FYI, I’m in the parking lot of the old Rivoli (current 99¢ Store) right now. Just spoke to the manager, and their last day of business will be Nov. 18th. After that, the entire structure is being razed to put up a housing high-rise.
You have only three weeks to see the former Rivoli Theater. After that, IT WILL BE GONE.
The two theaters being discussed here are not the same.
The Niles Theater opened in February 1937. It was a sort of gift to the town; J.E. Niles, a elderly local businessman, constructed it to lift residents' spirits stemming from the ongoing Great Depression. He was 85 years old when the curtain first went up.
The Alhambra, the town’s older theater, ceased operations upon completion of the newer Niles building. J.E. Niles also owned the Alhambra for a time (having purchased, along with son-in-law John Dolezal, the then-going concern in 1931), until his namesake theater opened on Main Street six years later. That older structure, located on South Howard Street, still exists; some recent uses include a roller rink (1980s) and carpet/flooring store (current).
FYI, I’m in the parking lot of the old Rivoli (current 99¢ Store) right now. Just spoke to the manager, and their last day of business will be Nov. 18th. After that, the entire structure is being razed to put up a housing high-rise.
You have only three weeks to see the former Rivoli Theater. After that, IT WILL BE GONE.
The two theaters being discussed here are not the same.
The Niles Theater opened in February 1937. It was a sort of gift to the town; J.E. Niles, a elderly local businessman, constructed it to lift residents' spirits stemming from the ongoing Great Depression. He was 85 years old when the curtain first went up.
The Alhambra, the town’s older theater, ceased operations upon completion of the newer Niles building. J.E. Niles also owned the Alhambra for a time (having purchased, along with son-in-law John Dolezal, the then-going concern in 1931), until his namesake theater opened on Main Street six years later. That older structure, located on South Howard Street, still exists; some recent uses include a roller rink (1980s) and carpet/flooring store (current).