A quick Wikipedia search revealed that Twentynine Palms was named by surveyor Col. Henry Washington who saw the trees there. A quick Google search turned up a page all about the history of William Q. “Bill” Smith’s ranch.
The Motion Picture Herald of Sept. 8, 1956 showed that the Smith’s Ranch did exist already. Its note: “The owners of the Smith Ranch Dr.-In at Twentynine Palms, Mr. and Mrs. Art Clemens, plan to open a new drive-in in Kingman, Ariz.” Not sure whether that became the Sage there, which opened just a couple of weeks after that note and was owned by the Lang Theater Corp.
From the Aug. 4, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “A. L. Sheppard is the new owner of the Burke drive-in, Waynesboro, Ga. The drive-in was formerly called the Waynesboro.”
The Isis theatre and Hilltop drive-in at Marysville, Kan., formerly owned by Liberty Theatre Co. and now operated by Fox-Midwest, are in the hands of a receiver. The courts appointed R. L. Helvering to operate them temporarily.
Followed by the July 7, 1956 issue:
It was published inadvertently in the June 23 issue of the Herald that Fox Midwest operated the Isis theatre and Hilltop drive-in, Marysville, Kan.
Gibralter Enterprises has closed the Rex, Casper, Wyo., the Motorena drive-in, Greeley, Colo., and has placed the Grove, Gering, Neb., on one change a week – weekends.
Gibralter Enterprises has closed the Rex, Casper, Wyo., the Motorena drive-in, Greeley, Colo., and has placed the Grove, Gering, Neb., on one change a week – weekends.
Gibralter Enterprises has closed the Rex, Casper, Wyo., the Motorena drive-in, Greeley, Colo., and has placed the Grove, Gering, Neb., on one change a week – weekends.
This drive-in opened in late June or early July 1956, per a note in the July 7, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “William Claiborne has opened his new Vista View drive-in, with 650-car capacity, at Security, Colo., near Colorado Springs.”
There’s a nice paragraph about the Pine Hill in the June 9, 1956 Motion Picture Herald, under the headline “Maude and Jeff’s Movie Chatter Is Always Okay”:
That’s mild comment, but it fits as a headline, as we’ve said it before in various ways. But Jeff Jefferis, and his helpmate, Maudie, put more human relations into their program copy than you find in bound volumes of other stuff. We have never yet visited the Pine Hill Drive-In at Piedmont, Mo., but we feel like an old friend, at this distance, so folks who really live there must be members of a big, happy family. One thing for sure – and that is that Maude and Jeff are always looking out for the family trade, and making them feel at home, which is the best way to get them out to the movies. He says, it seems as if he spends the best part of his life either writing this monthly chatter or addressing movie calendars by the bushel. And he says further – he doesn’t have to apologize for a single one of the attractions for June – there isn’t a single “dawg” on the entire list! Organ concerts are a regular feature, and he believes the Pine Hill is the only drive-in theatre in Missouri with a Hammond organ.
Silly little note from the April 21, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Some vandal has shot out the middle letters in the sign for the Kissimmee Drive-in theatre, so it now reads “Kiss Mee” – which apparently doesn’t hurt business very much or there would be rapid repairs made.
Lem Lee will again operate the Centennial drive-in, that is, at least he finds out if the lights they are putting up for night racing at nearby Centennial race track interfere.
The saga continued. From the Apr. 21, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Merf Evans, manager of the Denham, has formed A-Best-Drive-In, Inc., and the company has leased the closed Wadsworth, a 1,000-car drive-in, in a Denver suburb, for 10 years. Terms of the lease are for nine per cent of ticket sales, five per cent of concession income, and 25 per cent of net profits before income taxes. Evans is president of the company and will be managing director.
I don’t see any evidence of any drive-in in Twentynine Palms existing before this Motion Picture Herald note from March 31, 1956: “Bill and Prudie Underhill have opened a new 450-car drive-in, the Starlight, in Twenty-Nine Palms.”
The Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list first included the Smiths Ranch in its 1960 edition, capacity 300 cars and 192 seats, owner A. Clemens.
From the March 31, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: H. L. Boehm, who operates theatres in Woodward, Okla., has bought the Mission (indoor theater in Denver) along with the Rancho drive-in, at Dalhart, Texas, from J. C. Parker.
The March 24, 1956 Motion Picture Herald wrote in the Chicago section, “The Bel-Air, which made its debut as the only outdoor theatre with walk-in seats, plans to show only ‘the finest attractions’ each week, plus cartoons for children. Bottle warmers are provided for babies. Children under 12 are admitted free at all times, and youngsters have free playgrounds. There will be concentrated promotion for family attendance.”
