From the August 12, 1953 issue of The EXHIBITOR: “Video Independent Theatres opened the Sooner Drive-In, Miami, Okla., and the Airline Drive-In, Ponca City, Okla.”
From the August 12, 1953 issue of The EXHIBITOR: “Video Independent Theatres opened the Sooner Drive-In, Miami, Okla., and the Airline Drive-In, Ponca City, Okla.”
According to ads in the Miami News-Record, the Tri-State didn’t change its name to the Sooner until after Aug. 21, 1963. It was the Sooner by Aug. 23, 1963.
The final night for Springfield’s Sunset Drive-In was Sunday, Sept. 4, 1983. Its final program was Naked Weekend, Center Fold Girls, Senior Snatch, and Miss Nude America, all rated R.
The Springfield’s final night was Oct. 7, 1978. On its final weekend, it ran a five-movie Ma and Pa Kettle marathon. Its newspaper ad read, “After being in business since 1947. This Saturday will be the last time you can see a movie at the Springfield Drive In. We will be closing down.”
By the way, the Film Daily Year Book that I mentioned here for listing the Park-In in its list of drive-ins, was wrong. It turned out that Springfield’s Park-In was an indoor theater was a confusing name.
According to notes in BoxOffice, the Springfield opened on Aug. 19, 1947, then held a “Formal Opening” on Sept. 19, 1947. Those notes:
Aug. 16, 1947: “Don Davis returned (to Kansas City) late last week from Springfield where Sam Taft will open his new drive-in next week.”
Aug. 23, 1947: “KANSAS CITY — Two new drive-ins have opened and one is to open soon in this territory. O. F. Sullivan’s second outdoor theatre in Wichita, with a capacity of 750 cars, and Sam Taft’s open-airer in Springfield, also with a 750-car capacity, opened this week. Perish Woodson plans to open his drive-in in Topeka within two weeks.”
Also Aug. 23, 1947: “SPRINGFIELD, MO. — The Springfield Drive-in Theatre, of 750-car capacity, was opened by owner Sam Taft, Tuesday, August 19. The new theatre is RCA-equipped throughout, including the latest type of in-the-car speakers. The order for the equipment was placed through Cine Supply of St. Louis and George McDonald of that company was here supervising the installation of equipment. For the past several years Taft has been manager of the Drive-in Theatre in Des Peres, near St. Louis.“
Sept. 20, 1947: “SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Drive-In, a mile east of town on No. 66, staged a grand opening Friday night, September 19. Accommodating 800 cars, the outdoor spot boasts of the finest equipment and appointments. If the weather remains normal, the situation will remain open for about two months, then will close until next April. The management advises that patrons on foot will be seated on comfortable chairs provided near the front.”
A 2018 issue of Rural Missouri, posted at the 19 Drive-In Facebook page, said that Donald Spreng owned and operated the drive-in from 1964 until his death in July 2011. It’s now run by the oldest of three children, Karen Spreng, who is a full-time student at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. The opening of the 19 was delayed in 2019 because she was swamped with school work.
The Aug. 20, 1949 issue of Showmen’s Trade Review reported, “Rube Levin’s 700-car Hilltop Drive-In near Joliet has opened with Richard Kamens as manager.”
According to Chuck’s Photo Spot, David Friedman and Irwin Joseph bought the Hill-Top in the late summer of 1959.
Friedman’s book about the Hill-Top and much more, A Youth In Babylon, is currently available at the Internet Archive.
The Crest’s Grand Opening ad was definitely on Aug. 7, so the July 30, 1952 issue of The Exhibitor must have described a soft opening or an anticipated opening:
Jim Randall, news director, KFBS, Joplin, Mo., was one of the 50 entrants in the contest to name Commonwealth’s new drive-in. Randall’s selection was the Crest, and he won a $25 bond and a season’s pass for two.
The Crest Drive-In, Joplin, Mo., opened. Doyle Mowrey, city manager for Joplin’s two drive-ins, is handling. A fireworks display was held. Innovations include a self-service boxoffice, which will expedite collection of admissions from patrons. Covering approximately all of a 13-acre tract of land, the new drive-in will accommodate 500 cars. The spot plans to remain open until Thanksgiving Day. It is being operated by Commonwealth Theatres, Inc., operator of the Tri-State Drive-In on West Seventh Street. Morey will be city manager of the two theatres, serving in a supervisory capacity.
From the Albuquerque Tribune June 6, 1963, discussing the closing career of Milas L. Hurley, operator of Hurley Theatres, “The Princess was the hard-luck theater of the three. A morning fire in February, 1943, gutted most of the building. … Almost 20 years later, in October, 1962, fire again struck the theater, partially destroying the front. … The theater has been closed since”.
After spending a lot of time with back issues of the McLean News, I feel confident in saying that this drive-in was always known as the Derby. Its final ad in that newspaper was July 19, 1973.
A few years later, the Cowboy Drive-In restaurant opened in a different part of McLean, which might have confused some drive-in historians here.
