Rialto Cinema

Rather than becoming a 'Chicago Rock cafe', I hear that the Rialto will actually reopen in November 2002 as a Hard Rock Casino, with owners Rank Group spending a considerable amount of money on the conversion to a casino.

Aye it's a Casino now. I remember the Rialto would show B movies in the 1970s...BLAZING MAGNUMS, THE BITCH, etc. Still it was a nice theatre in a great location.

The British Film Institute had hoped to reopen the Rialto as a West End venue for the National Film Theatre (somewhat similar to American Cinemateque). It was a brilliant proposal. But of course big business prevailed. The Fashion Cafe opened and shut within a year or two. Presumably the cinema was gutted. It is now a Hard Rock Casino. I can't walk past it without thinking everytime what a wasted opportunity.

Where does the arts money in this country go? Nowhere? Recently, I am nearly ashamed to say, but more aptly sick to say, that my simple being wishes to stay away from the arts mostly these days and there are few to be found. And the culture of culture, the culture of art has largely gone. Whose decision was it in the government to let such a great idea turn into a casino? I am now firm in my opinion that whatever the Tories are like, no governing body could ever be worse than the current Labour party. The arts were living and breathing under the conservatives, whatever the constant moans and genuine demands for increased funding, and the arts in the UK was always looking up under a conservative government. Its just straight down to less than nowhere with Blair and Labour. And they don't display any sign that they would ever be able to give a damn, not that they wouldn't it's just that they are completely unable to. I don't know why. But lets not keep them

A photograph of the Rialto Cinema that I took in July 1964:
http://photobucket.com/albums/y191/KenR-UK/?action=view¤t=RialtoCoventryStreet.jpg

I took this photo circa 1949 when I was a student in London (studying photography at the Regent Street Polytechnic)
If you view it please don't forget to sign the guest book.

http://www.grenvillebarrett.co.uk/rialto.htm

Grenville Barrett

I attended a film at the Rialto in September 1959 when I was fresh off the old RMS Queen Mary from New York. The film was "Blue Denim", a movie about teen angst, which was appropriate since I was just out of my teens myself and full of angst. A couple of girls sitting in front of me cried through much of it. It was a week-night screening. I seem to recall that it was necessary to climb a few steps to enter the inner foyer, and that the cinema was in very good condition. However, it seemed larger to me than the 684-seat figure above would sugggest. I believe that it had a balcony or circle.

Ron; Great memories. The Rialto Theatre did have a balcony, seating capacities were for 452 Stalls and 232 Balcony which give a total seating capacity of 684.

A view of the side wall of the auditorium block here:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/807824341/

A photo of the not-long-closed Rialto in 1987 here:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/1083438958/

The Rialto will shortly be rebranded from a Hard Rock Casino into a 'G Casino', following Rank's sale of its Hard Rock Cafe division.

If you go to:
http://www.hardrock.com/casinos/tour360/london.asp
You can view several interior tours of the casino. Much of the original ornate ceiling and plasterwork appears to be intact, as does the circle.

This theatre may have had ties to 20th Century Fox Film Corp., but it was never owned or operated by the FOX/NATIONAL GENERAL CORP. chain of theatres. These are seperate co's. Fox/ National General no longer exsist. 20th Century Fox is alive and well. But there is no connection between the two. Fox Theatres/National General Theatres never owned or operated movie theatres overseas.

The Rialto Cinema can be seen on the left of this night-time view of Coventry Street in November 1955:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allhails/2808666144/

The derelict interior of the Rialto Cinema, photographed in 1998:
http://www.cinephoto2.co.uk/geoff_young_page_48.htm