Rialto Theatre
228 E. Main Street,
Marion,
VA
24354
228 E. Main Street,
Marion,
VA
24354
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Functions: Retail
Previous Names: Hutton Moving Picture Show, Star Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Hutton Moving Picture Show opened prior to 1916. It later became the Past Time Theatre and then the Star Theatre. It was listed as (Closed) in 1937. It had reopened in 1938 as the Rialto Theatre but had closed by 1939. The Rialto Theatre was still listed as (Closed) in 1941. Building still stands and today houses The Past Time Antique Emporium.
Pruner Boarding House was previously above the marquee.
Contributed by
David Zornig
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Current tenant Past Time Antique Emporium has graciously provided the following chronology. It opened as the Hutton Moving Picture Show, a silent film venue. It then became Past Time Theatre, then Star Theatre with the Star Diner next door. It’s final incarnation was as the Rialto Theatre. The antique store is named Past Time as an homage to the previous name. 1939 photo as the Rialto added courtesy of Matt Shaw.
Here is an item from the June 3, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World:
Interesting. That confirms that the Marion was a different theatre altogether. It should be removed from the previous names, and the two I mentioned above should be added. The Rialto appears to already be closed in the 1939 photo I added.
At the time the Lincoln Theatre opened in July, 1929, its lessee, R. W. Sherrill, had been operating the Marion Theatre since the middle of the previous winter, according to an article in the June 27 issue of The Smyth County News (PDF of the entire issue.) Sherrill intended to keep the Marion open, on a six-day schedule, and would show mostly westerns. At this time it was the only other theater operating in Marion.
This theater appears on the 1913 map, but the building is not on the 1908 map. Pastime (not Past Time) should be added to the AKA.
The building has been remuddled a few times, and is missing the cornice. It was gutted by fire October 2021, and the 2022 streetview shows it roofless.