Elinda Ann Drive-In

1505 Jenkins Road,
Whitesburg, KY 41858

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Elinda Ann Drive-In

The Elinda Ann Drive-In was opened on June 15, 1949 when it was operated by Art V. Phillips. By 1955 it was operated by William W. Wright. It had a capacity for 332 cars and there was a covered seating area for walk-in patrons which had 360 seats. It was closed in the 1980’s. Now Letcher County Recreational Center and Diary Queen.

Contributed by James Monroe

Recent comments (view all 8 comments)

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on November 8, 2019 at 10:09 pm

Why the name Elinda-ann?

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on September 23, 2022 at 1:39 pm

Probably the owner. It opened as early as 1952 and closed in the 1960s it looks like.

robboehm
robboehm on September 29, 2022 at 6:12 pm

Local historian told me closure was in the 1990s. No matter. Closed.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 9, 2022 at 8:42 am

He might be wrong. Because if you look at the 1983 aerial, the Dairy Queen and the Letcher County Recreational Center was at the theater’s site already.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on December 9, 2022 at 11:27 am

Boxoffice, July 9, 1949: (under Theatre Openings) Whitesburg, Ky. - Elinda Ann Drive-In, 300 cars, 360 walk-in seats, opened by Dr. B. F. Wright June 15.

Boxoffice, July 23, 1949: “Our (The Exhibitor Has His Say) contributor, Art V. Phillips, … is very proud of his employer’s new Elinda Ann Theatre (Drive-In) on State Highway 15 within the city limits of Whitesburg, Ky. This opened June 15, to quote Phillips, "with a bang!” He proudly details its capacity of 332 cars, with RCA in-car speakers, but mentions that the most unique thing is the special enclosed, roofed and well ventilated “seat-in section.” This seats 360 patrons and has newly installed International leather-cushioned seats."

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 9, 2022 at 12:29 pm

So now I don’t know who came up with the “Elinda Ann” name. I know it’s name after someone long before opening on June 15, 1949, but I don’t know who Elinda Ann is.

m00se1111
m00se1111 on December 11, 2022 at 11:05 am

Within roughly 15 seconds doing an internet search, I was able to determine the reasoning behind the name.

it’s really not a difficult task and it baffles me to no end why it’s not done.

https://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/33902.html

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 15, 2022 at 12:48 pm

So the theater was named after their family’s sister, and his father made a model out of his wife’s different types of salad bowls? That’s very unique!

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