Boxoffice, March 25, 1963: “Alan V. Iselin of Iselin Theatres has purchased the Gainesville (Fla.) Drive-In, and will spend $75,000 in renovating the ten-year-old 560-car situation. He acquired the Trail Drive-In at Sarasota, Fla., a year ago.”
Boxoffice, March 25, 1963: “LANETT, ALA. - A. L. Royal, owner of a circuit with headquarters in Medidian, Miss., has purchased the local Lanett Theatre and the Hi-Way Drive-In, Shawmut, Ala., from a Lanett company headed by L. J. Duncan. Royal took over the properties as of March 1 … The property on which the Hi-Way Drive-In is located is under lease from the Word family, Duncan said. The lease has around 20 years to run.”
Boxoffice, March 18, 1963: “MACON, GA. - This area will be enjoying a new drive-in theatre by early summer, according to James Herndon, city manager for Georgia Theatres. The 850-car theatre is under construction at Arkwright road and Riverside drive.”
This drive-in spent most of its life as the Rivoli Drive-In. The first reference that I could find in The Exhibitor was 1952. In February 1963, Gulf States Theatres sold it to W. A. Porter. Five years later in February 1968, Gulf States reacquired the Rivoli and announced that it would be renovated and renamed Showtown U.S.A.
Boxoffice, Feb. 11, 1963: “Maurice Hensler, one of Florida’s most widely respected exhibitors who has operated the Auburn Theatre and the Dale Drive-In, both in Auburndale in the heart of the state’s citrus belt, has relinquished his theatres to the Floyd circuit … headed by Carl Floyd of Haines City”
Boxoffice, Jan. 25, 1960: “Adelaide Gawthrop, Palatka exhibitor who is now hospitalized, has leased her Linda Drive-In, Palatka, to Floyd Stowe, local theatrical broker”
Boxoffice, June 27, 1960: “Floyd Stowe, local booker for independents, has relinquished some of his accounts in order to move to Palatka to manage his Linda Drive-In, which he acquired from Mrs. Adelaide Gawthrop.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 4, 1963: “The Linda Drive-In at Palatka, now operated by Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Stowe, was scheduled to become a unit of the MCM Theatres circuit of central Florida February 3. The Stowes plan to Atlanta, their former home.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 4, 1963: “The Steele Theatre, Steele, Mo., burned early January 25. The fire also destroyed a house in the rear of the theatre and cut off power and phone lines over a wide area for several hours. The theatre, on Highway 61, was built 40 years ago. It was owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Clarence McCollum. The fire loss to the theatre was set at $50,000.”
Motion Picture Herald, June 5, 1955: “Erling Utoft opened his new Lincoln drive-in at Tyler, Minn., this week. Utoft was buying and booking on (Minneapolis) Film Row in advance of the opening.”
Boxoffice, May 11, 1959: “Joe B. Johnston and wife of Hooker, newcomers to the theatre business, have purchased the Mission Theatre from A. D. Brawner, who retired after 50 years with the Rock Island railroad. The Johnstons have renamed the theatre the Stardust.”
Boxoffice, May 11, 1959: “The Fox and Orpheum theatres in Atchison, Kas., and the Frontier Drive-In Theater in Winthrop, Mo., across the Missouri River from Atchison, have been leased by a new corporation formed by Harry Hixon in conjunction with Commonwealth Amusement Corp. The new firm, known as Commonwealth Atchison Theatres, has named Hixon as its Atchison manager.”
Boxoffice, May 11, 1959: “A. B. Hilliard has taken over the management of the Nuggett Theatre at Telluride from Reuben Stroh who has moved to California. Hilliard will operate the Nuggett along with the Chipeta Theatre at Ouray”
Motion Picture Daily, June 10, 1959: “OURAY, Colo., June 9. – A. B. Hilliard, operator of the Chipeta Theatre here and the Nugget Theatre in Telluride, died of a heart attack while visiting in Denver".
Boxoffice, Sept. 30, 1963: “Rena Hedlund is reopening the Nuggett Theatre at Telluride, closed for several years”
Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: “Hurricane-force winds south of Edmond Thursday night blew down the highway patrol radio tower, left, and destroyed a nearby drive-in theater’s concession stand, center, and screen, right.”
