The Motion Picture Almanacs listed the Lake Air under Oklahoma City.
MPA drive-in list summary:
1950-59: capacity 506, owner R. E. & C. B. McFarland
1960-66: capacity 506, owner Robert Barton
1969-76: capacity 506, no owner info
1977: off the list
The May 19, 1951 Daily Oklahoman reported a recent storm that “tore up the screen of the Lake Air drive-in theater on the site of the old Lakeside golf course.”
The El Reno Daily Tribune had an advertisement for “Drive-In Theatre” in its Sept. 14, 1948 issue.
The Daily Tribune wrote on April 10, 1949 that the El Reno Drive-In would “open the season” on April 16, according to manager G. F. Hill.
The Daily Tribune wrote on June 28, 1950 that owner Walter B. Shuttee had let a contract to build a new screen for the El Reno Drive-In. “Of concrete block construction, the work is expected to be completed for a July 4 re-opening, Shuttee said. The screen was damaged during a wind and hail storm Tuesday, June 20.” The re-opening was later delayed to July 7 due to construction delays.
Some kind of drive-in in El Reno was listed in the Motion Picture Almanacs from their first list in 1950-51 to the final list in 1988. Here is the summary:
1950-65: El Reno Drive In, capacity 400, owner Walter Shuttee
1966: Squaw, capacity 300, owner Video Theatres
1969-76: Squaw, capacity 300, no owner info
1977-82: Squaw Drive In, capacity 200, owner Video Indep.
1983-84: Squaw Drive In, 1 screen, owner Video Indep.
1985-88: Squaw Drive In, 1 screen, owner Martin
By November 1995, a story in the Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) referenced an auction at “El Reno’s Old Squaw Drive-In”, so it was probably closed by then.
The 66 Drive-In (no “Route” mentioned in the name) first appeared in the 1949-50 edition of the Theatre Catalog, capacity 400, owner Video Ind. Theatres, Inc. The 66 was also in the first Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list, the 1950-51 edition, and stayed through the final MPA list in 1988.
The Bearcat first showed up in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in lists in the 1953-54 edition under “Erie”. That was corrected to Erick in the 1955 edition.
The Pioneer first appeared in the Motion Picture Almanac in the 1951-52 edition.
The Amarillo Globe-Times wrote on April 30, 1956: “Seibert Worley, manager of the Shamrock theaters, has announced that work is progressing on a project of widening the screen at the Pioneer Drive-In Theater in order to equip it for (sic)Cinemescope.”
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
1951-66: Pioneer Drive-In, Capacity 300, Owner J. S. Worley
The Pampa Daily News reported that the Derby opened on Sept. 11, 1952. “The new drive-in is located about 1 mile east of town on highway 66. (Amos) Page will continue to operated his downtown show the same as in the past.”
Billboard wrote on Oct. 4, 1952 that “Amos Page has opened the 125-car capacity Derby Drive-In Theater at McLean, Tex.” In August 1953, Billboard added that McLean is where Page “also operates the Avalon Theater.”
Despite those mentions, the Derby didn’t show up in the Motion Picture Almanac until the 1955 edition.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
1955-59: (no capacity), Owner Madge Page
1960-66: Capacity 200, Owner Amos Page
1969-76: Capacity 200, (no owner info)
1977: off the list
As of this typing, I can just make out the suggestion of ramps covered in green along old Route 66, now the north outer road to I-40. Historic Aerials shows it clearly in 1962 but obliterated by 1996. The 1978 topo map still included it. As Kenmore discovered, it’s very difficult to come up with an address that Google Maps likes, but the coordinates are 35.227036, -100.576634.
Google Maps fought me on this one until I used 14 Sartin Street, Tatum, NM. The old Coyote was a few hundred feet north of that spot, but it’s actually a little closer than the 206-149 intersection.
The Gilmore was still included in advertisements in the LA Times as late as Nov. 1, 1977. An article printed on Jan. 8, 1978 said that the Gilmore was closed.
The Los Angeles Times, in articles and advertisements, placed the Gage in the City of Commerce in 1977, and technically the city briefly owned its land. In August that year its former owners agreed to sell to the city. The Gage was still showing movies in September, then its land was sold by the city in October, and its screen was pulled down by the first week of November.
Google Maps also places 6801 Gage Avenue in Commerce CA.
The first newspaper clipping I could find for the Electric Dusk was in January 2013, when it was at 240 W. 4th St. Its web domain appears to have first activated in late 2012, so somewhere around there would be its opening date.
