Rialto Theater (Omaha, Nebraska)
Address | 1424 Douglas Street Omaha, Nebraska United States |
---|---|
Coordinates | 41°15′32″N 95°56′07″W / 41.2590°N 95.9353°W |
Owner | Blank Realty Co. |
Type | Movie theater |
Capacity | 2,500 |
Construction | |
Opened | Memorial Day, May 30, 1918 |
Years active | 1918–1929 |
Architect | John Latenser & Sons |
The Rialto Theater was a movie theater at 1424 Douglas Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska.[1] The building was razed in 1986 and the site paved over for use as a parking lot.[1] The property was later redeveloped as part of the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad's headquarters building.[1]
History
The 2,500-seat theater was designed by
The theater, built primarily for movies, opened to the public on Memorial Day, May 30, 1918.[1] The inaugural movie was Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman, starring John Barrymore and Evelyn Brent.[4] Initially built for silent movies, the theater was eventually converted to talking movies.[1] The theater closed suddenly on August 2, 1929 and was subsequently sub-divided into several retail establishments.[1] Its later uses included a bus station, a bowling alley, a retail clothing store and a cafeteria before its eventual demolition in February 1986.[1] The theater's large organ was acquired by Omaha Central High School with plans to install it in the school's auditorium.[1] That plan was never executed upon and the organ was later dismantled and sold for scrap.[1]
In Season 1, Episode 14, “The Phantom of the Horse Opera,” of the television program, “That Girl”, the Rialto theater is mentioned in the dialogue. One of the characters owns an old organ, and he mentions acquiring it from “...The Rialto Theater in Omaha, NE...”[5]
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 0-9745410-1-X.
- ^ a b c d e "Rialto Theater, Store and Office Building". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. September 2, 1917. p. 1.
- ^ "Terra Cotta On Rialto". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. February 17, 1918. p. 11.
- ^ "Perfect Opening for Rialto Theater". The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. May 31, 1918. p. 7.
- ^ Internet Movie Database
External links
- Rialto Theater at Cinema Treasures
- Street View of Rialto Theater