Rialto Theatre
113 W. 2nd Street,
Kewanee,
IL
61443
113 W. 2nd Street,
Kewanee,
IL
61443
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An item in the March 24, 1917 issue of The Moving Picture World said that the new Rialto Theatre in Kewanee was owned by Chris C. Taylor, who also owned the Dreamland Theatre. The March 10 issue of the same journal had noted that the plans for remodeling an existing building to accommodate the Rialto had been prepared by Chicago architect W. T. Braun. William T. Braun had been the architect of the Barker-Swan Film Service studio at Peoria, Illinois, according to Motography of March 25, 1916.
The Rialto was a conversion of an old 2-story brick commercial building built sometime between 1885 and 1892, and modified over the years. At least for a time it was known as the Hallin Block, which is a bit odd since there was a Hallin building at 107. The 1910 map shows it as a restaurant.
Opened late March 1917
In 1933 the Rialto was a Balaban & Katz house, noted in the October 6 issue of The Film Daily.
Sadly this building was lost in the great 3 block Kewanee fire in 1942 .
I’ve found the Rialto mentioned in the trade publications in the latter part of 1917.