{"id":42,"featured":1,"modified":"2025-06-13 13:32:16","latitude":40.44196535573555,"longitude":-79.98900424406483,"title":"Rhumba Theater","address":"53 Fullerton Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/dbc8e8b4faddc794b76cfab696fddc7c.jpg","creator":["Andrea Santella"],"description":"

In 1914, brothers Thomas and Martin Burke built a two-story entertainment and retail complex at 53-55 Fullerton at a cost of $7500. The two floors of the structure contained nearly 8,000 total square feet, housing a dance hall, juke box theater, and retail space.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Brothers Stanley and Alexander Williams, Hill District entertainment entrepreneurs, operated a 14-table pool hall in the basement for the first decade.\u00a0 After a venture into baseball, Andy then returned to the Burke\u2019s basement and operated the four-lane Monarch Bowling lanes in the basement beginning in 1929.\u00a0 Pastimes such as movies, bowling, and billiards were popular forms of entertainment during the Great Depression, as they were relatively affordable ways for people to forget about hard times, at least for a little while.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Entertainment Nightly<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

The economic turmoil of the Depression led to a number of changes at the site.\u00a0 Jacob and Sidney Soltz purchased the building during the 1930s, upgraded the theater to show \u201ctalkies\u201d (motion pictures with sound), and renamed it the Rhumba.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In 1935, the second floor of the building hosted a nightclub called Javo\u2019s Jungle, hailed in the <\/span>Courier<\/span><\/i> as \u201cthe classiest night club in the city\u201d at its opening. The nightclub offered a nightly floor show with actress and singer Cora Green, Martha Price, and impersonator Bob Davis. Dewey McDaniels greeted the guests at the door, while \u201cBattle\u201d Keys kept the peace. Tom West and \u201cHungry Bill\u201d manned the \u201cfuturistic\u201d bar and could make any drink requested, no matter how complicated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The building\u2019s basement was also a entertainment hotspot, though less upscale than the upper floor. The basement held the after-hours, or as the <\/span>Pittsburgh Courier <\/span><\/i>called them \u201cafter yawning\u201d clubs.\u00a0 Frequent proprietorship changes brought a rotating list of club names in the spot, including the Ritz and the El Congo. The members-only Bambola social club opened its doors on November 3, 1946, with floor shows starting at 12:30 am and 2:30 am. The floor shows featured singers, \u201cshake dancers\u201d (burlesque performers), and jazz bands, both of local and national fame.\u00a0 The club finally became the \u201cTia Juana\u201d club, advertised in the 1950 <\/span>Courier <\/span><\/i>as the \u201chottest spot outside of a blast furnace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Rhumba's Final Bow<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

Declining conditions in the surrounding neighborhood, and rumors of impending urban redevelopment, led to a decline in the Rhumba.\u00a0 A 1952 gas explosion in nearby properties caused some damage to the theater, and it suffered several projector fires. In his memoir <\/span>Song of the Hill, <\/span><\/i>Dr. Ralph Proctor recalled that \u201cThe Rhumba was nice when it first opened, but then deteriorated into a ratty place we avoided.\u201d It was demolished in 1957 as part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority\u2019s Lower Hill Redevelopment Project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","sponsor":"","subtitle":"Entertainment Hotspot for the Lower Hill","accessinfo":"","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["

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\u201cRhumba Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA - Cinema Treasures.\u201d https:\/\/cinematreasures.org\/theaters\/24234<\/a>.

<\/div>\r\n<\/span><\/div>","
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Pittsburgh Courier<\/i>. \u201cClub Bambola Hypos Local Night Life: New Club Located on Site of Old Ritz to Feature Music and Floor Shows;\u201d November 2, 1946, City Edition<\/div>\r\n<\/span><\/span><\/div>","Pittsburgh Courier.<\/i> \u201cBurke\u2019s Theatre Shows Big Films.\u201d June 14, 1924."],"files":{"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/fullsize\/dbc8e8b4faddc794b76cfab696fddc7c.jpg":{"id":82,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","title":"Rhumba Theatre patrons","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/dbc8e8b4faddc794b76cfab696fddc7c.jpg","description":"Large group portrait of men, one wearing clerical collar, women, and children, posed in front of the Rhumba Theatre on Fullerton Street, Hill District | Charles \"Teenie\" Harris Collection<\/a>, Carnegie Museum of Art | Charles "Teenie" Harris"},"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/fullsize\/d7bdf73e104084675ca07b1ca2be29da.jpg":{"id":84,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","title":"Movie Listings, April 1941","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/d7bdf73e104084675ca07b1ca2be29da.jpg","description":"Advertisement from the Pittsburgh Courier<\/em> shows movie listings for April 1941, a mixture of comedies, dramas, and westerns.  The last listing, for the \"Junior G Men\" serial, advertises \"free candy for the kiddies\" | Pittsburgh Courier<\/em>"},"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/original\/558680f30b9e945e34e7acfdc95a07cc.mp3":{"id":81,"mime-type":"audio\/mpeg","title":"Remembering the Rhumba","description":"

Long-time Hill resident Sala Udin recalls childhood visits to the Rhumba during the 1950s.<\/p> | HDDHP Team"},"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/fullsize\/47b1d571f33e0ca5a0e57425afb00f51.jpg":{"id":183,"mime-type":"image\/png","title":"Advertisement","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/47b1d571f33e0ca5a0e57425afb00f51.jpg","description":"An advertisement for \"Monarch Bowling Academy\" in the Pittsburgh Courier. <\/em>The bowling alley in the basement of the Rhumba was short-lived, and the \"academy\" was likely an attempt to drum up business by introducing the largely Black clientele to the sport. | Pittsburgh Courier<\/em>"},"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/fullsize\/92e87580adfa1da38c08221fccbce716.jpg":{"id":83,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","title":"Demolition of Rhumba Theatre","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.hillhistory.org\/files\/square_thumbnails\/92e87580adfa1da38c08221fccbce716.jpg","description":"Demolition of Rhumba Theatre, Kelly\u2019s Bar, Stanley\u2019s Tavern, and other buildings at the corner of Fullerton Street and Wylie Avenue, Hill District | Charles \"Teenie\" Harris Collection<\/a>, Carnegie Museum of Art | Charles "Teenie" Harris"}}}