Patch Blog: Suggestions to Help Save the Rialto Theater

My first memories of the Rialto were from the 1930’s when I was just eight years old. At that time, a few silent movies were still being shown there. Mostly, I remember the short silents that often ran before the featured movies with sound.  For us kids back then, the silent shorts were actually the more popular of the two.

The silents had plenty of car chases, police chases, and cops and robbers chases. Another plot point was a locomotive crashing through houses, hitting cars, or just barely missing cars and then diving off a bridge.

The Rialto would have double features that changed three times a week. There would always be different movies from week to week. We knew how to have a good time—just go to the Rialto and see whatever was playing. We didn’t look up the titles or even know what we were getting most of time time. We just went in and sat down. The gangster movies were really popular. What I remember is that the crooks always wore snappy suits and fine hats and they always called their women “Baby.” And, always while smoking plenty of cigarettes.

Much later, the pipe organ at the Rialto was rebuilt. George Wright, the pop theater organist, gave special concerts there. The audience enjoyed the raunchy sound of the theater organ with all of its bells, whistles, drums and other noise makers. Unfortunately, later on there was a fire that did great damage to the interior and wrecked the organ.

Speaking of fires, at one performance, someone actually yelled, “Fire!” I’m not sure if this was a mistake or another prank, but what an experience! The whole audience rose up instantly and started for the exits. This one turned out to be a false alarm and no one was injured. But, it was plenty scary.

To get the Rialto Theater going again, here are some of my suggestions:

1. Install a digital projector. Start showing a mix of shorts from YouTube and whatever else is in the Public Domain (i.e. free) And don’t show any full length stuff.
2. Open the theater on Saturday and Sunday afternoons only. The patrons can come watch whatever is playing. The shows can run continuously. The audiences can come and go all afternoon as they please.
3. Install an electronic organ set to play theater organ music. Get a volunteer to play it or have it pre-programmed.
4. Have a lunch truck parked out in front of the theater all afternoon so there will be plenty of popcorn and drinks available.

I remember the Rialto as just this kind of place (without the lunch truck.) It was always offering surprises in my youth. These days it can do just that again. And at the same time, it will preserve the past and introduce younger viewers to a real live movie theater. Just like the old days.

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