Rialto Theater
284 W. Ferry Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14213
284 W. Ferry Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14213
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Built in 1915, near the site of the Victoria Theater, which moved up the street. Always an independent theater, managed by the Hoch family. Had a Wurlitzer organ in the 1920’s. The original owner Andrew Hoch died in 1948, H. Hoch managed until the end, around 1952. Demolished some time later.
Contributed by
Alan Lapp
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
That WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ was a 2 Manual 4 Rank. It is not known what happened to the organ.
“Gee Dad, it "WAS” a WurliTzer!"
We lived on Arkansas Street back in the ‘40s and my brother and I would walk to the Rialto and sometimes to the Victoria. That was back when parents felt OK about letting a six and eight year old walk alone.
The Rialto was always a madhouse on Saturdays with kids running and making so much noise you could hardly hear the movie. When we were in a more subdued mood we would go to the Victoria. They had ushers imported from Nazi Germany who made everyone stay in their seat and keep quiet.
In what to a child was a lifetime later, I ended up in the machine shop of the Wurlitzer Plant making parts for the Rialto’s organ while working my way through college.
Hey msean (or anyone else with a good memory) -
Did this theater have a marquee that came straight out over the entire sidewalk like a large roof that was supported by poles at the curb? I lived on Herkimer in the 40’s and 50’s and sorta remember something like that.
Alknobloch, you are correct, the theater did have a marquee that came out to the curb. I never
actually saw the theater, but have a picture from the mid 50s, when it was a church, and the
marquee was still in place.
Dennis Unks, president of Organ Supply Industries in Erie PA, had the Rialto organ and gave it to a man I worked with in the console department around year 2000. I did see the console in the garage of this fella’s house during a visit there, but’s long since moved to Las Vegas, so who knows what’s happened to the organ.
Listings for the Rialto ended in 1951.