Rialto Theatre
595 W. Side Avenue,
Jersey City,
NJ
07304
595 W. Side Avenue,
Jersey City,
NJ
07304
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On August 14, 1926 a Wurlitzer organ (opus 1418) was installed in the building which opened as the Rialto Theatre on October 29, 1926 with Viola Dana in “Kosher Kitty Kelly” & Tom Tyler in “Tom and His Pals”. It was operated by New Jersey Theatrical Enterprises. The Rialto Theatre was closed on July 6, 1952 with Peter Boyle in “Joe” & “Kangaroo”.
It was demolished and a BP gas station was built on the site.
Contributed by
tc
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
Here’s an ad for the Rialto from the Jersey Journal, December 1942. If anyone tried to make a movie like that in 1952 instead of 1942, they’d be hanged for high treason:
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Listed in the 1944 FDY. Listed as CLOSED and part of Skouras Theatres Corp. in the 1956 Film Daily Yearbook.
Looks to be demolished. From the Google aerial photos I see a gas station at that address.
remember this place being near a veternarians office. it was alreay closed by time i was a kid,but i remember it because the marque was still up.
This opened on October 29th, 1926. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
This theater was closed by the early 60’s. I walked past it every day on my way to school. My mother went there growing up and I have brown stemware that the theater gave away when you went to see a movie. It no longer exists. It was torn down and there is a gas station there now.
Here is an item that is probably about the Rialto, from the September 5, 1925, issue of Motion Picture News:
The last advertised showtimes were on July 6, 1952 with “Joe” and “Kangaroo.”
Yes, there’s definitely a BP gas station on that corner. The buildings to the left of the old Rialto came down along with the theater to make way for the gas pumps, but the buildings to the right remain standing. There is still a veterinarian’s office a few doors north of the Rialto on the same side of the street. It was Dr. Manziano’s when I was a kid back in the 50s and early 60s. It’s called Animal Hospital of Jersey City today.