Wasn’t she a beauty? Local artistic group Te fit-Tazza have shared beautiful photos courtesy of local Salvatore Muscat that show Cospicua’s gorgeous Rialto Cinema in all her glory.
“Rialto Cinema closed its doors in 1982, and was a social haven in its' hey day. This cinema was the place to see Hollywood films back in the 50s 60s and 70s,” they shared.
Since closing its doors, it seems the cinema has been disused for several years. It is situated right across from the dockyard that has been revamped in recent years. HSBC bank occupies the ground floor level.
The Rialto Cinema today - Google Maps
It is said that the Rialto we see today was rebuilt on the site of an earlier Rialto which was destroyed in a German bombing, since Cospicua was quite prone to air raids due to the dockyard in the vicinity. The cinema seated around 1,000 viewers, opening in May 1956 with The Student Prince, starring Ann Blyth and Edmund Purdom.