Thunderbird Drive-In
3501 Hamilton Avenue,
St. Louis,
MO
63102
3501 Hamilton Avenue,
St. Louis,
MO
63102
2 people
favorited this theater
The layout for the Thunderbird Drive-In was strange in that even though the drive-in was on Hamilton Avenue the entrance was actually on Natural Bridge Road. It was located between the popular Goody Goody Restaurant and a liquor store. The entrance stretched a block long before you actually got to the box office.
It was a 450 car drive-in that opened in July 1959. It was operated by Mid America Theatres. With the changing of the demographics of the neighborhood the Thunderbird Drive-In played kung-fu and “blaxploitation” features toward the end. The theatre closed in October 1977.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 19 comments)
It’s very rare that I double post, but in this case I feel it’s necessary.
To remphasize the point of my post in question: I merely raised an issue about the film titles that you claim were shown there in the year 1977. I am also from St. Louis. Yes, my factual info is spotty since I was a child during the era in question. But I still have my childhood memories – of which I distinctly remember “The Bird” having obtained a reputation for featuring the aforementioned “schlocky, exploitation fare” at the theatre.
I also rely on childhood factoids from my family members who shared personal stories of my tiny tot years here watching Blaxploitation & Kung Fu flicks (1972 through its 1977 closing). I’ve heard stories about me almost breaking my neck trying to imitate my older cousins during intermissions of kung fu movies along with nervous aunts trying to cover my eyes during nude scenes in Blaxploitation flicks. There’s a photo online of The Bird’s marquee circa 1974 that supports my memory of these flicks.
The theatres I mentioned are where I personally saw many of the 1977 films mentioned. I cannot – and DID NOT! – speak about the films of the 1960’s that you mentioned. I believe that the good people you mentioned did see the flicks that you cited and have those great memories. Once again, I only raised a question about the films from 1977. Nothing more, nothing less.
I did not mean to offend.
Chris, in viewing other posts on this and other boards, I find your knowledge of the St Louis area, and particularly the north St Louis area, second to none. While I am a south side guy, I too remember looking regularly at the movie listings from that era and must agree with you about the type of movies that were showing in at the Thunderbird. Given the choice, I’ll take your recollections over anyone else’s “facts”.
Allrighty them.
Wow.
There’s a Facebook group dedicated to St. Louis area drive-ins & indoor theatres with tons of pictures of the Thunderbird and other drive-ins along with newspaper ads for each theatre. I’ve combed through the pics and ads of “The Bird” – not a trace of 2001 or Funny Girl to be found. But there are TONS of ads for horror flicks on that page.
Sorry if I don’t post the link…can’t access FB during the day.
Here’s that link I was talking about earlier: St. Louis Flashback Movie & Drive-In Theatres
Tons of T-Bird ads. No 2001 in any of them.
thanks Chris.
Chris Utley… I realize that this is a relaxed forum… But posting a link to Facebook and what is generally considered to be a historical collage of bits and pieces is not considered to be an archive… The reference doesn’t have to be parenthetical but it does have to have some element of reference to the topic. Many have honed in on “2001 A Space Odyssey” it was released around April of 1968… Which would’ve certainly shone up in the drive-ins by August of that same year.
I assume when you say that there are tons of references to the Thunderbird Drive-In… You must mean in the terms of coming from “bizarro world” (a Superman reference) in which there is absolutely zero gravity in weight of references to the Thunderbird Drive-In… Or perhaps this is opposite day… When up is down… And left his right… Unless your link has been redacted or altered in some way there is absolutely no reference to the Thunderbird Drive-In… That I can see with my physical eyes… Perhaps I should try transcendental meditation… or soul travel… Or should I look with a divining rod… Or perhaps a seeing-eye dog…umm how about carbon dating….
Just say no…
Anyway, the FB site has been stripped of its content because the owner did not want to switch to the new “Timeline” format. In the 2 ½ years since your previous comment, the folks on this forum both visited the former page and verified its content before the page was stripped.
Well…the owner of the aforementioned FB page had a change of heart. Here’s the new link: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/204180702979678/
I DARE anybody to find 2001 ads in the Thunderbird section!