Tucked between First and Second streets is the historic Winslow Theater that is still in use today and has produced fond childhood memories for many Winslow residents. The theater was constructed by Rickard and Nace Amusements in 1926, and is the same company that built 26 theaters throughout the state including the Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff, Orpheum Theater in Phoenix and the Rialto Theater in Tucson, to name a few of the more famous and still operating venues.
An article published in the Winslow Mail in 1926 noted that construction of the theater, which was originally named the Rialto, was approximately $30,000 “and will be one of the finest theaters in Northern Arizona when completed,” the article read.
According to information provided by the Old Trails Museum in Winslow, the Rialto Theater first opened in July of 1927. It featured 650 seats, compared to the 260 currently and was two-stories with upper and lower level seating. Also unique to the building at the time was an air conditioning system.
The first films shown in the theater were silent films. However, in 1929 a $20,000 sound system was installed and the “talkies” (movies with sound) arrived. The first movie with full sound to play in Winslow was “Broadway Melody.”
The theater nearly burned down in 1955, and has been opened, closed and reopened over the years and has changed hands many times.
In December of 2016, current owner Debbie Martinez and her husband Tommy were having lunch with then theater owner Tom O’Connell when he mentioned the idea of leaving the business. Without hesitation Martinez reacted. “I had told Tom when he first got the theater that if he ever sold it, I wanted it. Then, that day, he said he was quitting and I immediately said I would take it over. My husband wasn’t too thrilled, but I had been wanting to run a theater all of my life.”
Martinez has operated the Winslow Theater since Jan. 1, 2017. “It has been almost a year and I love it,” she said. It is not, however, without work. “Tommy and I work here in the theater about every day. We do concessions, as well as cleaning and all of that. And it’s not like we are going to make a million dollars running this little place. We are not here for the money, most of the money from the door goes to the studios of the movies. So, we rely on concessions to make any money and even that doesn’t bring in a lot. I don’t want to gouge people, I want them to come to the theater and have a good time.”
Martinez has fond memories of her own from her youth standing in line at the then Rialto Theater to see “A New Hope,” the first Star Wars installation in 1977. Now, she says, “I go in the theater and I stand in the back and it just gives me the best feeling to see those people. I love the families that come in. I feel so good when they come in and watch a movie and seeing them laugh and spend time with their families.”
She explained that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to the building for restorative purposes. “It is all structurally sound,” she said, “but I would like to put one of the old photos on the wall in our lobby and some of the original chairs so people can see them. I would like to refurbish the floors in the theater, they are all original; just have years of paint and other treatments on them. And we need an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. We still just have the old ones.” According to Martinez, it will take a lot of money. To replace the chairs alone will be about $700 per chair and there are 260 of them.
The building’s owner, a grant writer from Farmington, N.M., has applied for various historical renovation grants through the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, which is part of the National Parks Service. Last year Martinez applied for about $37,000 in matching funds to fix the HVAC system but was denied. “We are getting ready to apply for the same grant this year, but for $125,000.”
The Winslow Theater is a multifunctional entertainment venue. Martinez said, “The DOC (Arizona Department of Corrections) asked us to use the space for their graduation last year but we couldn’t because we didn’t have lights on the stage. Their crew came in and put in lights (and) they built rails for the stairs. So now, you can walk across the stage safely and people can see what is going on. Now, we can do graduations, birthday parties, talent shows, really anything in there now.”
The reason Martinez has put effort in to becoming a multi-use facility is to take on a greater roll in serving the community. “Because it is important to be part of the community, and to give back, to give them a place that they can come.”
Among upcoming community events planned for the theater is the Winslow Cinema Festival set for Jan. 3-5. “I wanted to do the festival because the group putting it together is great and anything new and different that we can bring, we will. We want to stay involved with the community.”
The Winslow Theater is open at 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The theater is located at 115 N. Kinsley Ave. and is closed on Wednesdays. For more information, call (928) 289-1000.
