Camdenton's Drive-In
Highway 5 South,
Camdenton,
MO
65020
Highway 5 South,
Camdenton,
MO
65020
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Camdenton’s Drive-In Theatre opened on April 7, 1950. The opening feature was a double feature of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” and “Son of a Bad Man”. The next feature, appropriately enough for a theatre in the Ozark Mountains, was “Square Dance Jubilee”. This was the second drive-in to open in the area following Grand Glaize Drive-In in nearby Osage Beach the previous summer.
There was no news coverage of the opening in the weekly Camdenton Reville, as there had been at the opening of the Grand Glaize the previous year, maybe because of the modest ads they ran compared to the Grand Glaize. Though I think it was commonly referred to as the Camdenton Drive-In Theatre, at least during their first year, the name on their ads was clearly Camdenton’s Drive-In Theatre.
The drive-in was located on Highway 5 South in Camdenton. I’m not sure when it closed, but has been gone for a long time. The site of the drive in is now occupied by the Camdenton Vocational and Technical School, and all traces of the drive in are gone.
Contributed by
Bob Brown
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
This drive-in was purchased by John White, who previously owned the Lake Theater, and he began operation on April 30, 1957. I am no sure whether or not it had been closed for a period of time, but a newspaper article indicates that he made significant improvements at the theater. Under his ownership, the theater was known as Camdenton Drive-In Theatre, as opposed to Camdenton’s Drive-In Theatre.
this rather small Drive-in parked 150 cars in 1956 and was owned by E.E.Hopkins.
Thanks again Mike, I need one of those books you have.