A fixture in downtown Elmhurst is the celebration of 100 years of film and memory.

The York Theatre150 N. York St., opened its doors on Labor Day weekend in 1924 and has welcomed generations of moviegoers since then.

The original appearance of the York Theatre when it opened in 1924.
Courtesy of Classic Cinemas

“It’s really heartwarming to hear what this place has meant to people,” said Chris Johnson, CEO of Classic Cinemas. “The building is more than just a movie theater. It’s a piece of Elmhurst’s history.”

In addition to the York Theatre, Classic Cinemas owns six theaters built in the 1920s and 1930s during the heyday of movie palaces. The chain owns 16 theaters with 141 screens in Illinois and Wisconsin.

“When I run a business, I want to build something I’m proud of,” Johnson said. “These buildings have great structure and are gathering places for the community that have created memories. That’s something special.”

The cinema, which had already shown sound films three years earlier, is celebrating its 100th anniversary on September 1st with a screening of the Buster Keaton classic “Sherlock Jr.” from 1924, complete with live organ music and a documentary about the cinema.

Tickets are available at classiccinemas.com/york100 or at the box office.

Johnson said Classic Cinemas was founded by his father and stepmother – Willis and Shirley Johnson – when they purchased the Tivoli Theater in a building they owned in Downers Grove in 1978.

The York Theatre as it was when Classic Cinemas purchased it.
Courtesy of Classic Cinemas

The couple bought the then one-screen, 900-seat York in 1982, when it was a budget cinema showing second-run films.

“It wasn’t in the best shape,” Johnson said. “There was water damage and it was a mess. So we cleaned it up and made it functional. Then we did a little more work on the aesthetics and tried to recapture the magic of the original.”

In the early 1990s, the cinema was divided into three screens. Later, the cinema was expanded on the north and south sides of the building, first to five, then to seven, then to nine and finally to ten screens. The York now has a total seating capacity of almost 800.

The Art Moderne facade – with bright neon and dancing bulbs bringing the York letters to life – was restored after the building lost its original Spanish Revival style during a 1937 renovation. The interior is full of classical flourishes and includes many fixtures from other theaters of the same era.

The floor plan was changed from the initial sloped floor to stadium seating, which now features spacious, heated reclining chairs with electrically adjustable headrests to enjoy the 4K RGB laser projectors and immersive DTS audio.

“It still retains its history but has all the modern amenities,” Johnson said. “It’s the classic movie experience where you get away from it all, just take a two-hour vacation and enjoy life.”

Although expanding from one 900-seat hall to ten halls of around 800 seats each may seem counterintuitive, the key is the number of visitors exceeding capacity.

“Back when we had 900 seats, the average occupancy rate was less than 15 percent. But now we fill more seats because they are all nice. They are comfortable and spacious,” he said.

The anniversary event will feature the premiere of the documentary film “York: 100 Years of Movie Magic.” The film, which documents the theater’s last century, is narrated by Elmhurst residents and business leaders who grew up near the theater, as well as current and former employees.

In the documentary, John Quigley, President and CEO of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce, talks about the importance of the theater improvements to the downtown revitalization.

“It was the first redevelopment project that made downtown what it is today,” Quigley said in the film. “And I can tell you, if it hadn’t been for the York Theater, the redevelopment of downtown … would have taken about another decade.”

Johnson said that watching the documentary made him appreciate the support the community has shown the theater over the years.

“We had a passion and enthusiasm for what we were doing,” he said. “I think about it all the time.”

The facade of the York Theatre, pictured here in 1938, after a renovation and style change.
Courtesy of Classic Cinemas