El Rancho Drive-In
2005 1 E. 16th Street,
Dalhart,
TX
79022
2005 1 E. 16th Street,
Dalhart,
TX
79022
1 person
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The El Rancho Drive-In was opened on May 8, 1951 with Bill Williams in “Blue Blood”. It was operated by J.C. Parker. It was closed at the end of the 1983 season and demolished in late-March 1984. By 1996 housing was on the site.
Contributed by
daniel
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
From the March 31, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: H. L. Boehm, who operates theatres in Woodward, Okla., has bought the Mission (indoor theater in Denver) along with the Rancho drive-in, at Dalhart, Texas, from J. C. Parker.
Boxoffice, March 10, 1951: “J. C. Parker is readying his new 350-car $65,000 drive-in, Dalhart, Tex., for a spring opening.”
Boxoffice, March 31, 1956: “H. L. Boehm, who operates theatres at Woodward, Okla., has bought the Mission and El Rancho Drive-In, Dalhart, Tex., from J. C. Parker.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Sept. 19, 1962: “Don Gilbert and his partner Ross Erlow have reported that they have closed the LaRita, Delhart, Tex., and the building has been sold. They operate the Mission, an indoor house, and the El Rancho Drive-In, Dalhart.”
The El Rancho Drive-in opened its gates on May 8, 1951 with Bill Williams in “Blue Blood” (unknown if any short subjects). It was closed at the end of the 1983 season and was demolished in late-March 1984.
Snipes, I’d love to know where you got that superb color photo of the El Rancho marquee.
And to be finicky, the drive-in wasn’t on US 87. It was a block east on 16th Street, where a mobile home park sits today. The entrance was about at present-day 2005 1 E 16th St, and the screen was just a bit farther north, maybe about 2005 5 E 16th St.
It was on Flickr. I just searched up “Drive-In” and set the dates between 1950 and 1990, there are at least a fine load of pictures with drive-in theaters in it.