The line from 1923 construction to the Isis to the Sun to the Pontiac to the Holly looks fairly strong. Not sure what happened to the Opera House that became the Star. Anyway, here are a pile of magazine clippings:
Motion Picture News, Dec. 28, 1918: “Fred Adamek of Holly, Colo., has sold his Opera House theatre there to a company of Holly men”.
Variety, Aug. 27?, 1919: “C. Runyan, proprietor of the Star at Holly, Colo., surprised his patrons last week by staging a vaudeville show all by himself after the regular moving picture program had been run off.”
The Film Daily, July 31, 1923, under New Theaters: “Holly, Colo. – Actual building on the new theater to be erected on North Main St. has begun.”
The Film Daily, Oct. 27, 1927: “Holly, Colo. – A petition to the town council protesting against Sunday shows is being fought by E. R. Wood, owner of the theater, through the columns of the local newspapers which he also owns.”
Motion Picture News, Nov. 25, 1927: “The movieless Sunday in Holly, Colo., is now a reality after a long and bitter struggle between R. E. Wood of the Isis theatre and local reformers. The town council passed the ordinance at its second reading last Wednesday night and it became a law.”
Exhibitors Herald, Dec. 24, 1927, reported that a Minusa Cine Screen Company screen had been installed at the “Isis theatre, Holly, Colo.”
The Film Daily, June 6, 1928, said that R. E. Wood, 49, was killed in a car wreck “after inspecting a theater which he was building” in Holly.
The Film Daily, June 21, 1935, wrote that among the exhibitors recently visiting Denver’s Film Row was “C. F. Mazanek, Holly, Colo.”
The Film Daily, March 27, 1937: “an old theater building in Holly, Colo., has been brought up to date and seats about 200.”
Variety, March 24, 1937: “Frank Northrup, who has remodeled an old theatre building in Holly, Colo., will have the reopening about March 25. Northrup also owns a theatre in Syracuse, Kan.”
The Film Daily, May 21, 1937: “Theaters under new names are … the Sun at Holly, Colo., reopened as the Pontiac by Frank Northrup”.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Aug. 4, 1965: “Two theatres in the state are still closed on account of the June floods – the Lamar, Lamar, Colo., and the Holly, Holly, Colo.” Sept. 15, 1965: “The Holly, Holly, Colo., which suffered a great deal of damage during the June floods that hit Colorado, has been completely renovated and redecorated. New seats and new screen have been installed and it has been reopened by Marvin and Muriel Ellis.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 5, 1950: “Ronald Kramer received two one-year passes to Sunnymount theatres as a prize for his winning entry in the name contest for the new drive-in theatre. "Monte Vista” Kramer’s entry, was judged the best of more than 500 suggested. B. A. Vecchiarelli, district manager of Sunnymount, made the award."
Boxoffice, July 8, 1950: “The Starlight Investment Co. will open its new 300-car, $40,000 drive-in, the Starlight, at Newcastle, Wyo., about the middle of this month.”
Boxoffice, July 29, 1950: “The 200-car Starlight Drive-In, located about two miles south of the city on the highway toward Lusk, has been opened by B. J. Kearney, J. Edward Smith, Harry Henderson and E. Keith Thompson.”
The 1949 Film Daily Year Book listed only the Grand (225 seats) under Flagler, so this is probably about the same theater.
Boxoffice, July 22, 1950: “FLAGLER, COLO. – The marquee of the Grand Theatre here has been improved by the addition of new neon tubing and lettering. Other improvements planned by Mrs. Nora Wright, owner and operator of the theatre, include new air conditioning and new seating.”
Boxoffice, July 22, 1950: “KLAMATH FALLS, ORE. – George M. Mann has opened the 600-car Shasta Drive-In. B. Nobler of San Francisco was architect for the Shasta, and Earl Baughman is local manager.”
Based on HistoricAerial.com’s comparison tool, the entrance to the Motor Vu is about where 320 23rd Ave NW is now.
And this sounds like part of its origin story, from the April 15, 1950 Boxoffice: “SIDNEY, MONT. – J. M. Suckstorff and son have resumed work on the drive-in across from the fairgrounds. A tentative opening date has been set for May 10.”
