From the April 16, 1955 issue of BoxOffice: “Lee Theatres, operating three drive-ins in the state, has bought the Lakewood Theatre in Lakewood from the Jefferson Amusement Co.”
More details on the Aircadia’s opening, as carried by the April 16, 1955 issue of BoxOffice:
COLORADO SPRINGS – The new Aircadia, 800-car drive-in just completed by Westland Theatres on Highway 24, was opened recently. Named manager was Gerald R. Truesdell, who comes from the Eighth Street Drive-In. Derald Hart is city manager for Westland Theatres. Larry Starsmore is president and general manager of the company.
The theatre is situated on a 40-acre tract, part of which has been made into a supervised Fairyland for children. Parents can watch the playground from the patio which is one one side of the self-service snack restaurant. The manager’s office and projection booth are on top of the restaurant. The screen accommodates an 86x48-foot picture.
Grounds of the theatre are adorned with large planter boxes of flowers outside the restaurant, projection building and boxoffice. The two exits at the rear of the parking space lead to several routes of departure from the grounds.
Architects were Lusk and Wallace, and local contractors did most of the work.
WELLINGTON, KAS. – The new 420-car Chisholm Trail Drive-In on Route 160 about one mile east of here recently was opened. The open air theatre was erected and is being operated by Sol Frank, Coldwater, and F. E. Estes, Charles Gregg and J. L. Young, all of Caney.
I wonder if anyone still has a copy of the Grand Opening program. From the May 27, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
Al Powell, co-owner and manager of the affiliated Griffith Theatres in Guthrie, Okla., recently opened the Beacon Drive-In, an event that was marked by special cooperation from local merchants.
Powell prepared a special 48-page souvenir program giving complete details on the service and comforts offered by the new operation, biographical information on all executives in the organization, and a list of future attractions booked at the three local theatres.
Merchant ads covered complete cost of the program.
Early suggestion of what was coming in the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
BRISTOW, OKLA. – H. A. Walling, local theatreman, has disclosed plans for construction of a 350-car drive-in on Route 66 west of here. A name for the open air theatre has not yet been chosen. An exhibitor many years, Walling operates the Princess and Walmur theatres here.
CONCORDIA, KAS. – The new $50,000 drive-in north of the river bridge here has been opened by Manager Carl Lowery, who also manages the Strand Theatre, owned by the Schniderman interests.
The drive-in is surrounded by a 7-foot rustic fence and has graveled driveway and parking areas. The ozoner will accommodate 400 cars.
Fun note from the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice: “There was quite a little talk in Red Oak, Iowa, about the twister that came down the road and struck and severely damaged the Red Oak airport. On the opposite side of the road stood Alfred Haals' Red Oak Drive-In which escaped damage.”
LA JUNTA, COLO. – Basil L. Smith, former owner of a grocery market here, has purchased J. W. Barton’s interest in the La Junta Drive-In. The airer, located one mile and a half east of town on Highway 50, has a capacity of 350 cars, and was recently opened for the season. Dr. C. M. Alderson of Dodge City, Kas. will continue as the other partner.
Opening note from the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
MONTROSE, COLO. – The new 360-car Star Drive-In near here recently was opened by Harry Barrett and George De Vries. Seats for walk-in patrons yet remain to be installed before the new open air theatre is completed.
Looks like it opened on May 11, 1950. The note from the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
ALTADENA, CALIF. – Featuring the latest in modern equipment, the new Hastings Drive-In, a 1,000-car operation, opened here Thursday (11). It is the first ozoner to be constructed by Comet Theatre Enterprises, headed by R. H. Hoese, president; Earl Whitaker, vice-president, and Ernie LeSueur, secretary-treasurer.
The opening night’s attraction included personal appearances by Roy Rogers, Republic cowboy star, his actress-wife Dale Evans and Trigger. The outdoor showcase is being operated on a single-bill policy and an 80-cent admission scale.
