Rio Theater (Monte Rio) facts for kids
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The Rio Theater is a cool movie theater with just one screen, located in Monte Rio, California, in the United States. What makes it really special is that the largest piece of a famous art project called Running Fence by Christo and Jeanne-Claude hangs from the ceiling inside the theater!
Contents
The Rio Theater's Story
How the Theater Started
Back in 1949, a local businessman named Sid Bartlett bought a special kind of building called a Quonset hut from the U.S. Navy. These huts were often used by the military. Sid turned this hut into a movie theater, and it opened its doors the very next year, in 1950.
From 1972 to 1974, a doctor named Robert Newport leased the theater and called it Cinema Rio. It was known as a "dollar house" because tickets cost only one dollar! They showed all kinds of movies, from classic films to popular new ones. They even had special cartoon shows for kids, featuring the Three Stooges.
The Famous Running Fence Connection
Sid Bartlett later sold the Rio Theater to Thomas Dean. Thomas Dean was a friend of the famous artists Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon. These artists created an amazing art project called the Running Fence in September 1976. It was a long, flowing fence that stretched for 24.5 miles across Sonoma and Marin counties.
When the Running Fence was taken down, Thomas Dean got a large section of it. He carefully put this piece above the seats in his theater. Today, the Rio Theater still has the biggest and most complete part of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Running Fence anywhere in the world! It's like having a piece of art history right there in the movie theater.
New Owners and Challenges
In 1984, the Rio Theater faced some tough times and was taken over by a family from Israel, the Mandelbrots. They hired someone to manage the theater for them.
Then, in January 1993, a couple from Monte Rio, Don and Suzi Schaffert, bought the theater. They planned to keep the same manager, but they soon found out that the manager was letting a friend live in the theater and causing problems. After the Schafferts asked the manager to have his friend leave, the two men damaged the inside of the theater. They spray-painted the movie screen and broke some of the electrical parts.
The Schafferts also faced a challenge because they had let neighborhood kids help out with chores at the theater. In return, the kids got a movie ticket, a hot dog, and a drink. Even though the parents and other people in Monte Rio praised the Schafferts for giving the children a fun and helpful activity, the Schafferts still had to pay a fine. A judge later cut the fine in half.
A fun fact about the theater, according to the Schafferts, is that the children who helped out believe the theater is haunted by a friendly female ghost!
Helping the Theater with Kickstarter
Raising Money for Digital Movies
In March 2013, the Schafferts started a special online fundraising project called a Kickstarter campaign. They needed to raise $60,000 to buy new digital projection equipment. This new equipment was very important because without it, the theater wouldn't be able to show the newest movies anymore.
The community really stepped up to help! By May 1, 2013, the campaign reached its goal. Over 440 people donated money, including a $500 donation from the famous actor Zach Braff. Thanks to all the support, the Rio Theater was able to get the new equipment and keep showing movies for everyone to enjoy!
