Comments from 50sSNIPES

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Skyvue Drive-In on Feb 20, 2021 at 11:29 pm

UPDATE: The Sky-Vue Drive-In Is Formerly The Blount Drive-In And Opened In Early April 1951 With Errol Flynn In “Montana” As One Of Their First Few Films.

In 1947 or 1948, Mr. Lesley Neely of Marion (born in Boaz, grew up in Gadsden, formerly worked at the Strand Theatre in Oneonta since December 26, 1922, survived a deadly vehicle wreck along with his wife Mrs. Lester Marlin Neely, Sr. and secretary Ms. Lowery on the morning of November 15, 1943 which left one unknown person dead, opened up the Neely Theatre since its opening on September 25, 1946, and was the one who formed the Neely Theatres Corporation of Alabama) had planned to build a Drive-In for the Oneonta and Blount County area but due to 3 crop failures, construction for the site was delayed immediately. But conditions, making it mandatory, really wanted the work to immediately start in business.

Mr. Neely’s wife, Mrs. Lester Marlin Neely, Sr. of Marion, who opened the Strand Theatre in Oneonta in 1922, decided to make his plan come true on October 29, 1950. Mrs. Neely along with the Wells Brothers of Boaz are affiliated in the new outdoor theatre and began construction when November passes by. Construction began on November 1, 1950 and will be known as the Blount Drive-In. The Blount Drive-In was located 1 mile from downtown Oneonta on the Albertville Highway 32 next to an airport. The equipment was bought by constructors and the location is progressing rapidly. She hopes that the theater will be ready for opening by the middle of December of that year but that didn’t happen at all until months later. Woodrow Wells of unknown was announced as the local manager.

Their original opening date of the theater was March 15, 1951 but due to weather conditions and being unable to surface their parking area, it is once again rescheduled. The theater finally opened during the week of March 30 to April 5, 1951. Apparently the grand opening date still remains lost, but I recalled “Montana” starring Errol Flynn with an unknown cartoon as one of the first few features the Blount Drive-In picked up for. This was listed as follows afterwards: After “Montana”, it was followed by “Fighting Man of the Plains” starring Randolph Scott in Cinecolor with no selected short subjects, Van Johnson along with Judy Garland with no selected short subjects added in “In The Good Old Summertime”, Dagwood and the Family themselves in “Blondie’s Secret” along with an unknown cartoon and the short “Breezy Little Bears”, and the 1948 film version of “The Three Musketeers”, also with no selected short subjects. That list was notable for the first few features that started up the Blount Drive-In.

The manager of the theater was later then taken over by John Plummer of unknown, who announced on May 6, 1954 before a showing of “Count the Hours” starring Teresa Wright that a typical Dialing for Dollars format event would take place there. It was notable for being notice as “Blount Car Night” with a feature at 7:00 P.M. EDT, and the drawing 1 hour and 30 minutes later at 8:30 P.M. A boatload of 2 big jackpots began drawing there with the first night $150 and $75. The money that is not won accumulates, which will increase each week until a winner is announced.

It was announced on April 1, 1955, that the Blount Drive-In closed its gates and would end its run and began to remodel. The original screen was replaced by a 70ft screen and new speakers being replaced. Reflecto tape and paint have been reused throughout the parking area by leaving small parking lights to locate the speaker of choice abilities.

