Rialto Theatre
177 Cotton Avenue,
Macon,
GA
31201
177 Cotton Avenue,
Macon,
GA
31201
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Closed as Fine Arts in 1963.
Reopened as Fine Arts on December 25th, 1960. Another ad posted.
Closed in May 1952 and reopened on May 16th, 1956, showing second-run movies. More ads posted.
Opened August 1st, 1921
Rialto theatre opening 1 31 Jul 1921, Sun The Macon News (Macon, Georgia) Newspapers.com
and
Rialto Theatre opening 2 31 Jul 1921, Sun The Macon News (Macon, Georgia) Newspapers.com
The Rialto was built upon the site of the former Macon Theatre by the Southern Enterprises Inc. Circuit of Atlanta with seating for 800 at its launch (500 on the main floor and 300 in the balcony) in August of 1921. It had a $20,000 Robert Morton organ with Powers Projection at launch.
The Theatre Organ Database says that Macon’s Rialto had a tiny Robert Morton pipe organ (II/3) installed in 1921. CT lists an opening date of 1925. Any supporting documents for either date?
Rialto Theatre, Macon, Georgia in 1930. View link
The big tyre in the front was being used as a promotional tool for the Maurice Chevalier film “The Love Parade”. It was at the time claimed to be the largest tyre in the world!
The Rialto Theatre was at the other end of this block of Cotton Avenue, demolished yes, however now a parking lot, but you can tell where it was located by the drop off from the street level. My understanding is there was also a movie theatre in about the same spot as this photo in what is now Bibb Music, the second floor still has a ticket window.