Ernest Borgnine and Tippi Hedren At A Strip Mall?

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 21, 2011 3:20PM

Oh sure, Chicago gets its fair share of celebs and movie stars — About Last Night can certainly confirm that. But if you really want to meet the cool, old school movie stars then take a trip out to Hollywood Blvd. in Woodridge.

Hollywood Blvd. Theater, that is. Located in a rather nondescript strip mall, it's a movie complex that has cheap ticket prices ($12 or under), a well-stocked bar, and a full-service menu available right in the theater. It can't boast the deluxe experience of the ShowPlace ICON (the fare is tasty but standard bar food, and we suggest you skip the cocktails and stick with beer). But it's also a lot homier and features all sorts of interesting architectural details: in addition to a mini-museum of Hollywood memorabilia, every theater has its own theme, ranging from the Coconut Grove to the Wizard of Oz-inspired Rainbow Room. Another plus: movies are projected on film, not digitally, so you're not just watching a glorified Blu-ray.

And they regularly host celebs. This Friday it's New Year's Eve all over again as stars Ernest Borgnine, Stella Stevens, Carol Lynley, and Pamela Sue Martin host special screenings of The Poseidon Adventure. Then, on Saturday, Tippi Hedren stops by to introduce Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. The 94-year-old Borgnine is as bawdy as Hedren is gracious, and they're both so energetic they put us young 'uns to shame.