Rivoli Theatre (closed) (Indianapolis, Indiana)

 theatre, abandoned / shut down, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places

www.rivolitheatre.org

When Carl Laemmle, Jr., President of Universal Pictures Corporation and Universal Chain Theatrical Enterprises, Inc., called upon architect Henry Ziegler Dietz to design a motion picture theatre for Indianapolis' east side, he insisted the building not only be large, safe and practical, but to stand for a long time to serve the community well and to provide the best the motion picture industry had to offer. Universal Studios invested entertainment dollars into the east side location because it could provide modest box office prices in a downtown theatre in what was then rural Indianapolis, the last stop on the trolley outbound and the first stop inbound during the rapid growth of the east side of Indianapolis. Carl Laemmle described the Rivoli as "The home of happiness." The Indianapolis Rivoli was the first Universal Studios theatre built in Indiana.

In 1927, the Rivoli Theatre was constructed in Spanish mission style of the finest materials available including Indiana limestone, fine sweet gum woodworking, leaded glass windows with copper window sash, and solid brass door fittings. The floors, inside and out, are made of Georgia white and Riviera black terrazzo. Ivory lavatory fixtures lavished the patrons in luxury. The theatre décor, although not ornate as some theatre palaces, included decorative plastered egg-and-dart patterned auditorium walls, a tulip patterned border edging the large domed ceiling, and intricate wooden and plaster grillwork fronting the two organ chambers near stage right and stage left. It is said that the dome in the auditorium had small lights that flickered to resemble starlight. The front of the theatre building hosted four store fronts which originally included an ice cream parlor named "The Rivoli Tostee Shop."

The Rivoli was built to accommodate 1,500 patrons, which was considered unusually large for a neighborhood theatre. With such a large viewing audience, the theatre was designed to also accommodate theatrical stage productions. In fact, the Rivoli had the largest stage in Indianapolis and the acoustics second best to none. The famous organist, Desa Byrd, found the acoustics so extraordinary that she recorded two record albums at the Rivoli. More than 400 theatres were built in Indianapolis from the turn of the century through the 1940s. Universal Studios owned 315 theatres across the country. Unfortunately, the cost to update each for sound was too expensive, and Universal was forced to sell most of its theatres, including the Rivoli, which sold in 1937.

Life for the Rivoli did not end when Universal Studios left Indianapolis. Even though the theatre reopened and closed several times and was seriously neglected throughout the years, the building survived several private ownerships and continued to provide motion picture entertainment, hosting many live performances by stars such as John Mellencamp, Gino Vannelli, Billy Cobham and George Duke, Quiet Riot, The Cults, The Divinyls, 10CC, Buddy Allen (Hee Haw), Supertramp, Kansas, Spirit, Linda Ronstadt, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Bruce Springsteen, Desa Byrd, Gloria Swanson, Bette Davis, and many others.

In February, 1992, the Rivoli closed, ending its long tradition of being a stronghold for the near east side of Indianapolis. Plans to renovate and reopen the Theatre are underway to, once again, provide motion picture entertainment, stage performances, and theatrical productions. The Rivoli is the only remaining original venued 1500 seat, five-aisled, single screen motion picture neighborhood theatre in Indianapolis.

On April 28, 2004, The Rivoli Theatre was designated as an Indiana Historic Site.