From the Oct. 20, 1965 Motion Picture Exhibitor: “The Olympic Drive-In on St. Charles Rock Road in the County has been the target of frequent raids by police and of a newly formed decent films committee in an attempt to close the theatre for allegedly showing obscene films.”
The Pico Drive-In closed on Oct. 1, 1944, showing Double Indemnity and Candlelight in Algeria, per its listings in The Los Angeles Times. Its Oct. 2 listing read “Closed. Watch for Opening Date.”
A hint of the timing on the triplexing was provided by The Los Angeles Times on June 10, 1979: “The 1,600-car, 25-year-old Rosecrans Drive-In is being remodeled to accommodate three screens and more than 2,000 cars.”
Fun note from the July 2, 1962 issue of BoxOffice:
HASTINGS, NEB.— Fred Teller of the Hastings Drive-In is convinced he must hold the national record for the lowest per-person admission, a record established on a recent buck night.
Teller said a man approached him and asked how many persons would be admitted for $1.
“All that are in one vehicle,” Teller answered.
The man left and returned shortly in a bus loaded with 27 Iowa school children and three adults on a tour of South-Central Nebraska. He paid $1, drove in and parked the bus sideways so all could see the picture.
Teller said he figured the per-person cost something like 3⅓ cents, a record he has no desire to break."
Looks like the original name was not so much “cine” as in “cinematic” but more like “see in a”. Or maybe the pun was really that clever.
From the Cypress (CA) Enterprise, April 21, 1950: “Tuesday night will be Benefit night at the C-Ina-Car drive-in theatre one mile east of Cypress. The proceeds will go to the Cypress and Artesia posts to be used as they please. … In announcing the VFW night at the C-Ina-Car theatre, co-owner William Montgomery said that the regular prices would prevail, fifty cents for adults including tax, and all children under 12 are admitted free. The public is invited to attend."
This looks similar to the photos I saw in the Albuquerque Journal about the 66 site after its screen had been razed. The city had run the place as a BMX racing track for a couple of years, matching some of the letters on the old sign.
From the August 12, 1953 issue of The EXHIBITOR: “Video Independent Theatres opened the Sooner Drive-In, Miami, Okla., and the Airline Drive-In, Ponca City, Okla.”
From the August 12, 1953 issue of The EXHIBITOR: “Video Independent Theatres opened the Sooner Drive-In, Miami, Okla., and the Airline Drive-In, Ponca City, Okla.”
According to ads in the Miami News-Record, the Tri-State didn’t change its name to the Sooner until after Aug. 21, 1963. It was the Sooner by Aug. 23, 1963.
The Page Theatre opened on Aug. 23, 1947, per a note in the Aug. 30, 1947 issue of BoxOffice.
The final night for Springfield’s Sunset Drive-In was Sunday, Sept. 4, 1983. Its final program was Naked Weekend, Center Fold Girls, Senior Snatch, and Miss Nude America, all rated R.
The Springfield’s final night was Oct. 7, 1978. On its final weekend, it ran a five-movie Ma and Pa Kettle marathon. Its newspaper ad read, “After being in business since 1947. This Saturday will be the last time you can see a movie at the Springfield Drive In. We will be closing down.”
By the way, the Film Daily Year Book that I mentioned here for listing the Park-In in its list of drive-ins, was wrong. It turned out that Springfield’s Park-In was an indoor theater was a confusing name.
According to notes in BoxOffice, the Springfield opened on Aug. 19, 1947, then held a “Formal Opening” on Sept. 19, 1947. Those notes:
Aug. 16, 1947: “Don Davis returned (to Kansas City) late last week from Springfield where Sam Taft will open his new drive-in next week.”
Aug. 23, 1947: “KANSAS CITY — Two new drive-ins have opened and one is to open soon in this territory. O. F. Sullivan’s second outdoor theatre in Wichita, with a capacity of 750 cars, and Sam Taft’s open-airer in Springfield, also with a 750-car capacity, opened this week. Perish Woodson plans to open his drive-in in Topeka within two weeks.”
Also Aug. 23, 1947: “SPRINGFIELD, MO. — The Springfield Drive-in Theatre, of 750-car capacity, was opened by owner Sam Taft, Tuesday, August 19. The new theatre is RCA-equipped throughout, including the latest type of in-the-car speakers. The order for the equipment was placed through Cine Supply of St. Louis and George McDonald of that company was here supervising the installation of equipment. For the past several years Taft has been manager of the Drive-in Theatre in Des Peres, near St. Louis.“
Sept. 20, 1947: “SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Drive-In, a mile east of town on No. 66, staged a grand opening Friday night, September 19. Accommodating 800 cars, the outdoor spot boasts of the finest equipment and appointments. If the weather remains normal, the situation will remain open for about two months, then will close until next April. The management advises that patrons on foot will be seated on comfortable chairs provided near the front.”
A 2018 issue of Rural Missouri, posted at the 19 Drive-In Facebook page, said that Donald Spreng owned and operated the drive-in from 1964 until his death in July 2011. It’s now run by the oldest of three children, Karen Spreng, who is a full-time student at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. The opening of the 19 was delayed in 2019 because she was swamped with school work.
