Barrington, IL

Caroline Cunniff
ENG-R398
Professor Smith
April 27, 2017

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 Capturing the art of timelessness in the physical world is nearly impossible to

accomplish. The Catlow Theater in Barrington, IL is an ageless structure that still remains

functional and charming amidst the modern development that has occurred in recent

years, allowing it to become a staple of Barrington. Aside from being the main attraction of

the town, The Catlow has brought the community of Barrington together for decades.

The Catlow is more than just a movie theatre; it's a significant landmark that

incorporates its historical past into a constantly developing, affluent suburban area. The

Theater, built in 1926 by Betts and Holcomb of Chicago and designed by Alfonso Iannelli,

has always captivated me. Due to its historical value, it was added to the National Register

of Historic Places in 1989. This iconic theater gives the small town of Barrington charm and

antiquity, which is why people value it so greatly. It is one of the oldest buildings in

Barrington and has kept its original function throughout the years, helping to further its

historic character. The original role of The Catlow Theater was for the people of Barrington

to come together as a community and enjoy themselves during the Roaring Twenties.

During this bygone era, the theater held dances, live performances, and silent films. It has

incredible architectural details that help establish its appeal and uniqueness amongst other

buildings in the surrounding area. This physical appearance of the town of Barrington is

very traditional and beautiful. [See Image One Below] And, for all these reasons this

building is especially important to study and to influence the town.

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 Image One: A view of the traditional town of Barrington (tollbrothers.com)

The Catlow was built to mimic a Tudor Revival architectural design. [See Image Two

Below] The theaters signature sign, that is large, light blue, and red, cannot be missed while

walking down the streets of Barrington. The signs bright colors as well as the buildings

atypical Tudor Revival Theater design keeps it noticeable and makes it stick out in a

typically traditional town. The unique qualities of this building help to hold its character in

the small town of Barrington. The exterior of the structure was created with shingled walls

and stucco with decorative wood and half-timbered framing that is connected to a light

decorative stone. The theater has a steeply pitched roof with wide gables and a large

chimney, which is distinctive of Tudor Revival design. The historic theater also has several

tall and narrow windows with multiple wooded panes.

Image Two: Exterior view of the Tudor Revival Movie Theater, The Catlow (pinterest.com)

Upon entering this beautifully historic building there are several dark wooded

classic French doors with several panes on the exterior. Inside, they continued the theme of

using dark brown wood by incorporating beams on the ceiling and lining the walls with

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panels but dark brick exposure was added to the walls in the lobby. The interior was

designed to resemble a medieval English hall, with patterned red carpets, low lighting, dark

wood, and brass light fixtures. [See Image Three Below] The walls inside the single-

screened theater are wainscot, half wood half paint. The Catlow is a beautifully unique

single screen movie theater that the town of Barrington is lucky to have.

Image Three: View of the medieval themed lobby of The Catlow. (Imgrum.org)

The Catlow has a vast impact on the stylistic presence in Barrington and merits

emphasis on this incredible building. Carole Blair’s idea of “Material Rhetoric” and the

significance behind a specific text I would like to utilize in rhetorically analyzing The

Catlow. I will also incorporate the concept of “habit and home”, which Andrew Ballantyne’s

explains. Another component I will be using is Pierce Lewis’s axiom of “cultural unity and

landscape equality” to help better understand the cultural importance of this building. All

three of these concepts together will assist with developing a comprehensive

understanding of why this specific text is important to Barrington as well as how each

authors concepts work to help reveal more about this architectural structure.

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 Carole Blair’s idea of material rhetoric and how a specific text affects the

surrounding area aligns well with how this building functions as a whole and persuades the

community of Barrington. Blair’s method of the presence of specific texts and the potential

consequences of the text’s absence better defines the existence of The Catlow. Her method

will help to better understand the potential questions of: how this building persuades and

changes the views of the people who live in Barrington? How would people feel if there

was a new building that replaced The Catlow?

In Carole Blair’s, “Contemporary U.S. Memorial Sites as Exemplars of Rhetoric’s

Materiality”, she explains five different questions about material rhetoric: the significance

of the text, the durability, the preservation of the text, the interaction, and the way it acts on

people; all of which help to better analyze a specific text. The argument that Carole Blair

continues to make throughout her article is that rhetoric is, “any partisan, meaningful,

consequential text, with the term ‘text’ understood broadly as a legible or readable event or

object” (18). She argues that the importance is behind what the physical text does, rather

than what the text means. She uses different structures throughout the United States to

help support the material aspects of rhetoric in architecture. One of her five questions that

I believe will help rhetorically analyze The Catlow Theater is, “What is the significance of

text’s material existence?” This question will help to better comprehend the rhetorical

significance of this structure past its simple purpose so the value of The Catlow can be seen

and the impact this theater has on the town of Barrington.