The San Bernardino County Sun ran an article on April 7, 1981 saying construction of the Balsam Road Drive-In (not yet named) would begin in two weeks and end in June if all went well. Owner Jack Baldock said it would accommodate 528 vehicles and cost about $300,000.
According to Baldock, “A screen has been up at this site for several years, but the project was delayed until this time.” He said the new drive-in would not affect the operation of the Joshua Drive-In, which Baldock also owned.
The Joshua was still included in the Motion Picture Almanacs' final drive-in list in the 1988 edition. Of course, that doesn’t prove that it was still operating by then.
A Victorville Daily Press article in 2015 mentioned that the Joshua was the last drive-in to remain open in Victorville until it closed “in the 1980s”. The Joshua was mentioned in Los Angeles Times advertisements as late as December 1981.
In the book Historic Movie Theatres of New Mexico by Jeff Berg, he writes that “the Chief Drive-In entertained the masses prior to 1955 until 1980. It allowed for 250 automobiles.” No other details nor source notes.
Sorry, Kenmore, but that’s the Mountain View Drive-In on Mechem Drive.
The Downs Drive-In, as its name suggests, was across the highway south of the Ruidoso Downs race track. The Ladera Apartments are there now, though you can see the old entrance and exit paths between the apartments and US 70.
114 Dipaolo Hill Dr, Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346 is the Ladera’s address, and that’s the closest I can find that works on Google Maps.
Apparently it was real. An AP story from December 1955 mentioned an armed robbery at the Sunset Drive-In in Hobbs.
The Sunset did not advertise in the local Hobbs Daily News in the summer 1952 or 1960 issues I checked. (Very spotty availability online.)
The Motion Picture Almanac series included the Sunset in its drive-in for its 1957-65 editions. It had a capacity of 600 cars, and its owner was listed as O.O. Knotts.
The ticket booth, ramps and concession building are still clearly visible on Google Earth as I type.
The drive-in shows up on the 1973 topo map at Historic Aerials. It looks active from the 1969 aerial photo, and the screen is still there in 1997. It’s still on the 2001 topo map, but by the 2005 aerial photo, the screen is gone.
The Motion Picture Almanacs listed the Lake Air under Oklahoma City.
MPA drive-in list summary:
The May 19, 1951 Daily Oklahoman reported a recent storm that “tore up the screen of the Lake Air drive-in theater on the site of the old Lakeside golf course.”
The El Reno Daily Tribune had an advertisement for “Drive-In Theatre” in its Sept. 14, 1948 issue.
The Daily Tribune wrote on April 10, 1949 that the El Reno Drive-In would “open the season” on April 16, according to manager G. F. Hill.
The Daily Tribune wrote on June 28, 1950 that owner Walter B. Shuttee had let a contract to build a new screen for the El Reno Drive-In. “Of concrete block construction, the work is expected to be completed for a July 4 re-opening, Shuttee said. The screen was damaged during a wind and hail storm Tuesday, June 20.” The re-opening was later delayed to July 7 due to construction delays.
Some kind of drive-in in El Reno was listed in the Motion Picture Almanacs from their first list in 1950-51 to the final list in 1988. Here is the summary:
By November 1995, a story in the Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) referenced an auction at “El Reno’s Old Squaw Drive-In”, so it was probably closed by then.
Wesley Horton hit some great high points, so let me fill in the rest of the Clinton’s Motion Picture Almanac history:
The 66 Drive-In (no “Route” mentioned in the name) first appeared in the 1949-50 edition of the Theatre Catalog, capacity 400, owner Video Ind. Theatres, Inc. The 66 was also in the first Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list, the 1950-51 edition, and stayed through the final MPA list in 1988.
MPA drive-in list summary:
The Bearcat first showed up in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in lists in the 1953-54 edition under “Erie”. That was corrected to Erick in the 1955 edition.
All mentions in the MPA lists:
The Pioneer first appeared in the Motion Picture Almanac in the 1951-52 edition.
The Amarillo Globe-Times wrote on April 30, 1956: “Seibert Worley, manager of the Shamrock theaters, has announced that work is progressing on a project of widening the screen at the Pioneer Drive-In Theater in order to equip it for (sic)Cinemescope.”
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
The Pampa Daily News reported that the Derby opened on Sept. 11, 1952. “The new drive-in is located about 1 mile east of town on highway 66. (Amos) Page will continue to operated his downtown show the same as in the past.”
Billboard wrote on Oct. 4, 1952 that “Amos Page has opened the 125-car capacity Derby Drive-In Theater at McLean, Tex.” In August 1953, Billboard added that McLean is where Page “also operates the Avalon Theater.”
