Tascosa Drive-In
1999 Dumas Drive,
Amarillo,
TX
79107
1999 Dumas Drive,
Amarillo,
TX
79107
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Years later, I found that opening clue.
Motion Picture Herald, May 17, 1952: “The Tascosa drive-in theatre, on North Fillmore, Amarillo, Texas, opened.”
And now NewspaperArchive.com filled in the Amarillo gap that kept me from knowing the date. I uploaded the grand opening ad from May 2, 1952. The first double feature was “The Highwayman” with Charles Coburn, “The Longhorn” with Bill Elliott, and a couple of unnamed color cartoons.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Sept. 19, 1962: “The Tascosa Drive-In, Amarillo, Tex., is now free of the detour maze as the expressway construction has extended beyond the drive-in. Alex Gilbert, manager, has opened the back exit to relieve the traffic snarl.”
Yes I Believe The Property Of Land Later Went On Sale Next To A Trailer Park.
Opened as a twin on both screens with “Hells Angels on wheels” and “What did you do in the war daddy?”.
Why the name Tascosa?
In my book Drive-Ins of Route 66, I wrote that the Tascosa opened in May 1952. Looking back, I’m not sure exactly why I wrote that – probably a mention in a May or June 1952 trade magazine.
Anyway, here’s something new and different from the Aug. 16, 1952 issue of Billboard:
Operators of the Tascosa Drive-In Theater, Amarillo, Tex., W. O. Beardon and L. R. Doyal, were charged by the National Production Authority last week with “unlawfully” using copper wire in excess of authorized quantities to build the theater. One of the counts charged the theater operators with “false information regarding the amount of copper wire” used in its construction. Assistant General Counsel Robert Winn said it was the first time NPA has lodged any charges of alleged violations against anyone in Texas.
June 16th, 1967 grand opening ad for 2nd screen in photo section
The Tascosa Drive-In was listed as opening in 1953.
The screen shown and talked about here is the second or “South” screen as it was called when added to the drive-in back in ‘67. The original Tascosa screen was at the bottom of the hill where the RV park is now located at Dumas E-way and N 24th St. The original screen, which burned in the late '70s, was a classic, old, and quite impressive drive-in theater structure with a mural on the front. That screen was widened in the late '50s in order to show the bigger format films. There are photos available.
Just to clear things up ~ the south end of the Tascosa is still a functioning drive-in theater, the north end is now an RV park. I’m going there tonight to see Lost World and Night at the Museum 2!!
Here’s the Tascosa in 1994 – closed and falling into ruin. I recall driving through Amarillo a few years later and noticing that the drive-in appeared to have become an RV park. So I’m glad to see it’s been restored and showing movies once again!
View link
View link
As of 8/07, the Tascosa Drive-In is still open (status needs to be updated to open/first run).
The venue still features the twin tower/marquee mentioned and shown in the photo link above (the towers are covered with corrugated steel sheets). However, the entry gates are now similar to the kind one would find in a livestock pen and feature large Texas medallions on each gate.
Outside of the unique entryway, the Tascosa Drive-In is rather bare bones. A tiny corrugated metal building, serving as projection booth and concession stand, stands in the center of an unpaved lot. The screen (I only noticed one, but another might have been on the opposite side) is a series of white pannels on a metal scaffolding. A small playground sits beneath the screen. The venue utilizes FM radio broadcast for sound, but retains carside poles (minus the speaker boxes).
My photograph of the TASCOSA www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/224089538/