| Rialto Theatre at Night McCulloch Bros. (Photographer) APRIL 16, 1945 |
| PHOTO RESTORATION BY STEELCACTUS |
| CLICK PICTURES TWICE FOR FULL EFFECT |
| RIALTO THEATER 37 W. Washington Street ~ Phoenix, Arizona Opened on July 2, 1921 with a seating capacity of 1,700. The Rialto Theater was closed and demolished 34 years later in 1955. The Rialto originally had a huge neon sunburst above the marquee. That was later changed to a right angle Rialto sign. The wall above the marquee was a restrained Spanish Revival. The top of the marquee had fantastic curling motifs with large ‘jewels’ inserted. The free standing ticket booth had emerald green tiles all around. Inside was fabulous. As you went in the front doors, the superb classical staircase went up and then split into left and right stairs to a square balcony that overlooked the lobby. There was fine furniture, golden Grecian statues and gilded ornament all over. From the landing you entered the balcony. The ceiling in the theater had a huge painting on it; I think it was a stylized Native American maiden. The rest of the decoration looked right out of the Italian Renaissance. |