In a USGS photo taken June 8, 1975, the Kar-Vu site is already partially overgrown and the other drive-in north of town is active. I’d guess that the Kar-Vu closed around 1972.
As I mentioned on the page for the Kar-Vu in Lamar, the Arrow debuted in the Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list in the 1977 edition, though it’s likely that it opened a bit earlier. If it truly replaced the east side Kar-Vu, it would have been in the early 1970s.
The Arrow isn’t included in a 1977 topo map, but it’s included in the 1979 and 1985 versions. A 1987 aerial showed little remaining of the drive-in.
There are several references to a drive-in on the east side of Lamar, so that would have to be this site, which was visible on 1954 and 1977 topo maps but gone from the 1979 topo map.
At least some Motion Picture Almanacs (looking at 1962 as I type) carried a listing for the Kar-Vu in Lamar, New Mexico. Except that there is no town named Lamar in NM, so I’d guess it’s southern Colorado instead. Capacity was 400 (much larger than Springfield’s later Kar-Vu), owner Atlas Thea. Corp.
Sure enough, when I cross-reference the Denver-based Atlas Theatre Corp. listing that year, it shows only Colorado theaters, including the Kar-Vu Drive-In (and the Lamar and the Pioneer) in Lamar CO. Atlas continued to include the Lamar’s Kar-Vu in its holdings through at least 1972, though it was gone by 1976.
The May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice wrote, “C. U. Yeager, has opened his new 400-car $40,000 drive-in at Lamar, Colo., where he owns other theatres. He has named it the Kar-Vu.”
That came one week after another BoxOffice note on the future Kar-Vu’s geography. “LAMAR, COLO. – C. U. Yeager, president of Atlas Theatre Corp., opened the 400-car, $60,000 drive-in under way here about May 6. It is located east of the city.”
The first twinkling of an eye in the history of the Mesa was reported in the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
BLENDE, COLO. – A 26-acre site on Route 50 about one mile east of here has been purchased by officials of the Westland Theatres as the site for a 1,200-car drive-in to be built and completed by May 1, 1951. Construction will not be started until crops now planted have been harvested. The circuit now operated the Chief, Colorado and Victory theatres in Pueblo and a drive-in recently completed near Colorado Springs.
Houston, Tex. – The fireworks display marking the grand opening of the Trail Drive-In recently caused more of a stir among residents than owner Jack A. Farr anticipated. Many people, apparently jittery over talk of flying saucers, swamped switchboards at the Houston Post and police station with frantic calls about explosions.
The fireworks display lasted from 9:14 to 9:47. Farr also had put up an artificial moon on a 100-foot pole. The green and amber lights that normally blend into artificial moonlight gave spectators a thrill.
Farr said the display was completely legal as he had obtained permission from the fire marshal. He was surprised that the display startled anybody because he had run newspaper ads announcing the opening of the Trail and the fireworks display. The Trail is located at 3201 Old Spanish Trail and accommodates 1,004 cars.
Looks like the South was right about its opening date. The May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice reported, “The South Drive-In, Columbus, owned by Milton Yassenoff, will be ready for opening soon. It is a new operation and accommodates approximately 500 cars.”
The Lyons was still included in a 1972 topo map. In a 1991 aerial photo, it was gone though still undeveloped.
From the May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
LYONS, KAS. – The new 350-car Lyons Drive-In on Route 50-N west of here, the initial open air theatre in Rice county, recently was opened by Luther Osborne and Don Cuthbertson. Both men are new to show business. Osborne formerly was associated with the Central Drilling Co., Great Bend, while Cuthbertson formerly operated a grocery store and locker plant. Features of the new ozoner include a concession stand and a playground for children. The drive-in is being managed by Cuthbertson.
ARTESIA, N. M. – The Circle B Drive-In, one mile west of Artesia on the Hope highway, opened recently. “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” was the opening feature.
The Circle B was shown on 1955 and 1978 topo maps.