This historical landmark, The Catlow, has withstood the test of time; it has

continued to prosper through the development of more modern movie theaters. People

specifically want to go to this antique movie theater for a reason; it fosters sentiment,
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nostalgia and a sense of community. When Blair asks, “What is the significance of text’s

material existence?” she means that, “perhaps the best way to think about this notion is to

ask what is different as a result of the text’s existence, as opposed to what might be the case

if the text has not appeared at all” (34). Blair’s interpretation of this question relates to The

Catlow because Barrington is different because of this theaters existence, it has created a

sense of community. The Catlow is a place where people are forced to come together with

neighbors to receive an experience unlike any other in this single-screen movie theater.

The loyalty of The Catlow’s customers establishes its importance and the difference

it has made in Barrington. The Catlow is connected to Boloney’s, a cute sandwich shop that

helps continue the theater’s medieval movie theater theme as well as capture its

personality. This past year, the owner of Boloney’s and The Catlow, Roberta Rapata, passed

away. She warmed customer’s hearts with her bright smile and knew members of the

Barrington community on a first name basis. After her death, hundreds of members of

Barrington dropped off flowers in front of the Catlow, giving their condolences and

showing that they care. This shows the loyalty of the staff to their customers and how this

building can shape people’s thoughts and actions. Blair’s concept of significance is

applicable here as well because the community of Barrington is different due to the

presence of this great landmark. The Catlow brings people together in so many different

ways and helps provide the fundamental framework for the cute town of Barrington by

keeping it a fun and loving place to be.

Andrew Ballantyne’s description of the “home-ness” phenomenon will assist in

grasping the questions that arise from this architectural example, The Catlow: how does

The Catlow shape peoples thoughts and actions in the town of Barrington? Does the

presence of The Catlow change the community’s perspectives? This idea is the most
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applicable to the structure and will help analyze it.

Throughout Architecture: A Very Short Introduction, Andrew Ballantyne explains the

importance behind buildings, “When we venture out into the world, we set out from home,

and compare the unfamiliar things we meet with things we already know” (17). Ballantyne

states that people tend to compare the unfamiliar with the familiar to help us feel more

comfortable in a new environment. Ballantyne explains how culture affects the way we

look at things and changes our perspectives. He clearly shows how he believes culture to be

one of the biggest influencers on how we see architecture. This ties in with how we look for

things that help to make us ‘feel at home’; our past experiences define how we see our

future.

Customers often say that walking into The Catlow Theater is like walking back in

time. [See Image Four Below] This theater resonates with people because of its familiarity,

which Andrew Ballantyne clarifies. He explains the importance behind buildings and how

they help us feel safe and secure in a new and obscure environment. Through Ballantyne’s

explanation of habit and home, The Catlow creates that familiar atmosphere by providing

great service and being a memorable fun place. We are creatures of habit and until

recently, movie theaters were only single screened, such as The Catlow Theater, therefore

the community likes the sense of comfort they receive when they go into a movie theater

that is similar to that of their childhood. This movie theater relates to all different age

groups, beginning with children because The Catlow is unique and shows kids a new

experience while still being with neighbors, family, and friends. It resonates with the adults

because of the timeless structure. The employees make the customers feel welcome by

knowing them by their first name, which makes the environment more comfortable. The

Catlow reveals the culture of Barrington and creates a sense of identity within a
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community. The significance of the workers knowing customers names attributes to the

hominess and sense of comfort The Catlow gives.

Image Four: Inside view of the single-screen Catlow Movie Theater (kickstarter.com)

Ballantyne’s idea that every building has cultural aspect but if we choose to notice it

we are looking at the building as architecture. (31) After analyzing Ballantyne’s article

alongside The Catlow Theater helped me to see the cultural aspect and significance behind

The Catlow. Without the use of his article I may have not seen it before.