This literally becomes the Sky-Vue Drive-In which opened on May 13, 1955 with Lucille Ball in “The Long Long Trailer”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Neely Arts Center on Feb 20, 2021 at 9:56 pm

His Brother, Lester Jr. At 37 Years Old Died On December 20, 1955 In Marion, AL After A Heart Attack. He Is Formerly A Disc Jockey For WJAM 1310 AM (Now WJUS) Which Celebrated The Station’s 5th Year Of Broadcasting 15 Days Prior To His Death And An Operator For A Central Alabama Theatre Chain.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about 43 Drive-In on Feb 20, 2021 at 8:59 pm

Opened In September 1952.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Langdale Theatre on Feb 20, 2021 at 6:19 pm

Actually It Closed On January 20, 1937 After It Was Destroyed By A Fire. A Relocated Location Also Named The Langdale Theatre Was Then Built Nearby And Opened The Following May. This Langdale That Was Destroyed In 1937 Opened In 1920.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Lanett Theater on Feb 20, 2021 at 6:11 pm

Formerly Apart Of The Valley Theatres Chain.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Star Drive-In on Feb 14, 2021 at 5:34 pm

Actually It Opened On November 22, 1949 With Randolph Scott In “Canadian Pacific”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Mountain View Drive-In on Feb 13, 2021 at 10:09 pm

Thanks, And Thanks To The Burlington Free Press For All Those Stories And Informations.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about March 28th, 1953 grand opening ad on Feb 13, 2021 at 8:11 pm

That’s Not The Grand Opening Ad. That’s Their 2nd Season (First Full Season) Opening Ad.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Mountain View Drive-In on Feb 13, 2021 at 7:47 pm

More commonly located in Winooski but not too far from Burlington, the Mountain View Drive-In was first constructed on June 14, 1952 off of Routes 2 and 7. The sale of the property was handled by Donald Daley. The 650-capacity Mountain View Drive-In then later opened its gates on July 31, 1952 with Adolphe Menjou in the Columbia film “The Sniper” along with Abbott and Costello in “Who Done It?!” and an unknown cartoon. Both Projection Booth and Concession Stands were both built by brothers Frank and 37-year-old Orero Bernardini. McAuliffe’s of Cor. Church and College Streets in Winooski installed the supplies and equipment. N. Duchaine Incorporation of 237½ Main Street in Downtown Burlington made the original steel 60ft screen which lasted for almost 2 years, and the Rocheleau Decorating Company of 39 Maple Street in Winooski did the decorating for the original screen. When the theater opened, Peter Salvucci of an unknown town in Massachusetts was the main contractor. The theater also equipped itself with horns. The horns were used after the 15-minute intermission (not 10), in which the screen during the 15-minute reel displayed an image of a clock (which was considered lost through time possibly), until the end where the horns that were established begin to blow warning signals to people that the show is about to start.

On May 4, 1953, the theater was announced to install playground equipment for the children. The playground equipment considers a colorful picket fence of red, green, yellow and white lines, and juvenile joys of chutes, swings, teeters, pony rides, and a merry-go-round. This theater also has a boon to parents of restless children, prior to either Disney, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, Walter Lantz, UPA, TerryToons, or other cartoons that the theater chooses from prior to other special programs and the main features. Alongside the playground, this theater is also equipped with a high-fidelity magnetic sound system. Orero Bernardini thoughted about the sound system, as he recommended that he could hear it from 3 to 4 different directions.

The original screen of the Mountain View Drive-In only lasted until June of 1954, when the announcement was heard by Orero Bernardini. The original 60ft steel tower that was built by the N. Duchaine Incorporation and decorated by the Rocheleau Decorating Company was replaced by CinemaScope, a 101x48 steeled screen completed by the Rocheleau Construction Company, owned by Louis Rocheleau himself. During the week of July 18, 1954, the screen was temporarily under construction and was completed and installed a week afterwards on July 25. Photos of the screen construction “during and after'‘ were then posted on the Burlington Free Press. One picture demonstrates the former 60ft original screen lying sideways on the ground, and the other picture demonstrates the CinemaScope screen standing making it finalized. The CinemaScope screen plans were involved 3 weeks prior to the building. Louis and his construction team completed the Flex-Board facing, painting, and cement foundations while the Vermont Structural Steel Corporation undertook the steel portion which does include the framework and underlying of the screen. Not just CinemaScope but a new sound system was required and major updates to the theater. He also adopted a theory that people wanted to find pictures when they stilled more commonly explaining about, more commonly for the film, “Living It Up” starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had its preview at the Mountain View on the same day the film premiered in Atlantic City, New Jersey. More Kitchen equipment was added along with more snacks to fit people’s appetite. The bathrooms were painted bright red nearby, and there is an efficient traffic control on cars heading out of the theater.