From the March 17, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “Louis Petry and Robt. Perry have leased the Mitchell drive-in, Mitchell, Neb., and the Oskosh (sic) drive-in, Oskosh, Neb., from Merle Nygren.”
A quick check of Google Maps shows that the drive-in was on Wisconsin state highway 44.
From the March 17, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “Louis Petry and Robt. Perry have leased the Mitchell drive-in, Mitchell, Neb., and the Oskosh (sic) drive-in, Oskosh, Neb., from Merle Nygren.”
From the March 17, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “Atlas Theatres have taken over the lease on the Groy drive-in, Salida, Colo., from Ted Knox. Atlas owns the conventional Salida in town.”
The 1952 Theatre Catalog listed only the Groy in Salida, capacity 350, owned by “Groy Bros., Saguache.” The 1955-56 edition listed the Knox in Salida, capacity 350, owned by T. R. Knox.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in listings under Salida:
1950-52: Groy, capacity 350, owner B. F. & L. R. Groy
1952-54: Grey, 350, B. F. & L. R. Grey
1955-65: Knox, 350, Knox Theatre, Inc.
1966: off the list
While the MPA drive-in list was on cruise control, the MPA circuit list showed that Atlas Theatre Corp. of Denver included the Groy Drive-In among its holdings from 1957 through 1966. It makes me wonder whether this drive-in was ever really named the Knox or whether it was always the Groy.
Apparently the Beach took a break for a while. From the Feb. 18, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y.: The Beach Drive-in here, closed for the past three years, will reopen in May, it is announced by Joseph Mirasola, who operates the Warren, a conventional closed theatre, in Warrensburg.
The Dec. 10, 1955 Motion Picture Herald ran an article commemorating Ralph Winship’s 50 years in the theater business. In the middle was this sentence: “In 1952, with his son-in-law, D. T. ‘Bud’ Brown, … Ralph built a 300-car drive-in, in Phillipsburg, and also affiliated with other theatres in Colby and Stockton, Kansas and drive-ins in Longmont, Colorado, and McCook, Nebraska.”
The All-Star drive-in theatre, located about a mile east of Holcomb, Mo., now is equipped for both air conditioning and heating, the installations recently having been completed.
C. K. Cargile, manager-owner with the Harry L. Nace circuit, has re-opened the Sands drive-in near Mesa, Ariz., complete with a new tower. Two months ago, shortly after the drive-in opened for the first time, a freak desert wind storm flattened the screen structure.
A quick Wikipedia search revealed that Twentynine Palms was named by surveyor Col. Henry Washington who saw the trees there. A quick Google search turned up a page all about the history of William Q. “Bill” Smith’s ranch.
The Motion Picture Herald of Sept. 8, 1956 showed that the Smith’s Ranch did exist already. Its note: “The owners of the Smith Ranch Dr.-In at Twentynine Palms, Mr. and Mrs. Art Clemens, plan to open a new drive-in in Kingman, Ariz.” Not sure whether that became the Sage there, which opened just a couple of weeks after that note and was owned by the Lang Theater Corp.
From the Aug. 4, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “A. L. Sheppard is the new owner of the Burke drive-in, Waynesboro, Ga. The drive-in was formerly called the Waynesboro.”
From the June 23, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
The Isis theatre and Hilltop drive-in at Marysville, Kan., formerly owned by Liberty Theatre Co. and now operated by Fox-Midwest, are in the hands of a receiver. The courts appointed R. L. Helvering to operate them temporarily.
Followed by the July 7, 1956 issue:
It was published inadvertently in the June 23 issue of the Herald that Fox Midwest operated the Isis theatre and Hilltop drive-in, Marysville, Kan.
From the July 7, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Gibralter Enterprises has closed the Rex, Casper, Wyo., the Motorena drive-in, Greeley, Colo., and has placed the Grove, Gering, Neb., on one change a week – weekends.
From the July 7, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Gibralter Enterprises has closed the Rex, Casper, Wyo., the Motorena drive-in, Greeley, Colo., and has placed the Grove, Gering, Neb., on one change a week – weekends.
From the July 7, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Gibralter Enterprises has closed the Rex, Casper, Wyo., the Motorena drive-in, Greeley, Colo., and has placed the Grove, Gering, Neb., on one change a week – weekends.
This drive-in opened in late June or early July 1956, per a note in the July 7, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “William Claiborne has opened his new Vista View drive-in, with 650-car capacity, at Security, Colo., near Colorado Springs.”
From the June 16, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
James Peterson, owner of Vogue, Littleton, Colo., opening a 200-car drive-in, Castle Rock, Colo.
