Rialto Theatre

The photos I posted above are located here now that I’ve reorganized my photobucket account. The old links no longer work.

I was on the block earlier today and pulled over to see if the place was open. While the doors were locked and the lights turned off, I could look through the small square porthole windows on the front doors and note that there seems to be a small vestibule leading to a set of doors leading into the large gym space. The vestibule floor seems to retain the original upwards slope towards the inner doors and I suspect that this may have been the original outer vestibule under the theatre’s canopy. Next time I’m in a Barnes & Noble, I’ll have to look for the “Whitestone” book Warren posted about above and check out the 1946 image of the Rialto for comparison.

Those inner doors were open when I visited today, by the way, and I could make out that the space beyond is one big open room right back to the rear wall of the building. It was too dark to make out any details. I wonder if any elements remain at all – perhaps on the ceiling?

I have very fond memories of The Rialto. JJF is right—we called it the itch—probably because it was pretty funky and your feet stuck to the floor. I went to the Saturday double features—generally movies that had long seen their day in theaters. I loved the horror and sci fi movies. For instance, I saw the double feature of the original “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” there. I think the doors opened at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon. I would bring 51 cents: 26 cents(?)for the ticket and 25 cents to spend in the snack machines (there was no candy counter) which dispensed soda, popcorn and ice cream. I think the owner would sell the tickets and then go upstairs and run the projector. There was a matron who would prowl the aisles with the flashloight and intimidate the kids. I went to PS 79 which was a block away and rememmber when they gutted it either 1957 or 1958.

I remember the itch.Sat Matinees had a double feature newsreel 15 cartoons a serial or 3 stooges coming attractions and Maybe a guest appearance by Superman(Bud Collier), Brace Beemer (The lone ranger) or Floyd Buckley The red Lantern from the land of the lost. I learned all about necking in the back row. Mr Schafter was the owner it was a family run theatre. H sent his grandson to college to become a lawyer.

What a strange location for a movie theatre! If one steers around the Google Maps view, the building is surrounded by private homes on both sides of the street. Could that view actually be the rear of the cinema, which might have had its front entrance on the next street?