Photo taken September 30, 1955, by George Tapscott.
Boxoffice, June 18, 1955: “The Gay 90 Drive-In, Del Rio, was the victim of the freak windstorms last Thursday (9) when the roof was torn off the tower. A car that was leaving the airer also was damaged”
Boxoffice, Sept. 24, 1955: “Durwood Theatres is changing the name of the Skylark Drive-In at Jefferson City to the New Bridge and has ordered an impressive new marquee sign for it with the new name.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 19, 1955: “Stephen A. Oellerich has sold his interests in the Starlite and Skyvue drive-ins to the Central States Theatre Corp., effective December 1. The Starlite was built in the summer of 1947 by Oellerich and Philip E. Winslow - the first drive-in in Iowa. Two years later they built the 600-car Skyvue on the east side of Waterloo. Central States purchased Winslow’s interests in both theatres in June 1954.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 19, 1955: “Stephen A. Oellerich has sold his interests in the Starlite and Skyvue drive-ins to the Central States Theatre Corp., effective December 1. The Starlite was built in the summer of 1947 by Oellerich and Philip E. Winslow - the first drive-in in Iowa. Two years later they built the 600-car Skyvue on the east side of Waterloo. Central States purchased Winslow’s interests in both theatres in June 1954.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 5, 1955: “The plantation atmosphere of the Old South is now complete at the Edgewood Drive-In, Neosho, Mo. Built in the town which served briefly as Missouri’s state capital for the Confederates in the War Between the States, the Edgewood’s screen tower front resembles the stately Hermitage, historic home of Andrew Jackson near Nashville, Tenn. True to old southern tradition, the cookhouse (snack bar) is built apart from the mansion and is known as "Mammy’s Kitchen.” Even the name “Edgewood” is from owner Hugh Gardner’s ancestral Tennessee plantation. To complete the southern atmosphere, the manager of the Edgewood is - Jeff Davis."
Boxoffice, Nov. 5, 1955: “Mrs. O. F. Sullivan notified Kansas City exchanges that the Crest, Crawford, Palace, Tower and Civic theatres, which had been leased to Consolidated agencies, reverted to Sullivan operation October 27 … The 81 Drive-In and 51 (sic) Drive-In were purchased by Consolidated and will continue to be operated by that circuit.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “Mrs. T. H. Slothower took over the operation of the 54 Drive-In and the 81 Drive-In on September 1. The outdoor theatres were originally part of the O. F. Sullivan chain, but have been operated the last few years by Consolidated Theatres out of Kansas City. The Slothower theatre circuit consists of numerous other theatres in the Wichita and the surrounding area.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 5, 1955: “The Home Theatre, operated for many years by Earl Jameson sr. and the late Sam Abend, was closed October 31 and its floor will be leveled for conversion into a retail store building. A subsequent run house, Ab Sher, general manager, says the Home was not operating at a profit. He predicted the merchants in the locality of the theatre will notice its demise and wish they had helped to keep it in operation.”
The April 22, 1953 issue of the Exhibitor included “Charles Payson, Jr., Carol Drive-In, Carrollton, Mo.” in its list of visitors to Kansas City’s Film Row, so the drive-in must have opened by then.
Boxoffice, Dec. 12, 1960: “Horace Denning, local district supervisor of Dixie Drive-In Theatres … (is) announcing the reopening of the Atlantic Drive-In Tuesday (6), less than a month from the time the outdoorer’s screen tower was destroyed by fire. Local television stations gave news coverage to the reopening … (including) the drive-in’s new all-steel, CinemaScope screen tower. In celebrating the opening, which came exactly 21 years after the Dec. 6, 1939, opening date, adult patrons were admitted for 21 cents and children under 12 were admitted free … the 1939 opening … featured (Bing) Crosby in "East Side of Heaven” and (Clark) Gable in “Call of the Wild.” "
Boxoffice, Dec. 12, 1960: “The Reynolds, Clinton, formerly the Airport Drive-In, was reopened as of November 24. The Queen City Booking is handling this account and also the Rialto, Durham”
Boxoffice, March 25, 1963: “Alan V. Iselin of Iselin Theatres has purchased the Gainesville (Fla.) Drive-In, and will spend $75,000 in renovating the ten-year-old 560-car situation. He acquired the Trail Drive-In at Sarasota, Fla., a year ago.”