As was often the case, that projected opening probably slipped. Boxoffice, July 8, 1950: “SIDNEY, MONT. – The new Motor-Vu Drive-In erected on Route 16 near the county fairgrounds by Jack Suckstorff recently was opened. With a capacity of 350 cars, the new theatre has a 54x60-foot screen.”
Boxoffice, May 13, 1950: “FARMINGTON, N. M. – Work has begun on $60,000 Mesa Drive-In four miles east of town on the Bloomfield highway. The airer is being constructed by Murphy & Sons, general contractors, on land recently purchased from Arthur Coy. The airer will accommodate 400 cars and will be managed by Frank Budai.”
Boxoffice, July 8, 1950: “FARMINGTON, N. M. – The new Mesa Drive-In erected near here by San Juan Enterprises, Inc., recently was opened. The 100-foot screen tower is built of concrete and Oregon pine. Frank Dudai, formerly of Waterflow, N. M., is manager, and Edward Pierce is projectionist.”
Same drive-in? Boxoffice, Jan. 7, 1950: “Lem Lee, Paul Rothman, R. C. Otwell … will have ready for a spring opening a 400-car, $75,000 drive-in at McCook, Neb."
How about this one? Boxoffice, July 1, 1950: “Bill Hanke has opened his 400-car $50,000 drive-in at McCook, Neb.”
Boxoffice, June 3, 1950: “HOBBS, N. M. – The Reel Theatre here got big publicity for its showing of "Chain Lightning” recently, when a Piper Pacer airplane flew the film to the theatre, landing in the street just in front of the Reel. Through cooperation with the police and fire departments, the street had been cleared so that the plane could land."
The Skyline was due to open in late summer 1949, per a note in the Aug. 6, 1949 issue of BoxOffice: “Russ Dauterman and Robert Adams are building a drive-in at Laramie, Wyo., for an August 15 opening.”
And it must have happened before the end of 1949. From the May 6, 1950 issue of Box0ffice: “LARAMIE, WYO. – Manager Bob Adams has opened the Skyline Drive-In for the season. A new steel screen was erected to replace a screen destroyed by wind.”
Boxoffice, May 27, 1950: “The Skyline Drive-In was opened recently by Manager Bob Adams after installation of its third screen. The new steel structure has double reinforcements. The last two screens at the drive-in have been blown down by strong gusts of wind.”
BTW, this week Google Maps prefers the address of 1435 The Dalles-California Hwy, Madras, OR 97741. And here’s an approximate opening date:
Boxoffice, May 20, 1950: “MADRAS, ORE. – The 300-car K&D Drive-In a mile south of town on Highway 97 has been opened by Manager Bill Bordwell. Built at a cost of $70,000, the airer may be expanded to 500 cars later. The screen is 60 feet in height.”
There was a two-page story about the Marlow Mobil-Ins in the May 6, 1950 issue of Boxoffice. It’s probably the source of dallasmovietheaters' accurate summary above. “So far as it is known, his theatre on wheels is the first and only such setup in the United States or Canada.” He had to run the popcorn machine before the show because there wasn’t sufficient electricity to do so during the movie.
Boxoffice, April 29, 1950: “Fidel Theatres has opened its new 475-car $75,000 drive-in at Espanola, N. M. Brenkert projectors and RCA sound and in-car speakers were purchased from Western Service & Supply.”
Boxoffice, April 22, 1950: “Claude Graves has sold the El Rey at Albuquerque, N. M., to Marlin Butler, who now has three theatres there”
Motion Picture Herald, Oct. 11, 1952: “Albuquerque Exhibitors Inc. have bought the El Rey and La Sambea from Marlin Butler. Butler still retains the Ernie Pyle and Sunset drive-in.”
Two years in the making? Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. – T. B. Noble jr., general manager of the Westland Theatre Corp, says his firm will build a new drive-in on North avenue here. It will accommodate 600 cars.”
