Rio Theatre

Location & Contact:

1205 Soquel Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-423-8209

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Description:

In 1946, the statewide chain of 110 Golden State/T&D Theaters wanted a state-of-the-art Cycloramic screen in Santa Cruz. It created a three dimensional illusion of depth (independent of any 3-D film processes which had yet to be developed), and gave added clarity to the picture, with no distortion from close-up seats. But its curving shape couldn't be raised and lowered like the flat screens at their two local theaters--the Del Mar and New Santa Cruz--which would render their stages unusable. This was unacceptable for the pair of combined cinema/stage/convention theaters called "the king and queen of Santa Cruz movie palaces."

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