Rialto Theatre

Here is a close-up photo of the Rialto’s entrance. The movie advertised is “Captain Blood,” which was released in December, 1935, but a smaller market such as Beeville would probably not have gotten the movie until some weeks later, so the photo was probably taken in 1936, about the time the house reopened. This might even have been the first movie shown in the newly remodeled house.

The August 2009 photos show a very nice renovation job!

The September 15, 1972, issue of Boxoffice featured an article about the 50th anniversary of the Rialto. The house opened on August 19, 1922, over a month after it had been completed. The delay was the result of a railroad strike which had stranded the Theater’s organ in a Cincinnati railyard. Henry Hall finally grew impatient and arranged for a ten-piece orchestra to substitute for the missing theater organ at the opening. The first movie shown in the new house was Douglas Fairbanks' “The Three Musketeers.”

The Boxoffice article gives a higher seat count at the time of the Rialto’s opening than the theater currently has, saying there were 526 opera chairs on the main floor and 200 additional seats in the balcony. Over 1300 tickets were sold for two shows on the opening night, at 10 and 25 cents.

The year after the Rialto opened, the Halls bought a competing Beeville house, the Mission Theatre, later renaming it the Rex. They operated the Rex until 1959. When the Rialto was gutted by fire in 1936, the Halls opened another theater called the Rio, intending it to be a temporary replacement until the Rialto was rebuilt, but Hall was still operating the Rio at least as late as 1972.

This is a photo of the plans for the renovation.

Another 1984 photo is here.

Here’s the official web site for the Rialto.

Here are some 1984 photos:

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

May of 2005 pics here.

Outside of building HERE
Closeup of H in sign HERE
Underneath canopy shot HERE. Looks like the neon or something has been changed under the canopy since original install. Notice the caps in the metal.
Peeking through the left side of the building HERE and HERE
On the right side of the building, behind the window that says Air Conditioning is this old barbershop. HERE and HERE and HERE.

Yeah, I know I am in the last shot!

Here is a July 2008 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/b8xzvg

There are two photos on texasescapes.com:
http://tinyurl.com/yuvzw3

A Hillgreen-Lane theater organ opus 667 size 2/8 was installed in the Rialto Theater in 1922 at a cost of $4,050.

Added to the National Register of Historical Places in 2001

Rialto Theater (added 2001 – Building – #01001265)
Also known as Hall-Rialto Theater
112-114 N. Washington St., Beeville
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: et.al., Stephensen, W.C.
Architectural Style: Moderne
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Work In Progress

Here is a color photo of the Rialto Theatre in Beeville, Tx.
View link courtesy of seth