A new documentary captures the story of the Tivoli Theatre and the family behind the scenes

BY VALERIE HARDY | Photos by Victor Hilitski

For many attending the sold-out premiere of the documentary film “History Happens Here: The Tivoli Theatre” on May 2, it was a very meta experience. They were watching the full-length feature about the Tivoli Theatre in the Tivoli Theatre, seated near members of the Johnson family, also prominent subjects of the film.

Produced by independent filmmaker Jim Toth in conjunction with the Downers Grove Historical Society, the documentary honors the 95-year history and lasting legacy of one of Chicagoland’s oldest and best-preserved movie theaters. It also chronicles the storied lives of the Johnson family, the theater’s long-running proprietors.

The premiere began with an organ performance (the Tivoli Theatre’s organ is a star in and of itself), and the event doubled as a recognition ceremony. Downers Grove Historical Society Director Rich Kulovany introduced the 2023 Historians of the Year, Willis and Shirley Johnson, who received a standing ovation.

Willis’s son, Chris Johnson, the current CEO of the family’s business, Classic Cinemas, accompanied the couple on stage when the distinction was bestowed upon them. Chris recalled how his father was using his walker that evening.

“I told him he could accept the recognition from his seat, but he kept pointing up to the stage,” Chris said. “It was so much fun to see his reaction. It was a culmination of appreciation and acknowledgement that really meant a lot to him.”

Chris later shared how much the recognition and film (which he described as “a bit of a love letter” to Willis and Shirley for all the work they did) touched him and the rest of his family as well. He said candidly, “My dad is getting up in age a bit, so this could not have happened at a better time.”

The documentary was so popular that advance tickets sold out just days after their release. In fact, Toth had to disinvite many of the friends and relatives he had initially asked to attend the premiere because there would not have been seats for them.

Thankfully, to accommodate the demand, Chris offered to host an encore presentation of the film at the Tivoli Theatre the morning of May 13. Toth said Chris also had planned a future open house and screening of the film to be held at LaGrange Theatre, the newest historical movie theater in the Classic Cinemas portfolio, acquired by the Johnsons just last year.

“History Happens Here: The Tivoli Theatre” received rave reviews from its early viewers. For those who may have missed it, the documentary is viewable on demand via the Historical Society’s website: downersgrovehistory.org.

The Historic Tivoli Theatre

The Tivoli Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1928, and while it was one of the earliest movie houses in the Chicago area, it was actually the third movie theater in the village of Downers Grove.

However, the Tivoli was unique in that it opened during the transitional period from silent films to “talkies.” In fact, the Tivoli was one of the first theaters in the nation built specifically for motion pictures with sound.

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The nearly century-old iconic movie theater was the vision of local businessmen Gustave and George Bunge who worked with architects Van Gunten and Van Gunten and contractor J.T. Schless Company to bring the design into reality. The French Renaissance-style theater originally held nearly 1,400 seats.

Unlike many theaters of the time, it did not include balcony seating. It did boast a 19-foot stage that, while shallow, easily accommodated vaudeville and other small-scale productions.

In the mid-1950s, wider seats were installed with greater distance between rows to increase comfort for theatergoers, reducing the Tivoli’s seating capacity to its current 1,012.

Over the next two decades, the theater remained relatively unchanged and experienced general wear and tear. It was at this point, in 1976, that Willis Johnson entered the picture. He purchased the Tivoli property and began extensive renovations.

Located in the heart of downtown Downers Grove, the Tivoli Theatre building occupies nearly half a block and contains a bowling alley, residential hotel, and storefront business and office spaces. In addition to screening countless movies, over the years, the venue has hosted big-name performers like Sonny & Cher, Julie Andrews, and Poi Dog Pondering.

It has been the site of events featuring actors, comedians, and authors such as Anthony Michael Hall, Jim Flannigan, and Nicholas Sparks respectively. Two Monday evenings per month, the Tivoli is also home to the After Hours Film Society, a not-for-profit organization committed to bringing foreign, art, and independent films to suburban audiences and inviting viewers to participate in post-film discussions.