From the May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice magazine:
WRAY, COLO. – The 500-seat, $100,000 Cliff Theatre will open May 15 for J. K. Powell and J. A. Hughes. Five hundred Kroehler Push-Back seats have been installed and RCA sound equipment is ready for installation. The front of the Cliff is to be finished immediately. The first story of the building, to the marquee, is to be finished in Roman brick Permastone. The upper part will be white stucco flanked with a darker shade of stucco.
Walls of the foyer are finished in ivory stucco and the floor is carpeted in a leaf design of maroon, browns and tans. A cry room is provided in the balcony.
Seats in the auditorium are staggered and are of dark green leather. Backs of the seats are of a dark green corded material. The auditorium walls are rose and are draped with a gold brocade material. A hospital benefit is being planned as part of the opening ceremonies.
The May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice wrote, “The Bauer Drive-In, Fort Morgan, will be opened by Jack Bauer May 19. The $40,000 drive-in accommodates 350-cars.” It appears that this was the opener for the eventual Valley Drive-In.
The 1951-52 Motion Picture Almanac listed only Bauer’s Drive-In, capacity 350. Starting in the 1955 MPA, it had become the Valley, capacity 350, owned by John Roberts.
CHARLESTON, S. C. – The Ebony Drive-In, one of the few outdoor theatres for Negro patrons, has been opened here by John Thomason and Andrea C. Patterson, president and secretary-treasurer, respectively, of the Palmetto Theatre Corp.
The Ebony, which accommodates 400 cars and 300 walk-in patrons, is the first of five drive-ins for Negroes planned by Palmetto. Thomason said the others will be constructed at Greenville, N. C., Savannah, Ga., Atlanta and Jacksonville, Fla.
From the April 16, 1955 issue of BoxOffice: “Lee Theatres, operating three drive-ins in the state, has bought the Lakewood Theatre in Lakewood from the Jefferson Amusement Co.”
More details on the Aircadia’s opening, as carried by the April 16, 1955 issue of BoxOffice:
COLORADO SPRINGS – The new Aircadia, 800-car drive-in just completed by Westland Theatres on Highway 24, was opened recently. Named manager was Gerald R. Truesdell, who comes from the Eighth Street Drive-In. Derald Hart is city manager for Westland Theatres. Larry Starsmore is president and general manager of the company.
The theatre is situated on a 40-acre tract, part of which has been made into a supervised Fairyland for children. Parents can watch the playground from the patio which is one one side of the self-service snack restaurant. The manager’s office and projection booth are on top of the restaurant. The screen accommodates an 86x48-foot picture.
Grounds of the theatre are adorned with large planter boxes of flowers outside the restaurant, projection building and boxoffice. The two exits at the rear of the parking space lead to several routes of departure from the grounds.
Architects were Lusk and Wallace, and local contractors did most of the work.
From the May 27, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
WELLINGTON, KAS. – The new 420-car Chisholm Trail Drive-In on Route 160 about one mile east of here recently was opened. The open air theatre was erected and is being operated by Sol Frank, Coldwater, and F. E. Estes, Charles Gregg and J. L. Young, all of Caney.
I wonder if anyone still has a copy of the Grand Opening program. From the May 27, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
Al Powell, co-owner and manager of the affiliated Griffith Theatres in Guthrie, Okla., recently opened the Beacon Drive-In, an event that was marked by special cooperation from local merchants.
Powell prepared a special 48-page souvenir program giving complete details on the service and comforts offered by the new operation, biographical information on all executives in the organization, and a list of future attractions booked at the three local theatres.
Merchant ads covered complete cost of the program.
The May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice reported that Video Theatres “and partner James Zarataludes” had opened the Teepee on May 5.
Early suggestion of what was coming in the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
BRISTOW, OKLA. – H. A. Walling, local theatreman, has disclosed plans for construction of a 350-car drive-in on Route 66 west of here. A name for the open air theatre has not yet been chosen. An exhibitor many years, Walling operates the Princess and Walmur theatres here.