Boxoffice, March 25, 1963: “LANETT, ALA. - A. L. Royal, owner of a circuit with headquarters in Medidian, Miss., has purchased the local Lanett Theatre and the Hi-Way Drive-In, Shawmut, Ala., from a Lanett company headed by L. J. Duncan. Royal took over the properties as of March 1 … The property on which the Hi-Way Drive-In is located is under lease from the Word family, Duncan said. The lease has around 20 years to run.”
Boxoffice, March 18, 1963: “MACON, GA. - This area will be enjoying a new drive-in theatre by early summer, according to James Herndon, city manager for Georgia Theatres. The 850-car theatre is under construction at Arkwright road and Riverside drive.”
This drive-in spent most of its life as the Rivoli Drive-In. The first reference that I could find in The Exhibitor was 1952. In February 1963, Gulf States Theatres sold it to W. A. Porter. Five years later in February 1968, Gulf States reacquired the Rivoli and announced that it would be renovated and renamed Showtown U.S.A.
Boxoffice, Feb. 11, 1963: “Maurice Hensler, one of Florida’s most widely respected exhibitors who has operated the Auburn Theatre and the Dale Drive-In, both in Auburndale in the heart of the state’s citrus belt, has relinquished his theatres to the Floyd circuit … headed by Carl Floyd of Haines City”
This photo was from the Feb. 4, 1963 issue of Boxoffice, which appears to be in the public domain.
Boxoffice, Jan. 25, 1960: “Adelaide Gawthrop, Palatka exhibitor who is now hospitalized, has leased her Linda Drive-In, Palatka, to Floyd Stowe, local theatrical broker”
Boxoffice, June 27, 1960: “Floyd Stowe, local booker for independents, has relinquished some of his accounts in order to move to Palatka to manage his Linda Drive-In, which he acquired from Mrs. Adelaide Gawthrop.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 4, 1963: “The Linda Drive-In at Palatka, now operated by Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Stowe, was scheduled to become a unit of the MCM Theatres circuit of central Florida February 3. The Stowes plan to Atlanta, their former home.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 4, 1963: “The Steele Theatre, Steele, Mo., burned early January 25. The fire also destroyed a house in the rear of the theatre and cut off power and phone lines over a wide area for several hours. The theatre, on Highway 61, was built 40 years ago. It was owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Clarence McCollum. The fire loss to the theatre was set at $50,000.”
Motion Picture Herald, June 5, 1955: “Erling Utoft opened his new Lincoln drive-in at Tyler, Minn., this week. Utoft was buying and booking on (Minneapolis) Film Row in advance of the opening.”
Boxoffice, May 11, 1959: “Joe B. Johnston and wife of Hooker, newcomers to the theatre business, have purchased the Mission Theatre from A. D. Brawner, who retired after 50 years with the Rock Island railroad. The Johnstons have renamed the theatre the Stardust.”
Boxoffice, May 11, 1959: “The Fox and Orpheum theatres in Atchison, Kas., and the Frontier Drive-In Theater in Winthrop, Mo., across the Missouri River from Atchison, have been leased by a new corporation formed by Harry Hixon in conjunction with Commonwealth Amusement Corp. The new firm, known as Commonwealth Atchison Theatres, has named Hixon as its Atchison manager.”
Boxoffice, May 11, 1959: “A. B. Hilliard has taken over the management of the Nuggett Theatre at Telluride from Reuben Stroh who has moved to California. Hilliard will operate the Nuggett along with the Chipeta Theatre at Ouray”
Motion Picture Daily, June 10, 1959: “OURAY, Colo., June 9. – A. B. Hilliard, operator of the Chipeta Theatre here and the Nugget Theatre in Telluride, died of a heart attack while visiting in Denver".
Boxoffice, Sept. 30, 1963: “Rena Hedlund is reopening the Nuggett Theatre at Telluride, closed for several years”
Here are just a few more details from the photo’s page at the Oklahoma Historical Society:
Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: “Hurricane-force winds south of Edmond Thursday night blew down the highway patrol radio tower, left, and destroyed a nearby drive-in theater’s concession stand, center, and screen, right.”
Photo taken September 30, 1955, by George Tapscott.
