Comments about Rialto Theater in Brownfield, TX

DonLewis on February 15, 2013 at 10:29 pm

Sad to say that Sammy Jones has passed away.

DonLewis on June 20, 2010 at 7:30 pm

I don’t know the current status of the Rialto, but as a kid I knew Sammy Jones who sold the Brownfield theater properties in 1993. He was not shot and now resides here in North Texas.

Theaterman1 on May 13, 2009 at 2:19 pm

Does anyone know if it is for sale? i had heard it was off and on and one guy owned it but had another and both were shot,, i blieve there is another theater just down the road that was bad owned by the same guy?

lostmemory on May 10, 2009 at 5:16 am

Here is a 2009 photo.

DonLewis on March 2, 2008 at 8:51 am

A 2001 photo of the Rialto Theater in Brownfield. In the mid 1960s the Rialto had wire mesh seat bottoms due to cloth seats having been cut and vandalized.

lostmemory on August 18, 2007 at 4:47 pm

This is a more recent photo of the Rialto Theater.

kencmcintyre on May 19, 2007 at 3:35 pm

Here is another 2007 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/35smzg

lostmemory on January 18, 2007 at 6:43 am

There was no fire? In the photo that you posted, it sure did look like the Rialto had burned. I guess it was the hot Texas sun that made it look that way. LOL

DonLewis on January 18, 2007 at 6:32 am

The Rialto is very old and and has been in very poor condition for a long time. I am surprised that Brownfiled’s building occupancy codes, if any, even allow it to be used and that it has not been condemed.

If the Jones family still holds insurance on it, which is doubtful, the Rialto is surely worth more as a vacant lot.

Don………

Life's Too Short on January 16, 2007 at 6:21 pm

Why do you say that?

DonLewis on January 16, 2007 at 3:34 pm

The RIALTO could have experienced a fire at some point, but I dont think it did. It did suffer many years of neglect and being empty.

If my picture is the one being refered to as the RIALTO looking as if it survived a fire, that is not the case, it shows neglect not fire damage.

I suspect if it ever catches on fire Brownfield will watch it burn to the ground.

lostmemory on January 16, 2007 at 1:26 pm

Here is a photo with a 2007 date and the Rialto Theater looks just fine. Was it restored after the fire?

lostmemory on October 9, 2006 at 8:47 am

This photo was taken by Seth Gaines in June of 2005. The building was still in good condition at that time so that narrows the fire occurring between June of 2005 and August of 2006.

Life's Too Short on August 21, 2006 at 5:12 pm

It looks to me like it burned sometime after that 2004 photo was taken.

DonLewis on August 21, 2006 at 5:03 pm

My photograph of the RIALTO www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/221637519/

lostmemory on May 14, 2006 at 1:10 pm

Thanks for the link. That small photo from 2004 shows so much more detail than the larger photo that I posted.

kencmcintyre on May 14, 2006 at 11:33 am

Here is another photo of the Rialto:
http://tinyurl.com/hbpu7

lostmemory on September 17, 2005 at 5:33 am

This is a photo of the Rialto Theater in Brownfield.

Chuck1231 on July 25, 2005 at 11:54 am

Here is a color photo of the Rialto Theatre.
View link

Chuck1231 on January 26, 2005 at 9:18 pm

The front facade of the Rialto was rather unique with the white columns running down and the murals painted between each column. The mural is a western scene with the chuck wagon and the cowboys standing and sitting around the campfire.

Chuck1231 on September 4, 2004 at 8:32 am

Don I think the address should be 408 West Main Street, correct me if I am wrong, but when mapping it gives West and East Main.

Rialto Theater

408 W. Main Street, Brownfield, TX 79316

408 W. Main Street,
Brownfield, TX 79316