From the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
CONCORDIA, KAS. – The new $50,000 drive-in north of the river bridge here has been opened by Manager Carl Lowery, who also manages the Strand Theatre, owned by the Schniderman interests.
The drive-in is surrounded by a 7-foot rustic fence and has graveled driveway and parking areas. The ozoner will accommodate 400 cars.
Fun note from the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice: “There was quite a little talk in Red Oak, Iowa, about the twister that came down the road and struck and severely damaged the Red Oak airport. On the opposite side of the road stood Alfred Haals' Red Oak Drive-In which escaped damage.”
The following week, BoxOffice magazine reported that the Hillcrest’s opening night featured the films Keep ‘Em Flying and Panhandle.
From the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
LA JUNTA, COLO. – Basil L. Smith, former owner of a grocery market here, has purchased J. W. Barton’s interest in the La Junta Drive-In. The airer, located one mile and a half east of town on Highway 50, has a capacity of 350 cars, and was recently opened for the season. Dr. C. M. Alderson of Dodge City, Kas. will continue as the other partner.
Opening note from the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
MONTROSE, COLO. – The new 360-car Star Drive-In near here recently was opened by Harry Barrett and George De Vries. Seats for walk-in patrons yet remain to be installed before the new open air theatre is completed.
Looks like it opened on May 11, 1950. The note from the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
ALTADENA, CALIF. – Featuring the latest in modern equipment, the new Hastings Drive-In, a 1,000-car operation, opened here Thursday (11). It is the first ozoner to be constructed by Comet Theatre Enterprises, headed by R. H. Hoese, president; Earl Whitaker, vice-president, and Ernie LeSueur, secretary-treasurer.
The opening night’s attraction included personal appearances by Roy Rogers, Republic cowboy star, his actress-wife Dale Evans and Trigger. The outdoor showcase is being operated on a single-bill policy and an 80-cent admission scale.
In a USGS photo taken June 8, 1975, the Kar-Vu site is already partially overgrown and the other drive-in north of town is active. I’d guess that the Kar-Vu closed around 1972.
As I mentioned on the page for the Kar-Vu in Lamar, the Arrow debuted in the Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list in the 1977 edition, though it’s likely that it opened a bit earlier. If it truly replaced the east side Kar-Vu, it would have been in the early 1970s.
The Arrow isn’t included in a 1977 topo map, but it’s included in the 1979 and 1985 versions. A 1987 aerial showed little remaining of the drive-in.
There are several references to a drive-in on the east side of Lamar, so that would have to be this site, which was visible on 1954 and 1977 topo maps but gone from the 1979 topo map.
At least some Motion Picture Almanacs (looking at 1962 as I type) carried a listing for the Kar-Vu in Lamar, New Mexico. Except that there is no town named Lamar in NM, so I’d guess it’s southern Colorado instead. Capacity was 400 (much larger than Springfield’s later Kar-Vu), owner Atlas Thea. Corp.
Sure enough, when I cross-reference the Denver-based Atlas Theatre Corp. listing that year, it shows only Colorado theaters, including the Kar-Vu Drive-In (and the Lamar and the Pioneer) in Lamar CO. Atlas continued to include the Lamar’s Kar-Vu in its holdings through at least 1972, though it was gone by 1976.
The May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice wrote, “C. U. Yeager, has opened his new 400-car $40,000 drive-in at Lamar, Colo., where he owns other theatres. He has named it the Kar-Vu.”
That came one week after another BoxOffice note on the future Kar-Vu’s geography. “LAMAR, COLO. – C. U. Yeager, president of Atlas Theatre Corp., opened the 400-car, $60,000 drive-in under way here about May 6. It is located east of the city.”
Motion Picture Almanac references for Lamar (CO & NM):
A stronger hint for the opening date was reported in the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
Groy Brothers have opened their new 407-car $50,000 drive-in, Salida, Colo., naming it the Groy.
