Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 19, 1952: “At the close of business January 12, Fox West Coast swapped theatres with Gamble and O'Keefe. The Tower, Fresno, is now operated by them and G&O have the Kinema there.”
Boxoffice, March 28, 1953: “Gerald C. Hardy of Fresno, owner and operator of a chain of theatres in California and Nevada, has purchased the Rivoli at 1213 Fulton in Fresno and will reopen it with third-dimension color motion pictures to premiere the new film technique in the San Joaquin valley. The theatre business was purchased from Albert O'Keefe and T. R. Gamble … Installation of the 3-D equipment will cost $15,000 and will include three projectors and a new screen.”
Boxoffice, March 28, 1953: “J. P. Cruz, a resident of Reedley for 30 years, has bought the Star Theatre there from Mattie Sheibley and the equipment from the Panero Theatre Co. Cruz stated the interior of the theatre is being remodeled and air conditioning and projection are being improved"
Boxoffice, March 21, 1953: “DEL MORTE (sic), COLO. - William A. Simon, formerly of the Grand Theatre in Rocky Ford, purchased the Princess Theatre here. He takes over the house about April 1.”
Boxoffice, Jan. 17, 1953: “EUGENE, ORE. - Ken Hirons, local businessman, has taken over operation of North’s Drive-In. The sale price was estimated at $18,000.”
Boxoffice, March 7, 1953: “EUGENE, ORE. A. B. Olsen, owner of the North End Drive-In, has not sold the outdoor theatre, as was incorrectly reported in the January 17 edition. A drive-in restaurant, in no way connected with the North End Drive-In was sold, leading to the confusion.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 28, 1953: “Edward H. Metzgar … has disposed of two outdoor situations at Clarkston and Lewistown Orchards, it was revealed recently. They were sold to the Liberty Theatre Corp., of Lewistown, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Wall.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 7, 1953: “Another neighborhood theatre bit the dust now that Jack Mingus has sold his Florencita on the south side, which will be converted into a union hall”
Boxoffice, Jan. 3, 1953: “An unusual concept of the place of the drive-in theatre as a business entity has been developed at the Nashoba Valley Drive-In Theatre and Restaurant, located in West Acton, Mass., The drive-in itself can be best described as an "area” drive-in, in that it does not draw from any one particular community, but draws from some half-dozen small communities located about 20 miles west of Boston. The drive-in accommodates approximately 400 cars, and the projection boot is located in the rear of the theatre, throwing over the top of all the cars to a screen some 600 feet away … The Nashoba Valley Drive-In Theatre and Restaurant is operated by Boxboro Enterprises, under the management of Donald Sweenie."
The last El Rancho ad I could find in the Sacramento Bee was Sept. 6, 1963. The program that night was “The Caretakers” with Robert Stack and “Man From the Diners Club” with Danny Kaye.
The Oakland was open by 1948, since it was included in the 1948-49 Theatre Catalog. Its address was 15065 East 14th Street, and it was owned by Guy W. Meek, Western Drive-In Theatres, Inc.
Exhibitor, June 7, 1950: “David J. Bolton, an executive of the Trans-California Theatres, Inc., acquired the Oakland Drive-In, San Leandro, Cal., formerly owned by Guy Meek.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 6, 1952: “WOODBURN, ORE. - The Westenskow Theatre Co. is building a new 500-car drive-in just north of this community on Highway 99E. The ozoner will be opened next spring. Westenskow Theatre Co. has been in business for the last 18 years and now owns the New Pix Theatre here as well as other theatre holdings.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 6, 1952: “DAYTON, WASH. - A drive-in will be constructed here this winter, Lowell Spiess, manager of the Liberty Theatre, disclosed recently. The new 250-car outdoorer will be located on the A. J. Harting land one mile west of here. Construction is to begin immediately.”
The Modern Theatre section of the Nov. 1, 1952 issue of Boxoffice had a photo of the Howell screen tower ablaze. Its caption said that it was completely destroyed in that fire “last fall.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 4, 1952: “SUTHERLIN, ORE. - Lloyd O. Wood, Wood & Ulett Theatres, has announced that construction will start immediately on a 400-car drive-in one mile west of town. The drive-in will be ready for opening when weather permits next spring. It is being built by Wood & Ulett Theatres, which also owns the Grand Theatre here and the Jewel Theatre in Oakland.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 4, 1952: “MYRTLE CREEK, ORE. - The 500-car Tri-City Drive-In located on Highway 99 south of here has been opened by owners W. E. Love, who also is manager, J. H. Markham jr., and W. R. Markham, all of Riddle, Ore.”
There was a two-page write-up on the recently opened Sky-Hi in the Modern Theatre section of the June 7, 1952 issue of Boxoffice. “The Ski-Hi sign is constructed of five 2x6s, 27 feet high and lights up in red. Neon tubing goes up and down the posts. A blinker system is responsible for twinkling silver stars.” The screen was 40x160 feet on a tower of “laminaka fir timber.” (Unfortunately, no photos.) The drive-in’s water came from a 150-foot well.
“The drive-in is the realization of a two-year-old plan of Ralph A. Hahn, Don Dedriksen and Kieth Dedricksen, formerly of Lincoln, Mont.” Hahn was recalled to active military duty in Korea, which put construction on hold until October 1951.
The “Westernaire” held its grand opening on June 5, 1949, per coverage that week in the Lewistown Daily News. The opening program was “My Wild Irish Rose,” a cartoon and news.
Boxoffice, June 7, 1952: “LEWISTOWN, MONT. - Frank Machler, owner and manager, has started the fourth season of the Westernaire Drive-In here. A snack bar has been installed for this season and chairs placed at it so patrons may continue watching the show while waiting to be served. Adult admission is 60 cents.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 22, 1955: “Ralph and Bruce Isaacson and Glenn Metcalf, local business men, have bought the Westernaire Drive-In from Frank and Helen Machler, who operated it through the recently completed season.”
Boxoffice, June 7, 1952: “Mr. and Mrs. William Blair and son William jr. purchased the 507-seat Ritz Theatre in Calistoga, the only theatre there, from L-B Industries. The Blairs, who live in Cloverdale, own the Blair and Del Rio theatres.”
Boxoffice, May 24, 1952: “WHITEFISH, MONT. - Two drive-ins are planned for this locality. One will be built on Highway 40 between Whitefish and Columbia Falls by E. A. Massman and Walter Thompson, owners of the Orpheum and Lake theatres in Whitefish and the Park in Columbia Falls, Mont. They have bought ten acres just west of Blue Moon and Massman has made a trip to Chicago to purchase equipment.”
Boxoffice, May 10, 1952: “Hill’s Drive-In, Riverdale, was opened May 1 by Dr. Gerard Hill."
Boxoffice, May 17, 1952: “The grand opening of Hill’s Drive-In recently was a gala affair. Built at a cost of $60,000, the theatre has a capacity of 325 cars.”
Boxoffice, April 26, 1952: “The Mount Vernon Drive-In on Road 62 has reopened for the season under the management of new owners John and Stephen Miles and Mary and Joe Nickelick. They also own and operate the Sunset Drive-In on Highway 41 north of Evansville."
Boxoffice, April 26, 1952: “The Mount Vernon Drive-In on Road 62 has reopened for the season under the management of new owners John and Stephen Miles and Mary and Joe Nickelick. They also own and operate the Sunset Drive-In on Highway 41 north of Evansville. An extensive remodeling program has been undertaken at the Mount Vernon Drive-In during the off season. The concession stand has been rearranged."
Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 19, 1952: “At the close of business January 12, Fox West Coast swapped theatres with Gamble and O'Keefe. The Tower, Fresno, is now operated by them and G&O have the Kinema there.”
Boxoffice, March 28, 1953: “Gerald C. Hardy of Fresno, owner and operator of a chain of theatres in California and Nevada, has purchased the Rivoli at 1213 Fulton in Fresno and will reopen it with third-dimension color motion pictures to premiere the new film technique in the San Joaquin valley. The theatre business was purchased from Albert O'Keefe and T. R. Gamble … Installation of the 3-D equipment will cost $15,000 and will include three projectors and a new screen.”
Boxoffice, March 28, 1953: “J. P. Cruz, a resident of Reedley for 30 years, has bought the Star Theatre there from Mattie Sheibley and the equipment from the Panero Theatre Co. Cruz stated the interior of the theatre is being remodeled and air conditioning and projection are being improved"
Boxoffice, March 28, 1953: “Harry Henderson has taken over the Arroyo Theatre, long dark, and reopend the 950-seat showcase”
Boxoffice, March 21, 1953: “The Clovis Theatre at Clovis, Calif., was sold by Mr. and Mrs. Bradley H. Fish to Emanuel A. Giannaros.”
Boxoffice, March 21, 1953: “DEL MORTE (sic), COLO. - William A. Simon, formerly of the Grand Theatre in Rocky Ford, purchased the Princess Theatre here. He takes over the house about April 1.”
A reminder of Boxoffice-based false alarms.
Boxoffice, Jan. 17, 1953: “EUGENE, ORE. - Ken Hirons, local businessman, has taken over operation of North’s Drive-In. The sale price was estimated at $18,000.”
Boxoffice, March 7, 1953: “EUGENE, ORE. A. B. Olsen, owner of the North End Drive-In, has not sold the outdoor theatre, as was incorrectly reported in the January 17 edition. A drive-in restaurant, in no way connected with the North End Drive-In was sold, leading to the confusion.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 28, 1953: “Edward H. Metzgar … has disposed of two outdoor situations at Clarkston and Lewistown Orchards, it was revealed recently. They were sold to the Liberty Theatre Corp., of Lewistown, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Wall.”
Boxoffice, Feb. 7, 1953: “Another neighborhood theatre bit the dust now that Jack Mingus has sold his Florencita on the south side, which will be converted into a union hall”
Boxoffice, Jan. 3, 1953: “An unusual concept of the place of the drive-in theatre as a business entity has been developed at the Nashoba Valley Drive-In Theatre and Restaurant, located in West Acton, Mass., The drive-in itself can be best described as an "area” drive-in, in that it does not draw from any one particular community, but draws from some half-dozen small communities located about 20 miles west of Boston. The drive-in accommodates approximately 400 cars, and the projection boot is located in the rear of the theatre, throwing over the top of all the cars to a screen some 600 feet away … The Nashoba Valley Drive-In Theatre and Restaurant is operated by Boxboro Enterprises, under the management of Donald Sweenie."
The last El Rancho ad I could find in the Sacramento Bee was Sept. 6, 1963. The program that night was “The Caretakers” with Robert Stack and “Man From the Diners Club” with Danny Kaye.
The Oakland was open by 1948, since it was included in the 1948-49 Theatre Catalog. Its address was 15065 East 14th Street, and it was owned by Guy W. Meek, Western Drive-In Theatres, Inc.
Exhibitor, June 7, 1950: “David J. Bolton, an executive of the Trans-California Theatres, Inc., acquired the Oakland Drive-In, San Leandro, Cal., formerly owned by Guy Meek.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 6, 1952: “WOODBURN, ORE. - The Westenskow Theatre Co. is building a new 500-car drive-in just north of this community on Highway 99E. The ozoner will be opened next spring. Westenskow Theatre Co. has been in business for the last 18 years and now owns the New Pix Theatre here as well as other theatre holdings.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 6, 1952: “DAYTON, WASH. - A drive-in will be constructed here this winter, Lowell Spiess, manager of the Liberty Theatre, disclosed recently. The new 250-car outdoorer will be located on the A. J. Harting land one mile west of here. Construction is to begin immediately.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 29, 1952: “The Harvey Bros. firm has taken a new ten-year lease on the Sage Theatre at Winnemucca and plans to remodel the house”
The Modern Theatre section of the Nov. 1, 1952 issue of Boxoffice had a photo of the Howell screen tower ablaze. Its caption said that it was completely destroyed in that fire “last fall.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 4, 1952: “SUTHERLIN, ORE. - Lloyd O. Wood, Wood & Ulett Theatres, has announced that construction will start immediately on a 400-car drive-in one mile west of town. The drive-in will be ready for opening when weather permits next spring. It is being built by Wood & Ulett Theatres, which also owns the Grand Theatre here and the Jewel Theatre in Oakland.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 4, 1952: “MYRTLE CREEK, ORE. - The 500-car Tri-City Drive-In located on Highway 99 south of here has been opened by owners W. E. Love, who also is manager, J. H. Markham jr., and W. R. Markham, all of Riddle, Ore.”
