationship with Barrington’s downtown community. Brian and Julianne Long, longtime Barrington residents, purchased the theater in fall 2022. A newly formed nonprofit, the Catlow1927 Foundation, is dedicated to restoring and preserving the venue ahead of its centennial in 2027. The restoration effort positions the Catlow as both an operating cinema and a heritage asset, with preservation, community access, and continued film exhibition forming the core of its present identity. Publicly available reference material does not establish detailed current operating figures, ownership-company structure, programming volume, or restoration finances.

Catlow Theater traces its institutional roots to a family tradition of creating public gathering places in Barrington. In 1916, Joseph Goodman Catlow commissioned an auditorium on West Station Street that served as a setting for dances, community meetings, and other local events. His son, Wright Raymond Catlow, later pursued a related but more specialized project: a theater that would continue the family’s contribution to Barrington’s civic and cultural life. Catlow commissioned the theater in May 1927. Betts & Holcomb designed the building, and Alfonso Iannelli was responsible for the interior design. The resulting structure adopted a Tudor Revival style intended to resemble a medieval English hall. The interior incorporated an extensive decorative scheme, including stenciling across ceilings, walls, and beams; sculpted gargoyle-like heads placed around the ceiling trusses; coat-of-arms murals; iron wall sconces; detailed woodwork in two organ lofts; and a hand-painted stage curtain. Iannelli’s “Fountain Idyll” sculpture was installed in the inner lobby. These elements made the theater notable not only as a place of entertainment but also as an example of period architectural and decorative art. During its first years, the Catlow presented silent motion pictures and vaudeville. Chester Catlow, Wright’s brother, played the theater organ, providing musical accompaniment for silent-film screenings. Sunday vaudeville performances expanded the venue’s appeal and brought entertainers including Gene Autry and Sally Rand to Barrington. In 1934, the theater stopped presenting vaudeville and became a movie-only venue, aligning its programming with the growing dominance of sound cinema and the commercial movie-house model. The theater changed ownership in 1964, when Wright Catlow sold it to Ed Skehan, a film booker. Despite changes in ownership and the evolution of the exhibition industry, the venue retained its single-screen identity and historic interior. Its location in downtown Barrington and its unusual decorative character helped preserve its role as a recognizable local landmark. On August 21, 1989, the National Park Service recognized the Catlow through its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The designation reflects the significance of the theater’s design, interior artwork, and community history. It also provides an important formal distinction between the Catlow and ordinary commercial cinemas, framing the building as a preservation resource as well as an operating venue. In fall 2022, longtime Barrington residents Brian and Julianne Long purchased the theater. The Catlow1927 Foundation was formed as a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the building in preparation for the theater’s anticipated 100th anniversary in 2027. The current preservation effort seeks to maintain the Catlow’s historic character while supporting its continued use as a cinema and community institution. Available reference material does not provide a detailed account of the restoration schedule, technical upgrades, programming strategy, or financial structure.

• 2022

  Long family purchase and preservation initiative

  [1]Catlow Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Brian and Julianne Long purchase the theater, and the Catlow1927 Foundation is formed to support restoration before the planned 2027 centennial.

• 1989

  National Register listing

  [1]Catlow Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The Catlow is listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1989.

• 1964

  Ownership transferred to Ed Skehan

  [1]Catlow Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Wright Raymond Catlow sells the theater to film booker Ed Skehan.

• 1934

  Programming becomes movie-only

  [1]Catlow Theateren.wikipedia.org

  After an initial period of silent films and Sunday vaudeville, the theater begins showing only movies.

• 1927

  Catlow Theater commissioned

  [1]Catlow Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Wright Raymond Catlow commissions a new theater in May 1927 as a community-oriented movie and entertainment venue.

• 1916

  Joseph Goodman Catlow commissions a community auditorium

  [1]Catlow Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Joseph Goodman Catlow commissions an auditorium on West Station Street for dances, meetings, and other community activities, establishing the family’s local civic-building legacy.

A community-oriented historic cinema that combines regular film exhibition with architectural preservation and local cultural heritage.

• Cinema exhibition · 1927

  Feature-film screenings

  The Catlow’s principal ongoing offering is motion-picture exhibition in a single historic auditorium. The available reference material confirms the theater’s long-term role as a movie venue but does not specify current distributors, screening frequency, ticket formats, or film titles.

• Cultural venue · 1927

  Historic theater and community venue

  Beyond film exhibition, the Catlow functions as a preserved community landmark whose Tudor Revival architecture and Iannelli-designed interior are central to its identity. Its earlier history included dances, meetings, and vaudeville, while the current foundation seeks to sustain the building as a usable heritage venue.

• 2022

  Purchase by Brian and Julianne LongM&A

  Background

  The historic theater required continued stewardship as it approached its 2027 centennial.

  Action taken

  Longtime Barrington residents Brian and Julianne Long acquired the theater and supported the creation of the Catlow1927 Foundation.

  Aftermath

  The theater entered a restoration-focused phase intended to preserve its historic character and prepare it for its centennial.

  Source

• 1934

  End of vaudeville programmingStrategy

  Background

  The theater had initially combined silent films with Sunday vaudeville performances.

  Action taken

  The Catlow shifted to movie-only programming.

  Aftermath

  The venue continued as a dedicated cinema rather than a mixed vaudeville-and-film theater.

  Source

1. 1Catlow Theateren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Catlow Theater websitethecatlow.com