Boxoffice, June 18, 1955: “The Gay 90 Drive-In, Del Rio, was the victim of the freak windstorms last Thursday (9) when the roof was torn off the tower. A car that was leaving the airer also was damaged”
Boxoffice, June 18, 1955: “The Apache Drive-In, Center, has just completed widening its screen for CinemaScope”
Boxoffice, Sept. 24, 1955: “Durwood Theatres is changing the name of the Skylark Drive-In at Jefferson City to the New Bridge and has ordered an impressive new marquee sign for it with the new name.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 19, 1955: “Stephen A. Oellerich has sold his interests in the Starlite and Skyvue drive-ins to the Central States Theatre Corp., effective December 1. The Starlite was built in the summer of 1947 by Oellerich and Philip E. Winslow - the first drive-in in Iowa. Two years later they built the 600-car Skyvue on the east side of Waterloo. Central States purchased Winslow’s interests in both theatres in June 1954.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 19, 1955: “Stephen A. Oellerich has sold his interests in the Starlite and Skyvue drive-ins to the Central States Theatre Corp., effective December 1. The Starlite was built in the summer of 1947 by Oellerich and Philip E. Winslow - the first drive-in in Iowa. Two years later they built the 600-car Skyvue on the east side of Waterloo. Central States purchased Winslow’s interests in both theatres in June 1954.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 5, 1955: “The plantation atmosphere of the Old South is now complete at the Edgewood Drive-In, Neosho, Mo. Built in the town which served briefly as Missouri’s state capital for the Confederates in the War Between the States, the Edgewood’s screen tower front resembles the stately Hermitage, historic home of Andrew Jackson near Nashville, Tenn. True to old southern tradition, the cookhouse (snack bar) is built apart from the mansion and is known as "Mammy’s Kitchen.” Even the name “Edgewood” is from owner Hugh Gardner’s ancestral Tennessee plantation. To complete the southern atmosphere, the manager of the Edgewood is - Jeff Davis."
Boxoffice, Nov. 5, 1955: “Mrs. O. F. Sullivan notified Kansas City exchanges that the Crest, Crawford, Palace, Tower and Civic theatres, which had been leased to Consolidated agencies, reverted to Sullivan operation October 27 … The 81 Drive-In and 51 (sic) Drive-In were purchased by Consolidated and will continue to be operated by that circuit.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “Mrs. T. H. Slothower took over the operation of the 54 Drive-In and the 81 Drive-In on September 1. The outdoor theatres were originally part of the O. F. Sullivan chain, but have been operated the last few years by Consolidated Theatres out of Kansas City. The Slothower theatre circuit consists of numerous other theatres in the Wichita and the surrounding area.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 5, 1955: “The Home Theatre, operated for many years by Earl Jameson sr. and the late Sam Abend, was closed October 31 and its floor will be leveled for conversion into a retail store building. A subsequent run house, Ab Sher, general manager, says the Home was not operating at a profit. He predicted the merchants in the locality of the theatre will notice its demise and wish they had helped to keep it in operation.”
The April 22, 1953 issue of the Exhibitor included “Charles Payson, Jr., Carol Drive-In, Carrollton, Mo.” in its list of visitors to Kansas City’s Film Row, so the drive-in must have opened by then.
Boxoffice, Dec. 12, 1960: “The Princess, Jacksonville, Ala., … was shuttered after the last showing Saturday (3)”
Boxoffice, Dec. 12, 1960: “Horace Denning, local district supervisor of Dixie Drive-In Theatres … (is) announcing the reopening of the Atlantic Drive-In Tuesday (6), less than a month from the time the outdoorer’s screen tower was destroyed by fire. Local television stations gave news coverage to the reopening … (including) the drive-in’s new all-steel, CinemaScope screen tower. In celebrating the opening, which came exactly 21 years after the Dec. 6, 1939, opening date, adult patrons were admitted for 21 cents and children under 12 were admitted free … the 1939 opening … featured (Bing) Crosby in "East Side of Heaven” and (Clark) Gable in “Call of the Wild.” "
Boxoffice, Dec. 12, 1960: “The Reynolds, Clinton, formerly the Airport Drive-In, was reopened as of November 24. The Queen City Booking is handling this account and also the Rialto, Durham”