Rio Theatre

616 Main Street,
Van Buren, AR 72956

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Paramount Pictures Inc.

Functions: Retail

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The Rio Theatre was opened by 1935. It was closed in 1937. It was reopened on April 21, 1941 after it had been taken over by Paramount Pictures Inc. operated by their subsidiary M.A. Lightman. It was still open in 1952, but had closed by 1955. The former Rio Theatre on Van Buren’s historic Main Street now houses an antiques store.

Contributed by Bryan

Recent comments (view all 3 comments)

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on August 10, 2009 at 4:08 am

The 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbooks lists the Royal Theatre 500 seats, and the Rio Theatre (Closed) 500 seats. In the 1943 edition of FDY, only the Rio is listed, operated by Paramount, but (Closed). By 1950, the Rio was operating again.

In the 1940’s, there is also a Rob Burns Theatre operating in Van Buren with 631 seats. This has gone from listings by 1950.

Chris1982
Chris1982 on May 24, 2014 at 9:35 pm

The Rob Burns Tehatre became the King Opera House. The Rio is listed at open in 1944.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 1, 2019 at 11:16 pm

Here is an item about the Rio Theatre from the April 25, 1941 issue of The Film Daily:

“House Will Be Reopened

“Van Buren, Ark.— The Rio Theater which has been closed since the Bob Burns Theater opened in 1937, was reopened April 19, it is announced. The building is being remodeled and a new marquee is being installed.”

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