Peirce F. Lewis’s, “Axioms for Reading the Landscape: Some Guides to American

Scene” discusses seven specific axioms that help to understand how we see architecture

and how these landscapes represent cultural cues. His goal in writing this chapter is to get

people to look at handcrafted landscapes as more than just what they are, but to see the

personality and cultural aspect that each landscape has. “The basic principle here is that all

landscape has cultural meaning, no matter how ordinary the landscape may be.” (13)

Through this chapter he wants people to be able to read the landscape and see it as more

than just its simple purpose. Lewis considers everything from the moment you step out

your front door and see the outside world as landscape. Lewis’ axiom of cultural unity and

landscape equality helps better define how The Catlow works in its environment. Lewis’

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believes that all landscape in some way reflects the culture it is in and that there are not

landscapes that are more important than others because every building signals an

important change in culture. (19) His method is vital in understanding more about The

Catlow Theater and its cultural importance it has on the community of Barrington.

The unique qualities of The Catlow and the history behind it lure people in and

contribute to the charm of Barrington. The community of Barrington cherishes the

building’s historic value and is constantly working to preserve it. This dedication to

preservation was shown in 2012 when movie theaters were transitioning into digital

projection. The modern transition concerned the owners of The Catlow, as well as the

community as a whole. The theater did not think they were going to stay afloat, but due to

the dedication and devotion of the community, they were able to raise over $150,000 to

help pay for the new equipment. Not only does the building hold its character through its

unique material qualities, the staff is also what contributes to its character. Lewis’s axiom

of cultural unity and landscape equality help to better analyze this structure because

although this building may be outdated and different from the rest of the town it does not

mean it is less significant than any other building in Barrington or in the country. People of

the community came together to donate to The Catlow because of its cultural impact on

Barrington. His concept helped me to see that just because a building isn’t necessarily a

landmark that everyone can relate too, does not mean it is any less significant. All buildings

help shape our culture and Pierce continues to explain that in his article. Taking the

building out of its surroundings and visualizing it that way displays to us tells us more

about the culture in which it was built.

Through the use of Carole Blair’s, Andrew Ballantyne’s, and Pierce Lewis’ concepts,

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each one has facilitated me in giving me a better understanding of the significance of The

Catlow Theater, structurally as well as persuasively. This building has helped develop

Barrington by keeping a piece of the past in a constantly developing affluent suburban area.

It has given the town charisma and charm, and has a great impact on the community of

Barrington. Carole Blair’s question of the material texts significance has helped me to see

why people cherish this beautiful building. The Catlow Theater fosters emotion, nostalgia

and creates a sense of community and that’s why it is so important to Barrington. Andrew

Ballantyne’s explanation of the home-ness phenomenon shows how the culture and

community of Barrington helps to see this building as a beautiful architectural structure

and influencer. Finally, Pierce Lewis’ axiom of cultural unity and landscape equality

supports the idea that every building including The Catlow is significant and has cultural

importance. The Catlow is the fundamental grounding of Barrington; it has created a

community, persuaded its audience and established a fun and engaging environment to be

in and that is why all those who experience it, love it.

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 Gallery
Picture A: Image of hallway into single screen theater

Picture B: Picture of entrance into the connected sandwich shop, “Boloney’s”

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 Picture C: Menu at Boloney’s

Picture D: View of inside Boloney’s on a causal Wednesday afternoon

Picture E: View of the concession stand inside The Catlow

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ARTICLE WORK CITED:

Ballantyne, Andrew. Architecture: A very short introduction. Oxford, USA. 2002.

Lewis, Pierce F. “Axioms for Reading the Landscape: Some Guides to the American Scene.”
In D.W. Meinig (Ed). The Interpretation of Ordinary Landscapes. New York: Oxford
UP (1979): 11-32

Blair, Carole. “Contemporary U.S. Memorial Sites as Exemplars of Rhetoric’s Materiality” In

Jack Selzer and Sharon Crowley (Eds). Rhetorical Bodies. Madison, WI: U of
Wisconsin Press, 1999. 16-57.

PICTURE WORK CITED:

Image one: "New Homes For Sale in South Barrington, IL | The Woods of South

Barrington." Toll Brothers® Luxury Homes. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Image two: Keyso, Ruth. "SIGNAGE." Pinterest. N.p., 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.

Image three: Images by Buildingsandsigns." Imgrum. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.

Image four: "Rescue The Historic Catlow Theater From Extinction." Kickstarter. N.p., n.d.

Web. 16 Apr. 2017.

All Photos (Photos A-E) in gallery are taken from my sister, Allison Cunniff.

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