1942 Kenilworth, Illinois

Paul Charles Gignilliat
Born 1932
First movie memory in Kenilworth, Illinois, population 2,501
Interviewed 1/20/2019
By Philip Hinkes

When I was a child, I remember going to the movies every Wednesday after school at the “Vogue” theater. At that time, I was growing up in the Chicago Suburb of Kenilworth, Illinois.  The “Vogue” theater was located between Kenilworth and another Suburb called Winnetka—in an area often referred to as “no man’s Land.” Most days, I’d walk with my friends (by ourselves) through the Green Bay Road tunnel and across Ridge St to get to the theater.

You could get a popcorn and ticket for only 15 cents back then. Of course, I’d always get my favorite movie treat: Milk Duds. I’d always (and still do) mix the Milk Duds into my popcorn for a salty sweet treat. The theater was gorgeous, located right on the shores of Lake Michigan. Well-dressed ushers would always be eager to help you find seats.

The first movie I remember was called Wake Island. It was 1942, and I must have been about 10. I realize now the film was quite the WWII Propaganda piece, but I still absolutely loved the movie at the time. There was one scene—I don’t remember what exactly happened—but I was so startled I shot a foot out of my seat, and I thought I was going to hit the ceiling of the theater. I was not the only one—I remember hearing the shrieks of countless other children.

After the film, my friends and I were so enthralled by the film’s patriotism that we went to beach of Lake Michigan to reenact scenes from the movie. I played Major Canton from the film, guarding my unit from imperial Japanese planes.

Because we had played on the beach for hours, it was soon dark and well past the time my parents had expected me home. As I started my familiar walk home, I started reflecting on some of the scarier scenes from the move—and my walk home quickly turned into a sprint. That had to have been a few miles of running.

Interestingly, I also remember the next time I went to the movies. I saw Snow White—something a little more kid friendly than Wake Island.