Maybe the writer mistook third anniversary for third season? Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “Meanwhile, the Starlite Drive-In, owned by Loyd Files, opened for its third season after installation of a bigger screen and two more ramps, adding accommodations for 150 additional cars.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “BEND, ORE. – Construction of a concessions stand, ticket booth, projection room and fencing has been started here at the new Bend Drive-In underway for Albert and William Forman.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “PORTALES, N. M. – Theatre Enterprises opened the new Varsity Drive-In on Elinda (sic) Highway here Easter Sunday (April 9 that year). The theatre will accommodate 250 cars, according to Russell Ackley, manager. The drive-in was completed last fall, but no pictures were shown due to the lateness of the season.”
Elida NM is 25 miles southwest of Portales on US 70, so it must have been the drive-in on the southwest side of town.
An exact date! Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “ARTESIA, N. M. – Ray Bartlett and his son Bill opened the new 350-car drive-in here on Easter Sunday (April 9 that year). The project includes a concessions stand, playground, in-car speakers and hard-surfaced ramps. It cost an approximate $75,000.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “OURAY, COLO. – N. J. Denstitt has leased the Ouray Theatre here from Charles Diller. Denstitt has been in the theatre business in Texas.”
Boxoffice, April 8, 1950: “Gus Daskalos and Steve Nitse reported capacity business at the opening of their Vegas Drive-In at Las Vegas, N. M. The new drive-in, with 350-car capacity, cost about $50,000.”
Boxoffice, March 18, 1950: “A new drive-in will open at Layton, Utah, this spring. Arthur W. Thomassen of Kaysville, Mrs. J. J. Bugger of Layton and her two sons J. A. and John J. are scheduled to operate an ozoner a mile and one-half north of Layton on Highway 91 within a few weeks”
Looks like the original “recently” date slipped. Boxoffice, March 11, 1950: “OROVILLE, CALIF. – George B. Hickox has sold his half interest in the Mesa Drive-In to Frank S. Devincenzi of Santa Rosa. Newell C. Post, owner of a half interest in the theatre, and Devincenzi will be owners and operators. The theatre, built by Hickox, was opened last November 23.”
The line from 1923 construction to the Isis to the Sun to the Pontiac to the Holly looks fairly strong. Not sure what happened to the Opera House that became the Star. Anyway, here are a pile of magazine clippings:
Motion Picture News, Dec. 28, 1918: “Fred Adamek of Holly, Colo., has sold his Opera House theatre there to a company of Holly men”.
Variety, Aug. 27?, 1919: “C. Runyan, proprietor of the Star at Holly, Colo., surprised his patrons last week by staging a vaudeville show all by himself after the regular moving picture program had been run off.”
The Film Daily, July 31, 1923, under New Theaters: “Holly, Colo. – Actual building on the new theater to be erected on North Main St. has begun.”
The Film Daily, Oct. 27, 1927: “Holly, Colo. – A petition to the town council protesting against Sunday shows is being fought by E. R. Wood, owner of the theater, through the columns of the local newspapers which he also owns.”
Motion Picture News, Nov. 25, 1927: “The movieless Sunday in Holly, Colo., is now a reality after a long and bitter struggle between R. E. Wood of the Isis theatre and local reformers. The town council passed the ordinance at its second reading last Wednesday night and it became a law.”
Exhibitors Herald, Dec. 24, 1927, reported that a Minusa Cine Screen Company screen had been installed at the “Isis theatre, Holly, Colo.”
The Film Daily, June 6, 1928, said that R. E. Wood, 49, was killed in a car wreck “after inspecting a theater which he was building” in Holly.
The Film Daily, June 21, 1935, wrote that among the exhibitors recently visiting Denver’s Film Row was “C. F. Mazanek, Holly, Colo.”
The Film Daily, March 27, 1937: “an old theater building in Holly, Colo., has been brought up to date and seats about 200.”
Variety, March 24, 1937: “Frank Northrup, who has remodeled an old theatre building in Holly, Colo., will have the reopening about March 25. Northrup also owns a theatre in Syracuse, Kan.”
The Film Daily, May 21, 1937: “Theaters under new names are … the Sun at Holly, Colo., reopened as the Pontiac by Frank Northrup”.
