Rialto Theatre

There is a great history and photos of this theatre on their web site.

The above link no longer works but here is a link to the history and some photos of the Rialto.
http://www.rialtotheatre.com/history.php

The correct link for the Rialto is www.rialtotheatre.com

Exterior photo of the Rialto Theatre.
http://www.pbase.com/bearpaw/image/23184566

Here is another website with some history on the Rialto Theater.

I was just watching the documentary "Inside Deep Throat" and in the special features it was shown at the Rialto. They showed the outside as well as the inside - facing the doors from the lobby, stairs, projection booth and auditorium. The screen isn't there anymore but there was a stage and regular folding chairs. In the lobby there were works of art from maybe an art show on the wall.

Here is a 1995 article about the history of the Rialto. Unfortunately, the accompanying photos no longer appear, at least on my computer:
http://tinyurl.com/jykc2

The link for the Rialto listed above is a nice Net site but its facts reference the Rialto having an organ are off by miles. The Rialto as best I have been able to determine never had an organ. At best it might have had a Photoplayer unit for a while. The Kilgen organ referred to on their website arrived at the Yuma theatre in the mid 1980s. It came from a theatre in southern California and was installed in a mortuary in Yuma in the 40s or 50s. It was moved from the mortuary to the Yuma theatre in the l980s when the local chapter of ATOS wanted to install it. They ultimately failed and the organ never got installed. It was parted out.
If you look closely at the enlarged photo of the Rialto interior from the balcony apparently taken when the theatre was new, there is no organ console in the pit area and the "organ grilles" on the sidewalls are painted on. Don Story

This is a night view of the Rialto Theater.

Added to the National Register of Historical Places in 2003

Rialto Theatre (added 2003 - Building - #03000909)
318 E. Congress St., Tucson
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Architect, builder, or engineer: Curlett, Alexander, William Curlett & Son
Area of Significance: Community Planning And Development, Architecture
Period of Significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949, 1950-1974
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Theater

There are 12 photos on this page from the CA State Library:
http://tinyurl.com/2s9966

Here's a photo I took of the Rialto in 2001: http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenery/511337893/in/set-72157594514575526/

Here are the photos I tried to post in May:
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2361.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2362.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2363.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2364.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2365.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2366.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2367.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2368.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2369.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2370.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2371.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2372.jpg

Here is a recent close-up view of the Rialto Theater marquee at night.

Here is the Rialto back in 2004.

Another photo is here.

I wonder why they did away witht he old marquee and the verticle, sure added more to the appearance.

I think that Lost Memory's photo link is more recent than the previous ones. I was there in 2001 and the theatre had the plain, flat marquee. The photos in LM's links from 2/6/09 and 11/14/07 are more recent than that, the theatre has had some restoration work done in the last couple years.

Exactly. The overhanging marquee is the newer one. Here is a November 2008 photo and this is a July 2008 photo. The flat marquee was installed around 1995-96.

This is a 2009 shot of the Rialto at night.

The Rialto opened on August 29, 1920 according to this site.