Rialto Theatre
120 E. Aurora Street,
Ironwood,
MI
49938
120 E. Aurora Street,
Ironwood,
MI
49938
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Thomas Theatre Group
Previous Names: Grand Theatre, Empress Theatre, Temple Theatre
Nearby Theaters
As reported in the Ironwood News Record, the Empress Theatre opened in July 1912 and was temporarily named the Grand Theatre in March 1917. There is more information that as early as 1909 it was converted from a store to a theatre. In 1916 it was renamed Temple Theatre.
The Rialto Theatre reopened May 4, 1917, under the management of C.H Fulton and George Peck, owners of the Rex Theatre. It was noted the building was leased from the O'Donnell and Nolan families for two years.
Annette Kellerman in “A Daughter of the Gods" and “Intolerance" were among the high-class films to be shown soon.
In April 1925, it was taken over by United Theatres, a large Wisconsin chain, but by April 1926, the city declared the building unsafe for occupancy. In addition the building caught fire on July 8, causing $8,000 in damages.
The Rialto Theatre was torn down in 1927 and the Rosemurgy building was built on the site.
Film Daily Year Book 1927 lists the Rialto Theatre with 525 seats.
Contributed by
Ron Pierce
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
For a short period of time it was operated by the Thomas Theatre Group along with more than a dozen other Michigan theatres.
1920s photo as Rialto Theatre added credit Craig Allen Lewis.
This item from the February 5, 1916 issue of Moving Picture World gives another aka for the Empress/Rialto. Unfortunately the aka is Temple, which was the name of yet another Ironwood theater of the period, so we might have some conflation going on somewhere. I’ve posted the item to our Temple Theatre page as well:
Kelly’s management of the house lasted for only a little over a year. Here is an item from the April 6, 1917 issue of Variety confirming the end of Kelly’s operation of the house, though it doesn’t mention the brief name change to Grand Theatre: “The Temple, Ironwood, Mich., has changed hands, owner Kelly withdrawing from its management. Under the new regime the Temple returns to the W. V. M. A. fold and will have a five-act show booked in by Paul Goudron, starting Apr. 28. The house has been offering films of late.”The other Temple was across the street at 125 W. Aurora Street. That address was confirmed on one of the Facebook pages I culled the photo from.