Hollywood Blvd Cinema Bar and Eatery

Infobox_Company
company_name = Hollywood Blvd Cinema Bar & Eatery
company_type = Private company
foundation = 1991 in Indianapolis, Indiana
headquarters = Woodridge, Illinois
homepage = [http://atriptothemovies.com] |

Hollywood Blvd. Cinema is an independently owned first run movie theatre and integrated restaurant concept in suburban Chicago, IL. The concept of offering patrons “dinner and a movie” at the same time is presented in a highly stylized way from use of authentic Asian artifacts throughout the facility which recalls the details of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA to the cleverly named menu items brought to each patron’s seat.

History of Hollywood Blvd

Based in Woodridge, IL, Hollywood Blvd. Cinema has been operating since March 3, 2003 in the Woodgrove Festival Mall. The cinema is currently a single facility with a second location planned for 2009. The concept of “dinner and a movie” originated in Indianapolis, IN in 1991 with Hollywood Bar & Filmworks, operating until October 31, 2006 (the exact date of its’ 15th anniversary). The facility was originally an abandoned 130 year old warehouse that was converted to a three screen cinema with terraced level seating, executive office chairs and a full bar and dinner menu served to patrons’ seats. CEO Ted Bulthaup was the first theatrical exhibitor to gain permission from each of the major film studios to lease first run movies to a cinema facility with a liquor license; a ruling that many dinner and a movie concept cinema chains throughout the country currently enjoy.

Hollywood Blvd Presently

Hollywood Blvd. Cinema is currently undergoing its fifth expansion in as many years of operation and has experienced over 500% growth since opening. The cinema opened with four individually themed screens (Chinese/Red; Los Angeles/Green; Sunset Blvd/Blue and Chinatown/Purple) and expanded in 2005 to 6 screens with the addition of the Oscar/Gold auditorium and the Crypt/Black auditorium. An additional expansion set for completion by 4th quarter 2008 will include 3 additional screens, a grand staircase and elevator, additional restrooms and a museum space to display authentic Hollywood memorabilia.

Hollywood Showmanship

Since its inception, Hollywood Bar & Filmworks before and now Hollywood Blvd. Cinema have won numerous “Best Of” awards in a day and age when drawing customers to the cinematic experience continues to be a challenge. CEO Bulthaup’s first win of a National Association of Theatre Owners award came in 2000 for the development of Hollywood’s fax/email subscriber program which became an innovative way to share not just show times with its customer database but special events, food and drink specials and community awareness event information. Hollywood Bar & Filmworks was noted for it’s annual blood drive tied to screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a Fire Safety Campaign. Hollywood Blvd. Cinema continues that tradition with 2 more coveted NATO awards (in 2003 for Best Use of Media for their annual The Wizard of Oz screening featuring appearances by the film’s beloved Munchkins and again in 2007 for Best Community Event for a premiere of The Tripper featuring appearances by David Arquette and Thomas Jane). Additionally, Hollywood Blvd. was named to Restaurant Business Magazine’s “10 Best New Concepts” list and was the only theatre to receive an A+ rating in 2007 from the Chicago Sun Times.

Celebrity Events

Hollywood Blvd. Cinema has become famous for bringing popular stars of the silver screen to its patrons for screening Q&A’s, autograph signings and to host special events.Annual events have become a tradition; including the Alfred Hitchcock Film Festival every October; past guests have included Hitchcock scream queens Tippi Hedren and Veronica Cartwright, author of “Footsteps in the Fog” Jeff Kraft and the famous director’s daughter Pat Hitchcock. The Wizard of Oz is featured every November in effort to recapture family traditions of watching it on TV every Thanksgiving; past guests have included Munchkins Mickey Carroll, Jerry “The Lollipop Kid” Maren, Meinhardt “Coroner” Raabe, Margaret Pellegrini, Karl Slover and Clarence Swensen. It’s A Wonderful Life is an annual holiday tradition featuring Karolyn Grimes who portrayed Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed’s youngest daughter “Zuzu” Bailey and is responsible for uttering the classic line “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” Additionally, one time film festivals and tributes have met with great success including a Universal Horror Film Festival featuring Sara Karloff (daughter of Boris “Frankenstein” Karloff) , Ron Chaney (grandson of Lon Chaney Jr.) and Bela Lugosi Jr. (son of Bela “Dracula” Lugosi ) and a Tarantino Film festival featuring David Carradine and Michael Madsen.

Other guests have included Hollywood legends such as Jane Russell, Tony Curtis, Shirley Jones and Peter Falk as well as more recent fixtures of pop culture such as Paris Hilton, Amanda Bynes, James & Oliver Phelps and stars of popular franchises such as Disney’s Hannah Montana and High School Musical, Star Wars and Animal House. [See Celebrity Visitors]

Hollywood Star for Munchkins

In addition to annual screenings of The Wizard of Oz featuring the opportunity for patrons to meet and get an autograph from Munchkins in the film, Hollywood Blvd. Cinema campaigned for and sponsored the installation of The Munchkins’ star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After 2 years of submitting letters of petition (some penned by Hollywood greats Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ted Turner, Hugh Hefner and many more) and actively campaigning for the Munchkins to be chosen, the effort ended successfully November 20, 2007 when the star was installed on Hollywood Blvd. at a ceremony presided over by Honorary Mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant. Not only do the Munchkins carry the distinction of having their star located directly adjacent to Grant’s own star in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre but was the last ceremony Grant presided over before his death on January 9, 2008. [See Telegraph]

Corporate

*President - Ted Bulthaup
*Vice President - Cheryl Bulthaup
*Director of Operations - Michael Moore
*Director of Marketing & Media Relations - Angelique Brunsman

References

*In Focus - http://www.natoonline.org/infocus/06augustseptember/magic.htm

*Cinema Treasures - http://cinematreasures.org/theater/6060/

*Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/11/21/bfoz121.xml

*Reporter Met - http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/lemont/archive/x1855990318

*Daily Herald - http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5273/is_200410/ai_n20894971

*Bnet - http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5273/is_200603/ai_n20815252

*Celebrity Visitors - http://www.atriptothemovies.com/index.php?src=photo&srctype=lister&ref=Walk%20of%20Fame&albumpos=0,1000000,2

External links

*Official Website - http://www.atriptothemovies.com