Boxoffice, June 28, 1952: “Two new theatres has their grand openings recently. One was the Grove, of Lemon Grove, Calif., owned by J. Van Gilse.”
There was a two-page write-up on the recently opened Sky-Hi in the Modern Theatre section of the June 7, 1952 issue of Boxoffice. “The Ski-Hi sign is constructed of five 2x6s, 27 feet high and lights up in red. Neon tubing goes up and down the posts. A blinker system is responsible for twinkling silver stars.” The screen was 40x160 feet on a tower of “laminaka fir timber.” (Unfortunately, no photos.) The drive-in’s water came from a 150-foot well.
“The drive-in is the realization of a two-year-old plan of Ralph A. Hahn, Don Dedriksen and Kieth Dedricksen, formerly of Lincoln, Mont.” Hahn was recalled to active military duty in Korea, which put construction on hold until October 1951.
The “Westernaire” held its grand opening on June 5, 1949, per coverage that week in the Lewistown Daily News. The opening program was “My Wild Irish Rose,” a cartoon and news.
Boxoffice, June 7, 1952: “LEWISTOWN, MONT. - Frank Machler, owner and manager, has started the fourth season of the Westernaire Drive-In here. A snack bar has been installed for this season and chairs placed at it so patrons may continue watching the show while waiting to be served. Adult admission is 60 cents.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 22, 1955: “Ralph and Bruce Isaacson and Glenn Metcalf, local business men, have bought the Westernaire Drive-In from Frank and Helen Machler, who operated it through the recently completed season.”
Boxoffice, June 7, 1952: “Mr. and Mrs. William Blair and son William jr. purchased the 507-seat Ritz Theatre in Calistoga, the only theatre there, from L-B Industries. The Blairs, who live in Cloverdale, own the Blair and Del Rio theatres.”
Boxoffice, May 24, 1952: “WHITEFISH, MONT. - Two drive-ins are planned for this locality. One will be built on Highway 40 between Whitefish and Columbia Falls by E. A. Massman and Walter Thompson, owners of the Orpheum and Lake theatres in Whitefish and the Park in Columbia Falls, Mont. They have bought ten acres just west of Blue Moon and Massman has made a trip to Chicago to purchase equipment.”
Boxoffice, May 10, 1952: “Hill’s Drive-In, Riverdale, was opened May 1 by Dr. Gerard Hill."
Boxoffice, May 17, 1952: “The grand opening of Hill’s Drive-In recently was a gala affair. Built at a cost of $60,000, the theatre has a capacity of 325 cars.”
Boxoffice, April 26, 1952: “The Mount Vernon Drive-In on Road 62 has reopened for the season under the management of new owners John and Stephen Miles and Mary and Joe Nickelick. They also own and operate the Sunset Drive-In on Highway 41 north of Evansville."
This drive-in was opened before 1952.
Boxoffice, April 26, 1952: “The Mount Vernon Drive-In on Road 62 has reopened for the season under the management of new owners John and Stephen Miles and Mary and Joe Nickelick. They also own and operate the Sunset Drive-In on Highway 41 north of Evansville. An extensive remodeling program has been undertaken at the Mount Vernon Drive-In during the off season. The concession stand has been rearranged."