Paramount Theatre Tour September 17, 2011

You’ve never seen the Paramount Theatre like this! Kankakee’s downtown showpiece is opening its doors and inviting audiences in for a FREE Theatre and Booth Tour on Saturday, September 17, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The tour is a continuation of the festivities as the Paramount Theatre, located at 213 North Schuyler Avenue, celebrates its 80th Anniversary.

When Classic Cinemas purchased the Paramount Theatre in 1988, they renovated and modernized the building in keeping with its heritage. Guests will be escorted into the theatre lobby, which features the original poster cases topped by the "Publix Theatres" symbol, a trade name used by the entire Paramount Pictures circuit on everything from advertising to buttons on the ushers' uniforms.

Then, visitors can walk through the reconstructed auditorium doors, with highly polished hardware and stained glass inserts, that lead to one of the largest halls in Kankakee. The auditorium is decorated in a style that is very typical of Paramount theatres from the ‘30s with a cobalt blue ceiling and intricate geometric designs in green, red, gold and silver. The auditorium was painted by local painter and artisan Gary Reynolds over a period of several months.

Guests can then go upstairs to enter the projection booth and find out how both 35 mm film and digital prints are presented on the big screens. All auditoriums feature digital sound using HPS 4000 Dolby Digital Sound systems, and three screens have Digital 3D capabilities! And, for those more venturesome, the General Manager has also promised a tour of the basement!

There will also be an opportunity for patrons to go on stage and then behind the screen where three stacks of speakers ten feet tall provide mainly the dialog and sound. There is one dressing room backstage named in honor of Steve Allen, who appeared at the Paramount in the ‘90s.

Join in on the Paramount’s 80th Anniversary festivities, and walk through history with Classic Cinemas!