Bill Text: IL HR0666 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates the owners and employees of the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb on the occasion of the theatre's 80th anniversary.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Passed) 2009-10-16 - Resolution Adopted [HR0666 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HR0666-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives are pleased to recognize the 80th anniversary
of the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb on December 10, 2009; and
WHEREAS, The rich history of the Egyptian Theatre began in
the 1920s, during a period of great prosperity for the people
of DeKalb; the City's new-found affluence from the invention
and manufacturing of barbed wire fencing made the creation of a
vaudeville theatre and movie house possible; and
WHEREAS, In response to great public demand, the
architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp, one of the premier and
prolific theatre design firms in the nation, was chosen to
design the Egyptian Theatre; the firm selected and Egyptian
theme to commemorate the discovery of King Tut's tomb; site
acquisition was then completed by the DeKalb Theatre Company,
which awarded the construction contracts to Guldbeck and
Eckstrom in 1928; and
WHEREAS, The theatre opened on December 10, 1929, despite
the crash of the stock market just six weeks before; as the
Great Depression grew deeper in the 1930s, the demand for
movies increased and vaudeville shows faded away; the mighty
Wurlitzer organ, manufactured in DeKalb, played for daily

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shows; and
WHEREAS, By the late 1970s, the Egyptian Theatre fell into
disrepair, with holes in the roof, flooded dressing rooms, and
ruined murals and ornaments; the theatre was on the verge of
being demolished; and
WHEREAS, In response to the potential loss of this classic
DeKalb fixture, The Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre
(P.E.T.) was formed on March 1, 1978; the theatre was placed on
the National Register of Historic Places by the United States
Department of the Interior on December 1, 1978; a major theatre
renovation followed and was completed in 1983, opening with the
world premiere of G. Gordon Liddy's "Will", which was filmed in
the DeKalb and Sycamore area; and
WHEREAS, In December of 2007, the Egyptian Theatre was
named one of 150 important Illinois architectural sites by the
American Institute of Architects; and
WHEREAS, The Egyptian Theatre has welcomed many
personalities throughout its 80 years of existence, including
Jerry Colonna, Lawrence Welk, Ray Charles, George Winston,
Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Ramsey Lewis, Wynton
and Branford Marsalis, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Jay Leno, and
John Astin; on October 25, 1959, John F. Kennedy, then a

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candidate for U.S. President, made a campaign stop at the
theatre during a 3-day tour of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Today, the Egyptian Theatre is the home of many
local performing groups and hosts many private parties and
celebrations; even in the age of the multiplex theatre, the
Egyptian still shows movies on its single 35-foot movie screen,
the largest in DeKalb County; and
WHEREAS, The Egyptian Theatre's iconic architecture and
world-class entertainment are significant contributions to the
rich culture and history of the City of DeKalb and the State of
Illinois; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
congratulate the members, volunteers, and patrons of The
Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre on the occasion of the
theatre's 80th anniversary and wish them continued success in
preserving this historic icon for the enjoyment of present and
future generations; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the P.E.T. Board of Directors as a symbol of our
esteem and respect.