Rialto Cinema

Located at the corner of Bebington Road and Alma Street in Bebington, to the south of Birkenhead, Merseyside. The Rialto Cinema was opened on 27th July 1933 with Sonnie Hale in “Tell Me Tonight”. The 1934 edition of Kinematrograph Yearbook lists the operators as rhe Liverpool based Regent Enterprises Ltd. chain. It was operated by the Liverpool independent operator Bedford Cinemas(1928) Ltd. It was an attractive building, built in plumb-coloured brick, with a white stone band across the top of the façade. The auditorium was designed on a stadium plan, with a raised stepped section at the rear, rather than a conventional overhanging balcony. The proscenium was 40ft wide. The Rialto Cinema was equipped with a Compton ‘Baby’ 2Manual/5Ranks organ which had an illuminated console that was located in the orchestra pit (but not on a lift). It was opened by organist Albert E. Askew. The cinema was equipped with a Western Electric(WE) sound system. There was a free car park at the rear of the cinema which held 100 cars.

The Rialto Cinema was closed in the summer of 1961 with Michael Craig in “Payroll” and “Clue of the New Pin”. It became a warehouse for a removals and storage company. In the late-1980’s it became a Breaks snooker club.

The building has been demolished and the site is now a car park for a new Aldi supermarket.

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