Despite those mentions, the Derby didn’t show up in the Motion Picture Almanac until the 1955 edition.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
As of this typing, I can just make out the suggestion of ramps covered in green along old Route 66, now the north outer road to I-40. Historic Aerials shows it clearly in 1962 but obliterated by 1996. The 1978 topo map still included it. As Kenmore discovered, it’s very difficult to come up with an address that Google Maps likes, but the coordinates are 35.227036, -100.576634.
Google Maps fought me on this one until I used 14 Sartin Street, Tatum, NM. The old Coyote was a few hundred feet north of that spot, but it’s actually a little closer than the 206-149 intersection.
Google Maps now prefers the address as 31175 Old Hwy 58.
The Gilmore was still included in advertisements in the LA Times as late as Nov. 1, 1977. An article printed on Jan. 8, 1978 said that the Gilmore was closed.
The Los Angeles Times, in articles and advertisements, placed the Gage in the City of Commerce in 1977, and technically the city briefly owned its land. In August that year its former owners agreed to sell to the city. The Gage was still showing movies in September, then its land was sold by the city in October, and its screen was pulled down by the first week of November.
Google Maps also places 6801 Gage Avenue in Commerce CA.
The Floral was included in advertisements in the LA Times as late as June 1981.
The first newspaper clipping I could find for the Electric Dusk was in January 2013, when it was at 240 W. 4th St. Its web domain appears to have first activated in late 2012, so somewhere around there would be its opening date.
The Edwards Drive-In was listed in advertisements in the Los Angeles Times as late as September 1992.
“Pacific’s Big Sky Drive-In, 818/358-2565” was included in Los Angeles Times advertisements as late as September 1984.
“Pacific’s Mt. Vernon Drive-In, 714/884-0403” was included in Los Angeles Times advertisements as late as September 1991.
The San Bernardino County Sun ran an article on April 7, 1981 saying construction of the Balsam Road Drive-In (not yet named) would begin in two weeks and end in June if all went well. Owner Jack Baldock said it would accommodate 528 vehicles and cost about $300,000.
According to Baldock, “A screen has been up at this site for several years, but the project was delayed until this time.” He said the new drive-in would not affect the operation of the Joshua Drive-In, which Baldock also owned.
The Joshua was still included in the Motion Picture Almanacs' final drive-in list in the 1988 edition. Of course, that doesn’t prove that it was still operating by then.
A Victorville Daily Press article in 2015 mentioned that the Joshua was the last drive-in to remain open in Victorville until it closed “in the 1980s”. The Joshua was mentioned in Los Angeles Times advertisements as late as December 1981.
In the book Historic Movie Theatres of New Mexico by Jeff Berg, he writes that “the Chief Drive-In entertained the masses prior to 1955 until 1980. It allowed for 250 automobiles.” No other details nor source notes.
Sorry, Kenmore, but that’s the Mountain View Drive-In on Mechem Drive.
The Downs Drive-In, as its name suggests, was across the highway south of the Ruidoso Downs race track. The Ladera Apartments are there now, though you can see the old entrance and exit paths between the apartments and US 70.
114 Dipaolo Hill Dr, Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346 is the Ladera’s address, and that’s the closest I can find that works on Google Maps.
Found it on the 1957 photo at Historic Aerials. The approximate address would be 1105 W Ave D.
The 1964 topo map shows the Yucca completely replaced by Taylor Junior High School, so unless it moved it must have closed before then.
Apparently it was real. An AP story from December 1955 mentioned an armed robbery at the Sunset Drive-In in Hobbs.
The Sunset did not advertise in the local Hobbs Daily News in the summer 1952 or 1960 issues I checked. (Very spotty availability online.)
The Motion Picture Almanac series included the Sunset in its drive-in for its 1957-65 editions. It had a capacity of 600 cars, and its owner was listed as O.O. Knotts.
I would say that April 1959 mention was probably a season opener, and this is the same drive-in as the Chico, based on the following.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions for Espanola:
The ticket booth, ramps and concession building are still clearly visible on Google Earth as I type.
The drive-in shows up on the 1973 topo map at Historic Aerials. It looks active from the 1969 aerial photo, and the screen is still there in 1997. It’s still on the 2001 topo map, but by the 2005 aerial photo, the screen is gone.
I prefer the address 19392 NM-314, Belen, NM 87002, where the Belen Flea Market is now.
The Albuquerque Journal mentioned the Zia in ads in 1959 and 1960.
The Zia did not advertise next to a local indoor theater in the Belen News-Bulletin in July 1971 (earliest available at NewspaperArchives).
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions: