Cottage Hills Theaters
RIO
THEATER
The Rio Theater was located on MacArthur Boulevard (Highway 140) in
Cottage Hills. This 600-seat theater opened July 17, 1948, with six
partners (Leo J. Pavish Sr. and five relatives) who operated the
theater. A labor dispute occurred in September 1948, and the Alton
Building & Construction Trades Council and a number of local labor
unions picketed the theater. The picket signs read, “Erected Unfair
to the Alton Building & Construction Trades
Council,” and “Erected Unfair to the I.A.T.S.E. Moving Picture
Operators.” Patrons of the theater were threatened, which reduced
the number of people going to the theater to about 85 at a single
showing. The owners of the theater filed for an injunction, to
prevent the picketing and harassment of the patrons of the theater,
but I haven’t found the outcome of the filing.
In February 1956, young boys entered the theater (and other
businesses), slashing the theater screen and cutting many of the
theater seats. They also entered the projection room and dumped out
rolls of film.
The theater closed in 1956, and by September 1957, the First
Southern Baptist Church of Cottage Hills was using the former Rio
Theater as their house of worship.