Rialto Theatre
17 W. Third Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74103
17 W. Third Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74103
1 person
favorited this theater
The Rialto showed first-run films.
Contributed by
Lauren Grubb
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Recent comments (view all 35 comments)
This view is erroneousely dated 1919, but it had to have been an earlier date than that because the Orpheum Vaudeville Theatre (nee Empress, AKA- Rialto) name was changed to Rialto by 1917. Note the first Rialto just beyond the Orphuem. By 1916 this theatre had been torn down to make way for a high rise Kress.
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/A0824.jpg
Rialto Theatre shot taken shortly before the building came down -
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/E0127.jpg
Architect L. B. Senter must have also designed Palace Office Supply over on Sixth & Boston Ave.
Note similarities between the two structures -
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/A0599.jpg
Around 1912 the World Newspaper Building was converted into Tulsa’s first Rialto Theatre. After the World Bldg. was demolished to make way for a high rise Kress five and dime store, Rialto signage was moved next door to rename the Orpheum Theatre. From the Tulsa Library/Beryl Ford Collection comes this 1905 image of the World Bldg -
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/B3813.jpg
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 691 style “D” was installed in the Rialto Theater on 9/5/1923. Status: sold
According to the opus list in the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ book, Opus 691 was born as a 2/6 “D” Special. On 9/23/1924, three ranks of pipes were added, and it became a 2/9. In 1926, it was moved from the Rialto to the Orpheum.
A 4/11 Robert-Morton was then installed in the Rialto, to give the Rialto an organ with a console comparable to the 4-manual console at the Ritz, which was a competing theatre at that time.
The book doesn’t tell this, but after the Wurlitzer underwent many hours of donated early-morning and late-night maintenance, it was quietly removed from the Orpheum one weekend. It was taken to a home in the Dallas area, where it remains, and is currently playing.
The Wurlitzer Opus 691 was purchased in 1969 by a business associate of Alex Blue, the Orpheum Building’s owner, and moved to the man’s home in Dallas. This happened without the knowledge of Bill Roberts, Dorothy Smith and Phil Judkins, who rebuilt the organ in the early 60s. Several years later, that man bought a larger instrument and the Orpheum organ went to his son’s home in a suburb of Austin. The pipes are still there, but he added a 3 manual console and additional pipes. The two manual console of Opus 691, through an odd chain of events, is sitting in my basement “speakeasy” and screening room in Chicago and will soon play with digital samples. It was the first theatre pipe organ I ever played (when it was still in the Orpheum) and I worked as an usher and assistant manager at the Orpheum (also, occasionally, the Rialto) while I was in college. It’s my understanding that the organ was enlarged with a kinura, clarinet, and salicional celeste in 1924 and was moved to the Orpheum for the theatre’s opening in November of that year. At that time it became a two chamber installation, with chambers on both sides of the proscenium. It had been in only one chamber in the Rialto.
If you want to see a c1910 shot of the Rialto Theatre then go to below site and type in
“tulsa 3rd street looking east"
View link
Wonderful historic shots on that link, cosmo. The Rialto must have had the very first V shape marquee angled to catch the eye of motorist.
The 1920 Tulsa Directory, page 46, finally clears up a bit of confusion. Obviously Tulsa had two Orpheums and two Rialtos. The 1920 (first) Rialto is listed next door to this listing of the (first) Orpheum. Rialto Theatre, 7-11 W. 3rd, seating cap 850, Prop- W M Smith. Orpheum, seating capacity- 1400, Prop- W.M. Smith.
http://cdm15020.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p15020coll12&CISOPTR=1603&REC=3
This 1919 image is posted above, but will post it again here in order to point out that next door to the (first) Orpheum can be seen the (first) Rialto.
http://cdm15020.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/p15020coll1&CISOPTR=144&CISOBOX=1&REC=11
This great link also helps clear up confusion regarding both Rialto theatres, the Orpheums, and various locations where these cinemas sat,
http://www.tulsagal.net/search/label/The%20Rialto