With the 2015 stage conversion to a thrust configuration extending over the orchestra pit, the theater has also hosted numerous dance recitals and school variety shows. The Tivoli has even been the backdrop for weddings, but the Johnsons drew the line at holding funerals there. However, as discussed within the documentary, they might rethink the “no funeral policy” when the time comes to hold a celebration of life to honor Willis, Chris said.

Nearing its hundredth anniversary, the Tivoli Theatre is one of the longest-running, continually operating movie theaters in Chicagoland, no small feat given the numerous obstacles it has faced throughout the years.

It survived the Great Depression soon after opening, competition with shopping malls in the 1970s and 1980s, a storm blowing its roof off in the 1990s, and – more recently – the advent of streaming services and a global pandemic that shut down large public spaces like theaters. Chris attributes the Tivoli’s endurance to a willingness to evolve.

For example, for many years, the Tivoli operated as a fully restored single-screen movie theater showing second-run films, but it ultimately shifted to screening new releases. Then, in 2021, the Johnsons converted an adjacent storefront into an intimate second theater space. Aptly named the Willis Theatre, the new theater at the Tivoli contains over 30 heated reclining seats.

The Johnson Family and Classic Cinemas

Willis Johnson has owned the Tivoli Theatre for close to five decades, but his Downers Grove roots run even deeper. Willis grew up in Downers Grove, and he only left briefly when he joined the military. He returned to the community and raised his own children in Downers Grove. For many years, Willis even lived at the Tivoli Hotel located adjacent to the Theatre.

Willis was a partner in a printing business for over 20 years before he entered the movie theater business. After taking over the Tivoli Theatre operations by default when the film exhibition company that was leasing the theater abruptly closed for “remodeling,” Willis established the Classic Cinemas brand.

Along with his wife, Shirley, and son, Chris (who initially worked as an usher at the Tivoli starting in 1980), Willis quickly grew the business. With the Tivoli as its flagship location, today, Classic Cinemas has 16 theaters, with a collective 137 screens, primarily in Illinois, but with one theater across the border in Beloit, Wisconsin.

At one point, the Johnsons even operated a second theater in Downers Grove, the Tivoli South Theatre, located in the Meadowbrook Shopping Center at 63rd Street and Belmont Road.

Classic Cinemas is the largest movie theater business in Illinois and is in the top 40 in the nation. However, the Johnson family’s business savvy spans beyond the movie theater industry.

Chris explained how they prioritize “property acquisitions” near their theaters. “We are selective about tenants,” he said. “Our goal is to drive foot traffic and create a complimentary night life to our theaters.”

The Johnsons aim to enhance or revitalize the areas in which their theaters are situated. This includes having “a mix of regional, national, and local tenants that all lend to having a successful downtown,” Chris said.

Chris said his father would “volunteer for everything – a million different downtowns and civic centers. He would volunteer relentlessly.”

One particular way Willis volunteered was as the founding president of the National Association of Theatre Owners of Illinois, and Chris followed in his footsteps, currently serving as the organization’s president. “I’m turning into my dad, like those commercials,” Chris joked, but he acknowledged his pride in carrying his father’s work forward.

He also said “Shirley is an unsung hero,” always by Willis’s side, both within and beyond the business. This is one of the myriad reasons Chris is grateful to the Historical Society and Toth for recognizing Willis and Shirley and creating the corresponding documentary. He said, “They did an amazing job and should be applauded.”

The Downers Grove Historical Society

Proceeds from “History Happens Here: The Tivoli Theatre” went to the Downers Grove Historical Society, a non-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and celebrating the town’s rich history.

In her welcome address at the film’s premiere, Historical Society President Amy Gassen said she anticipated a high turnout for the event, and the sold-out crowd was a “testament to the love and passion people in and around Downers Grove have for this building and its incredible history.”

Gassen also expressed gratitude to the Johnsons for sharing their story and noted “how fortunate” it was that Toth was willing to volunteer his talents to create the documentary.

For others interested in contributing to the efforts of the Historical Society, various membership opportunities are available: individual ($25), family ($40), business ($100), senior ($15), and more.

Members receive free or discounted entry to most events sponsored by the Historical Society, such as tours of the Tivoli Theatre and the annual History on Tap trivia pub crawl.