Rialto Theater

I believe there’s a piece of the Unique Theatre’s history missing. Our description for the Unique/Rialto says it opened in April, 1920, replacing the original Unique Theatre, but our page for the Unique says that that house closed in 1913 when the new Unique opened a few doors away.

It must be that the 1920 opening was a reopening, after the house had been rebuilt following a disastrous fire on July 10, 1919, which was reported in that day’s issue of New York City’s The Evening World. The World article said that the fire had started just after midnight, and had burned for several hours, the local firefighters ultimately needing the assistance of brigades from two nearby towns as well as soldiers from Camp Upton to put it out.

This web page has a scan of a four-page program from the Unique Theatre for the week of August 12, 1918.

The pre-fire Unique had an unusual feature, according to this item from the July 7, 1916, issue of The Patchogue Advance (now succeeded by The Long Island Advance):

“The most perfectly ventilated show house on Long Island is the Unique Theatre, with its open roof and large number of electric fans.”

Additional photo as the Unique, looking north on Ocean Avenue, uploaded.

Approximately a year after he opened the Patchogue Theatre in May, 1913 Mike Glynne acquired the Unique from Nathan Goldstein for a reported $65,000. The theatre was to be named the Rialto and would operate 6 days a week from May to October, Fridays and Saturdays the balance of the year.

The head of the Catholic church in RVC had approached the Lyric theater manager about not having Sunday viewing.

Glynn always specialized in large theaters, such as the Southampton, which Newsday always listed as “Glynns” in the movie time table long past the time when he was associated with it. But he also did acquire what is now the Sag Harbor, which is an intimate space. Odd.

Just posting to renew the email notifications.

They have recently built very nice condos on the site of this theater, and the adjoining lots.

My mother,Dorothy Fuchs Francis worked at the Rialto in 1943-1944 as an usherette. It was there that she met my father, Bob Hurd who was in the U.S. Army & home on leave. His father was the projectionist there at the time (Alfred Hurd). My father was sitting in the auditorium watching the show & had his feet up on the back of the seat in front of him, & my mother whacked him on the feet with her flashlight (ushers & usherettes always carried them back then)& told him to get his feet down. The rest is history!!

Paul,

I’m at

Tony Raiona

PTG1949
If you would like to contact me:

I saw my very first movies here, as a young child, circa 1964.

I found an essay on line called: Yaphank, the Depression Years, written by the Yaphank Historical Society. Judging from the article The Rialto had to be around since the 30’s! I had no idea the Rialto was that old!

The few young people who graduated from high school [Patchogue] had no local job options…Adults, other than farmers, included
some building trade craftsmen. These were carpenters, painters, electricians and masons. Work for trades people
was scarce as there was little construction, either new or remodeling. Some small jobs at the time included home
additions at Old Field and Belle Terre, the addition of sound equipment booths at the Rialto theater at Patchogue and the redecking of the bridge over the Long Island railroad
on what is now Sills Road

Violet,

You’re right about the lot seeming so small now. I’ve commented on that to my wife, many times. The same thing with the movies there.
I left in 1966 and just prior to that there was a movie showing there with Natalie Wood and Robert Redford called “This Property is Condemned.” When the name of the movie was put on the marquee. the phone would not stop ringing with people calling asking if the theater was still open! Goes to show you what people thought of the place.