Exhibitor: July 1, 1953: “Mrs. Muriel Ellis, Pontiac, Holly, Colo., installed 3-D.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Aug. 4, 1965: “Two theatres in the state are still closed on account of the June floods – the Lamar, Lamar, Colo., and the Holly, Holly, Colo.” Sept. 15, 1965: “The Holly, Holly, Colo., which suffered a great deal of damage during the June floods that hit Colorado, has been completely renovated and redecorated. New seats and new screen have been installed and it has been reopened by Marvin and Muriel Ellis.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 5, 1950: “Ronald Kramer received two one-year passes to Sunnymount theatres as a prize for his winning entry in the name contest for the new drive-in theatre. "Monte Vista” Kramer’s entry, was judged the best of more than 500 suggested. B. A. Vecchiarelli, district manager of Sunnymount, made the award."
Boxoffice, July 8, 1950: “The Starlight Investment Co. will open its new 300-car, $40,000 drive-in, the Starlight, at Newcastle, Wyo., about the middle of this month.”
Boxoffice, July 29, 1950: “The 200-car Starlight Drive-In, located about two miles south of the city on the highway toward Lusk, has been opened by B. J. Kearney, J. Edward Smith, Harry Henderson and E. Keith Thompson.”
The 1949 Film Daily Year Book listed only the Grand (225 seats) under Flagler, so this is probably about the same theater.
Boxoffice, July 22, 1950: “FLAGLER, COLO. – The marquee of the Grand Theatre here has been improved by the addition of new neon tubing and lettering. Other improvements planned by Mrs. Nora Wright, owner and operator of the theatre, include new air conditioning and new seating.”
Boxoffice, July 22, 1950: “KLAMATH FALLS, ORE. – George M. Mann has opened the 600-car Shasta Drive-In. B. Nobler of San Francisco was architect for the Shasta, and Earl Baughman is local manager.”
The 1949 Film Daily Year Book called this the Virginia City Theatre, same as in the photo posted here.
Boxoffice, July 8, 1950: “Mr. and Mrs. V. J. Archimedes have purchased the Virginia City Theatre from Joe Hart and Dr. E. P. Deputy.”
Based on HistoricAerial.com’s comparison tool, the entrance to the Motor Vu is about where 320 23rd Ave NW is now.
And this sounds like part of its origin story, from the April 15, 1950 Boxoffice: “SIDNEY, MONT. – J. M. Suckstorff and son have resumed work on the drive-in across from the fairgrounds. A tentative opening date has been set for May 10.”
As was often the case, that projected opening probably slipped. Boxoffice, July 8, 1950: “SIDNEY, MONT. – The new Motor-Vu Drive-In erected on Route 16 near the county fairgrounds by Jack Suckstorff recently was opened. With a capacity of 350 cars, the new theatre has a 54x60-foot screen.”
Boxoffice, May 13, 1950: “FARMINGTON, N. M. – Work has begun on $60,000 Mesa Drive-In four miles east of town on the Bloomfield highway. The airer is being constructed by Murphy & Sons, general contractors, on land recently purchased from Arthur Coy. The airer will accommodate 400 cars and will be managed by Frank Budai.”
Boxoffice, July 8, 1950: “FARMINGTON, N. M. – The new Mesa Drive-In erected near here by San Juan Enterprises, Inc., recently was opened. The 100-foot screen tower is built of concrete and Oregon pine. Frank Dudai, formerly of Waterflow, N. M., is manager, and Edward Pierce is projectionist.”
Same drive-in? Boxoffice, Jan. 7, 1950: “Lem Lee, Paul Rothman, R. C. Otwell … will have ready for a spring opening a 400-car, $75,000 drive-in at McCook, Neb."
How about this one? Boxoffice, July 1, 1950: “Bill Hanke has opened his 400-car $50,000 drive-in at McCook, Neb.”
The same photo was also included in ads for the Adler Letter Co., such as this one in the June 3, 1950 issue of Boxoffice.
Boxoffice, June 3, 1950: “HOBBS, N. M. – The Reel Theatre here got big publicity for its showing of "Chain Lightning” recently, when a Piper Pacer airplane flew the film to the theatre, landing in the street just in front of the Reel. Through cooperation with the police and fire departments, the street had been cleared so that the plane could land."
The Skyline was due to open in late summer 1949, per a note in the Aug. 6, 1949 issue of BoxOffice: “Russ Dauterman and Robert Adams are building a drive-in at Laramie, Wyo., for an August 15 opening.”
And it must have happened before the end of 1949. From the May 6, 1950 issue of Box0ffice: “LARAMIE, WYO. – Manager Bob Adams has opened the Skyline Drive-In for the season. A new steel screen was erected to replace a screen destroyed by wind.”
Boxoffice, May 27, 1950: “The Skyline Drive-In was opened recently by Manager Bob Adams after installation of its third screen. The new steel structure has double reinforcements. The last two screens at the drive-in have been blown down by strong gusts of wind.”
BTW, this week Google Maps prefers the address of 1435 The Dalles-California Hwy, Madras, OR 97741. And here’s an approximate opening date:
Boxoffice, May 20, 1950: “MADRAS, ORE. – The 300-car K&D Drive-In a mile south of town on Highway 97 has been opened by Manager Bill Bordwell. Built at a cost of $70,000, the airer may be expanded to 500 cars later. The screen is 60 feet in height.”
There was a two-page story about the Marlow Mobil-Ins in the May 6, 1950 issue of Boxoffice. It’s probably the source of dallasmovietheaters' accurate summary above. “So far as it is known, his theatre on wheels is the first and only such setup in the United States or Canada.” He had to run the popcorn machine before the show because there wasn’t sufficient electricity to do so during the movie.
Boxoffice, April 29, 1950: “Fidel Theatres has opened its new 475-car $75,000 drive-in at Espanola, N. M. Brenkert projectors and RCA sound and in-car speakers were purchased from Western Service & Supply.”
Boxoffice, April 22, 1950: “Claude Graves has sold the El Rey at Albuquerque, N. M., to Marlin Butler, who now has three theatres there”
Motion Picture Herald, Oct. 11, 1952: “Albuquerque Exhibitors Inc. have bought the El Rey and La Sambea from Marlin Butler. Butler still retains the Ernie Pyle and Sunset drive-in.”
Two years in the making? Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. – T. B. Noble jr., general manager of the Westland Theatre Corp, says his firm will build a new drive-in on North avenue here. It will accommodate 600 cars.”
Maybe the writer mistook third anniversary for third season? Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “Meanwhile, the Starlite Drive-In, owned by Loyd Files, opened for its third season after installation of a bigger screen and two more ramps, adding accommodations for 150 additional cars.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “BEND, ORE. – Construction of a concessions stand, ticket booth, projection room and fencing has been started here at the new Bend Drive-In underway for Albert and William Forman.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “PORTALES, N. M. – Theatre Enterprises opened the new Varsity Drive-In on Elinda (sic) Highway here Easter Sunday (April 9 that year). The theatre will accommodate 250 cars, according to Russell Ackley, manager. The drive-in was completed last fall, but no pictures were shown due to the lateness of the season.”
Elida NM is 25 miles southwest of Portales on US 70, so it must have been the drive-in on the southwest side of town.
An exact date! Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “ARTESIA, N. M. – Ray Bartlett and his son Bill opened the new 350-car drive-in here on Easter Sunday (April 9 that year). The project includes a concessions stand, playground, in-car speakers and hard-surfaced ramps. It cost an approximate $75,000.”
Boxoffice, April 15, 1950: “OURAY, COLO. – N. J. Denstitt has leased the Ouray Theatre here from Charles Diller. Denstitt has been in the theatre business in Texas.”
Boxoffice, April 8, 1950: “Gus Daskalos and Steve Nitse reported capacity business at the opening of their Vegas Drive-In at Las Vegas, N. M. The new drive-in, with 350-car capacity, cost about $50,000.”
Boxoffice, March 18, 1950: “A new drive-in will open at Layton, Utah, this spring. Arthur W. Thomassen of Kaysville, Mrs. J. J. Bugger of Layton and her two sons J. A. and John J. are scheduled to operate an ozoner a mile and one-half north of Layton on Highway 91 within a few weeks”
Looks like the original “recently” date slipped. Boxoffice, March 11, 1950: “OROVILLE, CALIF. – George B. Hickox has sold his half interest in the Mesa Drive-In to Frank S. Devincenzi of Santa Rosa. Newell C. Post, owner of a half interest in the theatre, and Devincenzi will be owners and operators. The theatre, built by Hickox, was opened last November 23.”