The first twinkling of an eye in the history of the Mesa was reported in the May 20, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
BLENDE, COLO. – A 26-acre site on Route 50 about one mile east of here has been purchased by officials of the Westland Theatres as the site for a 1,200-car drive-in to be built and completed by May 1, 1951. Construction will not be started until crops now planted have been harvested. The circuit now operated the Chief, Colorado and Victory theatres in Pueblo and a drive-in recently completed near Colorado Springs.
From the May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
Houston, Tex. – The fireworks display marking the grand opening of the Trail Drive-In recently caused more of a stir among residents than owner Jack A. Farr anticipated. Many people, apparently jittery over talk of flying saucers, swamped switchboards at the Houston Post and police station with frantic calls about explosions.
The fireworks display lasted from 9:14 to 9:47. Farr also had put up an artificial moon on a 100-foot pole. The green and amber lights that normally blend into artificial moonlight gave spectators a thrill.
Farr said the display was completely legal as he had obtained permission from the fire marshal. He was surprised that the display startled anybody because he had run newspaper ads announcing the opening of the Trail and the fireworks display. The Trail is located at 3201 Old Spanish Trail and accommodates 1,004 cars.
Looks like the South was right about its opening date. The May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice reported, “The South Drive-In, Columbus, owned by Milton Yassenoff, will be ready for opening soon. It is a new operation and accommodates approximately 500 cars.”
The Lyons was still included in a 1972 topo map. In a 1991 aerial photo, it was gone though still undeveloped.
From the May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
LYONS, KAS. – The new 350-car Lyons Drive-In on Route 50-N west of here, the initial open air theatre in Rice county, recently was opened by Luther Osborne and Don Cuthbertson. Both men are new to show business. Osborne formerly was associated with the Central Drilling Co., Great Bend, while Cuthbertson formerly operated a grocery store and locker plant. Features of the new ozoner include a concession stand and a playground for children. The drive-in is being managed by Cuthbertson.
From the May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
ARTESIA, N. M. – The Circle B Drive-In, one mile west of Artesia on the Hope highway, opened recently. “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” was the opening feature.
The Circle B was shown on 1955 and 1978 topo maps.
From the May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice magazine:
WRAY, COLO. – The 500-seat, $100,000 Cliff Theatre will open May 15 for J. K. Powell and J. A. Hughes. Five hundred Kroehler Push-Back seats have been installed and RCA sound equipment is ready for installation. The front of the Cliff is to be finished immediately. The first story of the building, to the marquee, is to be finished in Roman brick Permastone. The upper part will be white stucco flanked with a darker shade of stucco.
Walls of the foyer are finished in ivory stucco and the floor is carpeted in a leaf design of maroon, browns and tans. A cry room is provided in the balcony.
Seats in the auditorium are staggered and are of dark green leather. Backs of the seats are of a dark green corded material. The auditorium walls are rose and are draped with a gold brocade material. A hospital benefit is being planned as part of the opening ceremonies.
The May 13, 1950 issue of BoxOffice wrote, “The Bauer Drive-In, Fort Morgan, will be opened by Jack Bauer May 19. The $40,000 drive-in accommodates 350-cars.” It appears that this was the opener for the eventual Valley Drive-In.
The 1951-52 Motion Picture Almanac listed only Bauer’s Drive-In, capacity 350. Starting in the 1955 MPA, it had become the Valley, capacity 350, owned by John Roberts.
From the May 6, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
CHARLESTON, S. C. – The Ebony Drive-In, one of the few outdoor theatres for Negro patrons, has been opened here by John Thomason and Andrea C. Patterson, president and secretary-treasurer, respectively, of the Palmetto Theatre Corp.
The Ebony, which accommodates 400 cars and 300 walk-in patrons, is the first of five drive-ins for Negroes planned by Palmetto. Thomason said the others will be constructed at Greenville, N. C., Savannah, Ga., Atlanta and Jacksonville, Fla.