The Rialto Theatre was at 2723 San Pablo Avenue, built in 1917. It was closed after an ugly incident in 1956 where an OPD officer was beaten and a spectator stabbed following a brawl. 1,2
According to the Theatres of Oakland, it had 740 seats and was called the Avenue when it first opened, and a candy kitchen and a restaurant occupied the storefronts. 3
The 1967 directory lists New St. Paul Baptist Church at the address. The building still stands, and is currently home to the Miraculous Word Christian Center.
1951 Sanborn excerpt
Links and References
- Youths Beat Cop, Knife Spectator Oakland Tribune October 8, 1956
- Youth Takes Jail Term For Brawl Oakland Tribune October 11, 1956
- Theatres of Oakland by Jack Tillmany and Jennifer Dowling, Arcadia Publishing
