The third place Johnson operated was the 1936 Lake in Oak Park, which he leased in 1981, purchased in 1984, and first renovated in 1986. "The Lake was not in good shape," he says. "The roof leaked. The steam pipes leaked. The boiler leaked." Much of the original art deco plasterwork had been destroyed. Johnson began work on the roof and heating system and threw himself into restoring vintage details, adding elements from theaters that had been demolished-the Will Rogers and Southtown in Chicago, the Colonial in Marengo, Illinois - and restoring others. "There was all this curtain in the auditorium. And when we took those curtains down, the original paint scheme was all there. And there were light fixtures on the sides."

Over the years Johnson has added to his stable: the Lindo in Freeport in 1984, the Woodstock and the Paramount in 1988, the Arcada in 1993. It seems each addition to the chain needed work-sometimes just a little bit to re-create the original decor. Other theaters, like the Paramount and the York, demanded major rehabbing. The interior of the Paramount, built in 1931 and neglected for many years, was completely redone at a cost of double the purchase price.

"Once I got into theater renovation," Johnson says, "I discovered that projects that had looked insurmountable were not as challenging as they appeared to be. You develop sources, you find different people to work with. You find out who can do art glass, who can do lighting fixtures." Today the Classic Cinemas theaters are spread across northern Illinois, from Kankakee to Sterling to Freeport, though most are located in the Chicago area.

When asked if he has any plans to add to his chain, Johnson replies that he can't say, that he's continuing to look at theaters as they become available. But there's something in the way he says this - smiling widely, eyes bright, voice excited-that makes you think he's just about to close on another faded old movie palace.

The story first appeared in the September 14, 2001, Reader's Guide. Reprinted with permission of Jack Helbig. Copyright 2001 Jack Helbig.

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