Historical Commission Agenda and Packet 2016 03 02

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Ownership by Santino Biella and Continued Operation of Rex Theatre, 1927 -1945 In 1927, Santino Biella purchased this property and continued the operation of the Rex Theatre with his wife, Mary Zarini Biella. They owned and operated it until 1945. Santino Biella was born in Italy in c. 1885. He was a coal miner prior to owning the Rex Theatre. He passed away in 1957. Mary Zarini Biella was born in Louisville in 1894 of Italian parents and died in 1966. The couple lived with their children in the 800 block of La Farge Avenue, almost directly west of the theater that they operated. (This was also the block where Mary had grown up.) Santino, or Sandy, ran the business side and Mary sold tickets. According to the 1994 Louisville Historian article, which was assembled and edited by Sandy and Mary Biella's niece, Eileen Schmidt, "Shortly after Sandy and Mary Biella became owners of the Rex, the movie industry was booming and the Rex became a first -run facility. This meant that the moves were shown in Louisville at the same time they were being viewed in Denver and other larger cities. This was very important because people didn't have the means of traveling to the larger cities just to see a movie." The Biellas acquired a player piano that used punched paper rolls. Hazel Zarini Harris, Vito Romans, and others performed the role of operating the player piano. The article goes on: "Mr. Biella offered part-time jobs, such as dusting the seats, sweeping the front lobby, sweeping the theater, and other work necessary to maintain the building to the young people of the community." The motion pictures were remembered as changing three times a week: "One movie was shown on Sunday and Monday, one on Tuesday and Wednesday, no movies on Thursday, and a different one on Friday and Saturday." Biella also instituted a Saturday matinee. A Louisville resident from this time period recalls going to movies at the Rex Theatre in the 1920s and 1930s. He remembers a central aisle and the fact that the early sound system was not consistent for all areas of seating. He also recalls Sandy Biella trying to get noisy children to stay quiet during the movie showings. Charles and Christine Zarini's candy store (now gone) right next to the Rex Theatre to the north was a convenient spot for audience members to buy candy before the show. Charles Zarini was the brother of Mary Zarini Biella and brother -in -law to Sandy Biella. Later, the Biellas started their own concession stand at the Rex. Photos 6, 7, 8, and 9 show Main Street with the Rex Theatre included. The photos are believed to date from the 1920s.