Rio Theatre

In 1946, the statewide chain of 110 Golden State/T&D Theaters wanted a state-of-the-art Cycloramic screen in Santa Cruz. The curved screen created a three-dimensional illusion of depth, independent of any 3-D film process, and gave added clarity with no distortion from close-up seats. There was a catch: its shape couldn't be raised and lowered like the flat screens at the chain's two local theaters, the Del Mar and the New Santa Cruz, which would have made their stages unusable. Those two combined cinema, stage and convention houses were known as "the king and queen of Santa Cruz movie palaces." So Golden State built a third.

The Rio Cycloramic Theatre went up in the East Santa Cruz business district, also called "downtown Branciforte." The origin of the name is unsettled. Some think it nods to Branciforte Creek, or to "the theater beyond the San Lorenzo river"; it is just as likely, the theater's history suggests, that the ocean liner-inspired architecture evoked a steamship cruise to Rio de Janeiro.

Construction ran from 1947 to 1949, using Davenport-area cement and Hebbron-Nigh Lumber. The ticket booth, aluminum doors and poster cases came from Modern Industries of Oakland, and the lighting fixtures from Peerless Electric of San Francisco. The 938-seat Rio opened on June 12, 1949, with a 15-minute dedication ceremony broadcast live on KSCO, followed by a double feature of "Song of India" and "Law of the Barbary Coast."

Now the Rio, at 1205 Soquel Avenue, calls itself a most versatile live venue. Its calendar runs from Kishi Bashi, Rickie Lee Jones, Todd Rundgren and Michael Franti Trio to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, alongside mountain film tours, a screening of Frankenstein with live score, author lectures and comedy. The theatre also takes bookings for weddings and corporate meetings, and a free public parking lot serves the building.