Rialto Theatre Building
Homer C. Jones Builder, 1900-1984
Built by Homer C. Jones, the Rialto was the realization of a showman’s dream come true. After 15 years of careful planning, the Rialto was dedicated on Sunday, August 21, 1949. It took one year, one month and 15 days to complete the structure. 315 tons of steel and 22 carloads of cement went into the structure to guarantee a life-long edifice. Included in the structure is a huge 800 amp electric panel, 27½ tons of refrigerated air cooling units and an Otis elevator. Homer C. Jones, general contractor, spared no expense in constructing the $300,000 plus structure. Rose Brothers served as building superintendents, and other contractors included Alva Electric, Goodrich Plumbing and Fisher Brothers Painting. Improvements and alterations to the four story building have taken place over the years, including conversion to a twin theatre in 1981. This monument in stone is a tribute to Homer C. Jones, dreamer and visionary, who loved Alva and Northwest Oklahoma an delighted in bringing the excitement and thrills of “Lights, Camera, Action” to us all.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
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Location. 36° 48.306′ N, 98° 39.954′ W. Marker is in Alva, Oklahoma, in Woods County. It is on Flynn Street just west of 5th Street, on the right when traveling west. The marker is mounted at eye-level on the right side of the Rialto Theatre lobby entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 516 Flynn Street, Alva OK 73717, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and Cherokee Outlet.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Harvest Cook Shack (a few steps from this marker); Holtzclaw's Jewelry (a few steps from this marker); Bass Reeves (a few steps from this marker); The Old Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); World War I Memorial
Also see . . .
1. Rialto Theatre (Cinema Treasures).
Excerpt: Built on the site of a previous Rialto Theatre (1927-1948). This theatre is spectacular! It’s in excellent shape! It plays first run movies and boasts two screens. Its huge balcony has been divided into the second screen.(Submitted on February 3, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)The current Rialto opened on August 21, 1949 with Gary Cooper, Ronald Reagan, Dennis Morgan, Doris Day, Errol Flynn, Joan Crawford, and Jack Carson among others in “It’s A Great Feeling”, along With A Fox Movietone Newsreel, a Merrie Melodies Cartoon: Tweety and Sylvester in “Bad Ol' Putty Tat”, and an MGM Cartoon: Droopy In “Wags to Riches”. It had a seating capacity for 600 people. Today, the main auditorium is still huge and features a working gold curtain. The picture and sound quality is excellent in the two auditoriums. This is truly a “grand” theatre!
2. The Reel Thing (Enid News & Eagle).
(By Ruth Ann Replogle, 1/16/2025) Excerpt: It was in 1931 that Homer, as the Jones Amusement Co., dedicated himself solely to running what was later nicknamed the “old” Rialto on the north side of Alva’s downtown square. Rialto was a huge single-level theater at that time. He built another movie theater with 400 seats on the south side of Alva’s downtown square called the Ritz in 1933 and a third movie theater with 400 seats just east of the Rialto called the Ranger in 1939.(Submitted on February 3, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Homer officially re-opened with the “new” Rialto on Aug. 21, 1949. On the lowest level, called the subterranean level, was the Silver Lounge, aka the concession stand. It included a stainless-steel soda fountain and stools where patrons could enjoy soft drinks and sandwiches. A dress shop and a barbershop also were located on that same level. In the early 1950s, admission to the Rialto was 45 cents for adults and 10 cents for children.
Like all movie theaters prior to 2010, Rialto showed movies from 35mm film that was rolled up on gigantic film reels in film cans and laced through the projection system. It originally took two people to run a movie showing, with one to sit and watch the film reel to make sure it didn’t snag or melt during the showing and one to rewind the film reel so it would start from the beginning the next showing. Now thanks to the digital era, Rialto shows movies downloaded from a hard drive the size of a standard sheet of paper. No staff is required to sit with it anymore.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 219 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 3, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
