Opened: 1923 as the Rialto Theatre. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo. We're looking west along Main St. The theatre was initially operated by Arthur Sanborn.
The original address was 326 W. Main St. It's listed that way in the 1925 through 1932 city directories. In the 1935, 1937 and 1939 city directories that address has become 326 W. Valley Blvd. The location is on the south side of the street between Lexington Ave. and Palm Ct. For years the building had an address of 10818 Valley Mall. They've reverted to calling it Main St., although still using the L.A. County numbering system.
Architects: Walker & Eisen designed the theatre for local developer Walter Paul Temple. Joe Vogel notes that the firm also designed what ended up as the El Rey Theatre in Alhambra for Mr. Temple.
Seating: 500
A 1923 article about the new theatre that was located by Ken McIntyre. It appears as a comment in a thread on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group that also covered two other early Sanborn operations, the Windsor and Rivoli theatres. Sanborn's first theatre investment in the L.A. area had been c.1918,
taking over a West Adams house called the LaSalle, later renamed the Adams Theatre.
A November 1923 ad for the Rialto. Thanks to Kelli Shapiro for locating this in the Tom B'Hend and Preston Kaufmann Collection at the AMPAS Margaret Herrick Library. Kelli includes it on page 96 of her fine 2024 Arcadia Publishing book "Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley Movie Theatres."
Sanborn operated the Rialto for sixteen years and then went over to his new theatre, the El Monte, in 1939. It was about three blocks east of the Rialto. James Edwards then picked up the Rialto in 1940 for his circuit. It's unknown when it got renamed the Valley Theatre.
A 1951 ad for the theatre as the Valley, part of the Edwards circuit. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the ad in the Covina Argus.
Closing: Sometime in the early 50s.
Status: The building is still there but with a newer facade on it, according to research by Joe Vogel.
A view looking west. The former theatre entrance is that higher storefront at the center, here something called One Stop at 10818 Main. Photo: Google Maps - 2018
More information: Head to Cinema Treasures for some nice research by Joe Vogel. Thanks, Joe!
Perhaps another early one nearby: The 1923 city directory lists an El Monte Theatre at 331 W. Main St. -- almost across the street from the Rialto/Valley.
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