Nearby, April 14, 1960 marked a meeting near the Mountain View Drive-In where a bridge was planned over the Winooski River. But fast-forward more than 2 years later and a bigger project came out-of-the-blue for Chittenden County on March 14, 1963. A total of 4 contracts leading from the Mountain View Drive-In Theatre through Malletts Bay to an interchange on US Route 2, Island Road in Chimney Corners were planned to launch the following summer. As of that month, the grand total of 6,282 miles was estimated at a cost of $3,676,308.68. Almost 2 months later, the Mountain View Drive-In closed for 2 days as Orero’s brother Frank Bernardini announced on May 9 and 10, 1963 possibly due to the construction nearby. The entire highway was announced to be in completion a week prior to the assassination to then-President John F. Kennedy.

Orero Bernardini retired in 1970 after almost 18 years working at the Mountain View Drive-In. He passed away 8 years later in April 1978 at the age of 63. Apparently, the Mountain View Drive-In announced on April 13, 1970 that the theater was given to the SBC Management Corporation of Boston, Mass. SBC at the time continued to work on construction at the nearby Cinema I & II nearby in South Burlington which launched the following May 22. After becoming ownership with SBC, the early 1970’s are the most harsh years for the Mountain View Drive-In. The reason why is because of many “Help Wanted” ads scrambling all over Burlington’s Free Press pages. The Mountain View committed a possible robbery on March 2, 1972 after the Winooski Police Department reported on an empty cash register.

During the mid-to-late 1970’s and parts of the early 1980’s, the Mountain View Drive-In had a variety of weirdness. One time the 650-capacity parking row was used as a partial car dealership, although the theater was still open at the time, and the theater was once used for the live performance of Steve McQueen in 1977. But the story doesn’t end because the Mountain View Drive-In still runs films at the time. By the late 1970’s, the theater became part of the Merrill Theatre Corporation. In August 1979, 21-year-old Kevin Plant of Winooski was awarded $240,000 due to an injury from his neck near the Mountain View Drive-In after running over and getting hit by active live wires.

The Mountain View Drive-In’s final season is 1984, where it closed its gates for the final time after the end of the season. It sat abandoned for more than a year until one-story buildings and a shopping plaza were announced to place on its site on July 10, 1986, announced by the Pizzagalli Investment Corporation, and was forced to demolish the Mountain View Drive-In.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Mountain View Drive-In on Feb 13, 2021 at 7:47 pm

The Opening Date Is Wrong, It Was Exactly The Theater’s First Full Season Opening, Or Second Season.

I Apologized As I Accidentally Posted An Another Mountain View Drive-In Page Nearby But Except It Was Listed As In Winooski, Sorry. They Will Fix It As Soon As Possible. I Thought I Found A Different Mountain View Until I Found The Right Page This Came From.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Strand Theatre on Feb 13, 2021 at 6:45 pm

First Opened As The Nickel Theatre In The Spring Of 1910, It Became The Strand Theatre On New Year’s Day 1919. It Is Closed On March 24, 1956 After The 385-Capacity Strand Theatre Was Razed And Destroyed By A Fire. It Took 4 Hours To Battle The Flames But The Theater Didn’t Survive. A Diner And A Barber Shop Was Also Involved In The Flames.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Moonlight Drive-In & Moonlight Theatre on Feb 13, 2021 at 2:49 am

The Unique Thing Is That The Outdoor Opened First On July 17, 1953 With “Column South”, But The Indoor Opened Months Later On Christmas Day 1953 With Donald O’Connor In “Walking My Baby Back Home”. The Indoor Marked The First To Have CinemaScope In The State Of Vermont With A 50x20 Screen.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Roxy Theatre on Feb 12, 2021 at 10:04 pm