The Aug. 20, 1949 issue of Showmen’s Trade Review reported, “Rube Levin’s 700-car Hilltop Drive-In near Joliet has opened with Richard Kamens as manager.”
According to Chuck’s Photo Spot, David Friedman and Irwin Joseph bought the Hill-Top in the late summer of 1959.
Friedman’s book about the Hill-Top and much more, A Youth In Babylon, is currently available at the Internet Archive.
Two notes in the Showmen’s Trade Review verified that the Bel-Air, wrongly considered to be in Joliet, opened in the summer of 1949.
From Aug. 6, 1949: “The Bel-Air drive-in at Joliet, Ill., opened last week.”
Aug. 13: “C. S. Ashcraft of the Ashcraft Company on Long Island attended the opening of the 1,000-car Bel-Air drive-in at Joliet.”
The Crest’s Grand Opening ad was definitely on Aug. 7, so the July 30, 1952 issue of The Exhibitor must have described a soft opening or an anticipated opening:
Jim Randall, news director, KFBS, Joplin, Mo., was one of the 50 entrants in the contest to name Commonwealth’s new drive-in. Randall’s selection was the Crest, and he won a $25 bond and a season’s pass for two.
The Crest Drive-In, Joplin, Mo., opened. Doyle Mowrey, city manager for Joplin’s two drive-ins, is handling. A fireworks display was held. Innovations include a self-service boxoffice, which will expedite collection of admissions from patrons. Covering approximately all of a 13-acre tract of land, the new drive-in will accommodate 500 cars. The spot plans to remain open until Thanksgiving Day. It is being operated by Commonwealth Theatres, Inc., operator of the Tri-State Drive-In on West Seventh Street. Morey will be city manager of the two theatres, serving in a supervisory capacity.
The first program at the Crest was Ambush, starring Robert Taylor, plus a Bugs Bunny cartoon, and “Sportlife – other novelties”.
Opening night for the Sky Ranch in Santa Rosa NM was Aug. 15, 1952. Its first movie was California Conquest, plus double color cartoons.
From the Albuquerque Tribune June 6, 1963, discussing the closing career of Milas L. Hurley, operator of Hurley Theatres, “The Princess was the hard-luck theater of the three. A morning fire in February, 1943, gutted most of the building. … Almost 20 years later, in October, 1962, fire again struck the theater, partially destroying the front. … The theater has been closed since”.
After spending a lot of time with back issues of the McLean News, I feel confident in saying that this drive-in was always known as the Derby. Its final ad in that newspaper was July 19, 1973.
A few years later, the Cowboy Drive-In restaurant opened in a different part of McLean, which might have confused some drive-in historians here.
From the Oct. 20, 1965 Motion Picture Exhibitor: “The Olympic Drive-In on St. Charles Rock Road in the County has been the target of frequent raids by police and of a newly formed decent films committee in an attempt to close the theatre for allegedly showing obscene films.”
The Pico Drive-In closed on Oct. 1, 1944, showing Double Indemnity and Candlelight in Algeria, per its listings in The Los Angeles Times. Its Oct. 2 listing read “Closed. Watch for Opening Date.”
The Olympic (re-)opened on April 4, 1945, showing Woman in the Window and Lost in a Harem, per its listings in The Los Angeles Times.
The August 18, 1948 issue of The Exhibitor relayed this tardy news, “Irving Gilmore is building a 500-car drive-in at Greeley, Colo.”
A hint of the timing on the triplexing was provided by The Los Angeles Times on June 10, 1979: “The 1,600-car, 25-year-old Rosecrans Drive-In is being remodeled to accommodate three screens and more than 2,000 cars.”
Hey Texas2step! I want to use one of your photos (not this one) in my book. Could you please drop me an email at mkil
Fun note from the July 2, 1962 issue of BoxOffice:
HASTINGS, NEB.— Fred Teller of the Hastings Drive-In is convinced he must hold the national record for the lowest per-person admission, a record established on a recent buck night.
Teller said a man approached him and asked how many persons would be admitted for $1.
“All that are in one vehicle,” Teller answered.
The man left and returned shortly in a bus loaded with 27 Iowa school children and three adults on a tour of South-Central Nebraska. He paid $1, drove in and parked the bus sideways so all could see the picture.
Teller said he figured the per-person cost something like 3⅓ cents, a record he has no desire to break."
Looks like the original name was not so much “cine” as in “cinematic” but more like “see in a”. Or maybe the pun was really that clever.
From the Cypress (CA) Enterprise, April 21, 1950: “Tuesday night will be Benefit night at the C-Ina-Car drive-in theatre one mile east of Cypress. The proceeds will go to the Cypress and Artesia posts to be used as they please. … In announcing the VFW night at the C-Ina-Car theatre, co-owner William Montgomery said that the regular prices would prevail, fifty cents for adults including tax, and all children under 12 are admitted free. The public is invited to attend."
This looks similar to the photos I saw in the Albuquerque Journal about the 66 site after its screen had been razed. The city had run the place as a BMX racing track for a couple of years, matching some of the letters on the old sign.
This is from the Feb. 14, 1948 issue of Motion Picture Herald, which is in the public domain