Rialto Theatre
1085 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
1085 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
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In his recent autobiography “The Good, the Bad, and Me,” actor Eli Wallach (born 1915) recalls going frequently to the Rialto when he was growing up in Brooklyn.
He writes: “On Saturday the Union Street Toughs would go to the Rialto, a movie palace about three blocks from my house. The Rialto had a big marquee with red and green lights flickering on it, and I would pay for my admission with the dime I had earned during the week… We would all sit on wooden benches in the smoke-filled theater and watch Westerns starring Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, and William S. Hart, who became my heroes…” (pages 20-21)
Wallach could not have imagined that one day he would be acting in films himself, including westerns such as “The Magnificent Seven” and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” from which his book derives its sly title.
I just thought of another story about this theater. My sister took me to this theater for one of the many times I saw Walt Disney’s the Love Bug. She wanted me to describe the film and tell me what was going on. I did not know at the time I was helping her with a school project. I must have been a annoyance to people in the balcony.
The Rialto Theatre opened on 16th March 1916 with the movie “The Ne’re Do Well” starring Harry Lonsdale and Kathlyn Williams. It’s opening seating capacity was 1,542.
The header Function should be changed to; Church
Maddy TN:
Are you sure that wasn’t the Loew’s Kings? I was never at a battle of the bands in Brooklyn, but that would be the likely place. It had a stage behind the screen.
Is this the theater that held the Battles of the Bands in the 60’s or was that the Albemarle? Seems like I remember it was in an area above the theater itself, which would fit the Albemarle’s description and there was an entrance and exit on a side street. Can’t remember exactly anymore.
I had an aunt that worked at the Brooklyn Rialto. Her and my Grandmother liked westerns. Midnight Cowboy once played there. They went to see the movie not knowing, well, that it certainly wasn’t a western.
The last time I was to the Rialto we lived on Long Island and drove into Brooklyn for some reason that I forget. We saw the Sting, and my aunt was still working there.
I saw Jaws and Let’s Do it Again here. Wow!!! Days gone by!!! That was the end of Brooklyn’s finest moments.