Opened On April 24, 1916 With “The Diamond In The Sky”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Roxy Theatre on Feb 12, 2021 at 6:48 pm

Although This Theater Was Under A Number Of Competitions Like The City’s Own Opera House And An Unrecognizable Park Theatre Which Had Nothing Than A Few Pages According To Essex County’s Herald During The Last Few Weeks Of 1936, Shortly Right Before The “Star” Theatre Became The Roxy Theatre And The Remodel. The First Film After Changing Its Name And The Remodel Is “Rainbow On The River” Starring Bobby Breen.

The Theater Was Closed Many Times During The Last Few Years Of Operation. It Is Once Taken Over By A New Management And Reopened On July 20, 1956 After Closing For More Than 2 Months. And Like That Point, The Theater Was Once Again Closed Shortly Later In December 1956 Before Reopening On January 4, 1957.

The Roxy Closed It’s Doors For The Final Time On February 21, 1958 After The Theater Was Threaten And Damaged By An Early Morning Fire. The Theater Building Was Then Torn Down The Following Year In 1959 After All The Equipment Was Sold Off.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Roxy Theatre on Feb 12, 2021 at 6:25 pm

I Am 99.99% Sure That The Roxy Was Once Known As The Star Theatre Until December 31, 1936 When It Remodeled And Changed Its Name To The Roxy. If It Is Known As The Star, Then It Opened On April 24, 1916 With “The Diamond From The Sky”; But It Was Necessary If This Theater Was Actually Once Known As The “Star”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Star Theatre on Feb 11, 2021 at 10:26 pm

Battling The Nearby Palace, The Star Theatre Opened On December 1st, 1926 With “Tin Hats” (A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film). It Is First Known As “Cray’s Star Theatre” Before Shorten The Name To Just “Star Theatre” A Short Time Later During 1927.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Ren Drive-In on Feb 11, 2021 at 5:16 pm

Renovated On September 11, 1974.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Capitol Theatre on Feb 11, 2021 at 5:05 pm

According To The Quad City Times, The Capitol Became A Triple-X Rated Theater On May 18, 1978.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Lincoln Drive-In on Feb 7, 2021 at 9:32 pm

Opened On August 11, 1949.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Barrymore Theatre on Feb 7, 2021 at 4:18 pm

This Theater When It Was Known As Cinema Was More Commonly Named As The Cinema Theatre.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Volunteer Theatre on Feb 4, 2021 at 7:09 pm

The Volunteer Theatre Opened On January 28, 1935 With Ralph Morgan In “Little Men”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Starvue Drive-In on Feb 2, 2021 at 6:49 pm

Owners of the Star-Vue On April 22, 1953 Faced A $15,000 Damage Suit In Circuit Court, Due To Many Problems. When The Theater Opened Months Prior, Violations Made Restrictions In The Area And Was Damaged. The Cigarette Machine Was Destroyed 3 Months Later.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Cameo Theatre on Feb 2, 2021 at 1:40 pm

The Cameo Theatre Opened Its Doors On March 15, 1929 With Antonio Moreno And Ben Lyon In “The Air Legion”.

On January 25, 1948, The Theater Lost $170 After A Robbery. Less Than A Month Later On Valentines Day 1948, The Theater Was Damaged By A Fire. It Is Closed In 1950.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Criterion Theatre on Feb 2, 2021 at 1:35 pm

The Criterion Theatre Opened As Early As 1895. It Is Closed As Late As 1921.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Red Bank Drive-In on Feb 2, 2021 at 2:52 am

The Red Bank Drive-In Opened On May 18, 1950 With Performances By The Local Area “Rainbow Girls” And The Film “Blue Grass Of Kentucky” Starring Bill Williams With Fireworks Prior To The Grand Opening Program.