Starlite Drive-In
6400 W. 95th Street,
Oak Lawn,
IL
60453
6400 W. 95th Street,
Oak Lawn,
IL
60453
9 people
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The Starlite closed at the end of the 1979 season. It was demolished the following year to make way for the site of the Chicago Ridge Mall which also housed the Chicago Ridge 1-2-3 (now known as AMC Chicago Ridge 6) which opened on July 31, 1981.
In 1957 or 1958 the Starlite had a raffle where a pony was the prize. Herbert Polchow, the mayor of Chicago Ridge won it and kept it at his home for awhile. The horse was living at that location when my family moved into the Ridge in 1958. Our house was less than 100 yards from that location. My Grandma noticed that a neighborhood kid was riding a horse before my mother did. Mom did not believe it at first, did not question anything Grandma said after that.
Boxoffice, Feb. 22, 1960: “Four gasoline pumps, each with a 10,000-gallon tank, have been installed at the Starlite Drive-In at Chicago by Stanford Kohlberg, owner-operator, where patrons may fill up at a savings of 12 cents a gallon below the prevailing station price. Most patrons may fill up, that is, since there is a limit of 15 gallons with each ticket. Free battery, tire and towing service is included.”
Talk about gimmicks, in the late 60’s- early 70’s my uncle would put on a freak show in a sectioned off area in the consession stand, with caskets with skeletons in them, morbid deformed babies in big glass jugs filled with formaldehyde and other wierd stuff. Of course there was a extra fee.
Variety, Jan. 12, 1955: “Chicago, Jan 11 - Essaness interest in the Starlite Drive-In here has been bought by a syndicate headed by Stanton Kohlberg. Kohlberg has operated the suburban ozoner in the past in conjuction with the Essaness circuit. Starlite has been a strong drive-in competitor in this area with frequent gimmick shows and often as many as six features on a single bill.”
Address was 6400 West 95th Street per the print ads in the gallery.
Opened with “The walls of Jericho”.
This opened on September 3rd, 1948. Its grand opening ad can be found in the photo section.
there was an A&P and a Terrys there….my mom would go there with her car full of kiddies back in the 60’s….i remember it was a treat cuz the stores were both real big (to us !!) i remember the tornado of ‘67…blew down the drive-in, part of the high school there and part of St Gerald’s school too.
Yep. The entrance was probably about where that new traffic light was put up at the far west side mall entrance on 95th street right next to the bar which has been there forever (including when the Starlight was still there). Speaking of memories of the Starlight and the Studio I remember seeing Jerry G Bishop, in person as the original Svengoolie, at the Studio on Halloween eve 1970. He was a DJ on either WLS or WCFL and also doubled as Svengoolie on channel 32 when they were just a fledgling station on UHF. They were not part of Fox at that time. They were WFLD (FieLD Communications). Man those were the days!
Approx. address for this drive-in was 6551 95th Street. The entrance was about where B Of A is located now.
Does anybody have photos to share???
Does anyone have any photos of the Starlite Drive-in? My friends and I used to go there and I’d love to surprise them with a memory of 38 eyars ago. thanks.
This drive-in was my families business for all the years growing up. I would go there in my PJs to visit my dad. We did not only go-karts but pony rides, and anything else to get the crowds in. It was exactly what one would envision a 1950s/60s drive-in movie should be.
I once snuck in the drive-in alone —with 3 kids in the trunk I also went there on a first date—I went to the washroom—and got lost for a half hour because I forgot what kind of car my date drove DUH!! I also remember Terry’s Discount store and I think there was an A&P grocery store in the same shopping area My grandma loved A&P’s blackberry jam!!!
It was Terry’s Discount until sold, then called “Community Discout”. I remember a great little beef stand with the best malts around called “The Dot Spot” just east of Ridgeland on 95th. Or the gas station at 95th and Ridgeland, Conoco or Enco. The best was climbing up the long ladder inside the marquee to the roof, what a view.
There was a discount store (K-Mart/Wall Mart type) & strip mall next to the Studio Theater that was either called Shopper’s World or Terry’s Discount. I remember seeing a double feature at the Studio in Jan 1968; the “Dirty Dozen” along with “Bonnie & Clyde”. The Studio Theatre was very plain & boxy looking, perhaps formed concrete or block walls.
Their is a Fannie May Candy store on this spot and a one other buld. i think it is a print shop but i know for a fact that the Fannie May Candie is on the cornner, it sit`s on a angle right across from the Westfield Chicago Ridge Shopping Center.