Rialto Theater
Introduction
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The Rialto Theater was built in 1921 and has remained an important part of the community ever since.
Backstory and Context
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The Rialto was originally owned and operated by Danish-born Jens Hansen Sr. It appears he had already owned at least two movie theaters in Deer Lodge. In order to build the Rialto, Hansen partnered with a man named Peter Pauley. The theater was built when films were becoming more popular than traveling vaudeville acts, so it was designed for both. It originally had 720 seats, an organ, and an orchestra pit. In the coming years, Hansen made improvements to the theater, such as installing new equipment. He managed the theater until he passed away in 1959 and his son, Jens Hansen Jr., took over.
The family owned the theater until 1995 when the Rialto Community Theatre, Inc. bought it. Unfortunately, in 2004 a fire destroyed much of the interior but the exterior facade, stage area, and six original 1921 backdrops were saved. It took until 2012 complete the restoration process. The Rialto was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
Sources
Historical Research Associates. "Rialto Theater." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. February 19, 1998. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/619839a0-639d-4e75-a643-36de33875700.
"History." The Rialto Community Theater. Accessed June 19, 2020. http://www.deerlodgerialto.com/history.html.
Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rialto_Theater_Deer_Lodge_1.JPG