Rancho Drive-In
1000 Alameda Street,
Norman,
OK
73071
1000 Alameda Street,
Norman,
OK
73071
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Opened on June 30, 1950 with “The Big Cat” along with a few unnamed short subjects. It was closed in 1983 and demolished the following year.
Last movie I saw there while attending O.U. was “Body Heat”.
A more accurate address for this theater is 1000 Alameda St, Norman, OK 73071. This points directly to the drive in itself. Rancho Drive is next to where the drive in stood.
Please update.
From the AIDA database:
NORMAN (Canadian County) Rancho Drive-in (Ad)
Grand opening 30 June 1950
Location given as 1 Mile East on Highway 9
Operated by Video Theatres 30 Jun 1950 until 3 May 83 (?)
1955 Theatre Catalog lists Video Theatre as owner C312
1965 IMPA lists Video Theatres as owner
1965 IMPA lists capacity as 352
1979 IMPA, lists capacity as 300. Owned by Video
1984 IMPA lists Video Theatres as owner
Wesley Horton AIDA
Modern shots of the former Rancho Drive-In Theatre can be seen on this link,
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/133
To see a 1953 photo of the Rancho, on below site type in word “Rancho”,View link
Norman’s Rancho Drive-In was a typical outdoor cinema. All structures were gray, constructed of zinc sheet metal. There was no landscaping to speak of. Below site has interesting info -
View link
The Rancho Drive-In was operated by Video Independent Theatres of Oklahoma City. In the 1970’s an indoor theatre—-the Cinema East was built adjacent to the drive-in.