There’s a nice paragraph about the Pine Hill in the June 9, 1956 Motion Picture Herald, under the headline “Maude and Jeff’s Movie Chatter Is Always Okay”:
That’s mild comment, but it fits as a headline, as we’ve said it before in various ways. But Jeff Jefferis, and his helpmate, Maudie, put more human relations into their program copy than you find in bound volumes of other stuff. We have never yet visited the Pine Hill Drive-In at Piedmont, Mo., but we feel like an old friend, at this distance, so folks who really live there must be members of a big, happy family. One thing for sure – and that is that Maude and Jeff are always looking out for the family trade, and making them feel at home, which is the best way to get them out to the movies. He says, it seems as if he spends the best part of his life either writing this monthly chatter or addressing movie calendars by the bushel. And he says further – he doesn’t have to apologize for a single one of the attractions for June – there isn’t a single “dawg” on the entire list! Organ concerts are a regular feature, and he believes the Pine Hill is the only drive-in theatre in Missouri with a Hammond organ.
From the April 28, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
H. F. Taylor is building a 300-car drive-in at Taos, N. M., for a May 10 opening. Arch Boardman is doing the booking and buying.
Followed by the June 1, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
H. Ford Taylor has opened his new 247-car Kit Carson drive-in, Taos, N. M.
Silly little note from the April 21, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Some vandal has shot out the middle letters in the sign for the Kissimmee Drive-in theatre, so it now reads “Kiss Mee” – which apparently doesn’t hurt business very much or there would be rapid repairs made.
From the April 21, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Lem Lee will again operate the Centennial drive-in, that is, at least he finds out if the lights they are putting up for night racing at nearby Centennial race track interfere.
The saga continued. From the Apr. 21, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Merf Evans, manager of the Denham, has formed A-Best-Drive-In, Inc., and the company has leased the closed Wadsworth, a 1,000-car drive-in, in a Denver suburb, for 10 years. Terms of the lease are for nine per cent of ticket sales, five per cent of concession income, and 25 per cent of net profits before income taxes. Evans is president of the company and will be managing director.
I don’t see any evidence of any drive-in in Twentynine Palms existing before this Motion Picture Herald note from March 31, 1956: “Bill and Prudie Underhill have opened a new 450-car drive-in, the Starlight, in Twenty-Nine Palms.”
The Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list first included the Smiths Ranch in its 1960 edition, capacity 300 cars and 192 seats, owner A. Clemens.
From the March 31, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: H. L. Boehm, who operates theatres in Woodward, Okla., has bought the Mission (indoor theater in Denver) along with the Rancho drive-in, at Dalhart, Texas, from J. C. Parker.
The March 24, 1956 Motion Picture Herald wrote in the Chicago section, “The Bel-Air, which made its debut as the only outdoor theatre with walk-in seats, plans to show only ‘the finest attractions’ each week, plus cartoons for children. Bottle warmers are provided for babies. Children under 12 are admitted free at all times, and youngsters have free playgrounds. There will be concentrated promotion for family attendance.”
From the March 17, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “Louis Petry and Robt. Perry have leased the Mitchell drive-in, Mitchell, Neb., and the Oskosh (sic) drive-in, Oskosh, Neb., from Merle Nygren.”
A quick check of Google Maps shows that the drive-in was on Wisconsin state highway 44.
From the March 17, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “Louis Petry and Robt. Perry have leased the Mitchell drive-in, Mitchell, Neb., and the Oskosh (sic) drive-in, Oskosh, Neb., from Merle Nygren.”
From the March 17, 1956 Motion Picture Herald: “Atlas Theatres have taken over the lease on the Groy drive-in, Salida, Colo., from Ted Knox. Atlas owns the conventional Salida in town.”
The 1952 Theatre Catalog listed only the Groy in Salida, capacity 350, owned by “Groy Bros., Saguache.” The 1955-56 edition listed the Knox in Salida, capacity 350, owned by T. R. Knox.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in listings under Salida:
While the MPA drive-in list was on cruise control, the MPA circuit list showed that Atlas Theatre Corp. of Denver included the Groy Drive-In among its holdings from 1957 through 1966. It makes me wonder whether this drive-in was ever really named the Knox or whether it was always the Groy.
Management built a new concession stand in the 1955-56 offseason, per a Feb. 25, 1956 note in the Motion Picture Herald.
Apparently the Beach took a break for a while. From the Feb. 18, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y.: The Beach Drive-in here, closed for the past three years, will reopen in May, it is announced by Joseph Mirasola, who operates the Warren, a conventional closed theatre, in Warrensburg.
The Dec. 10, 1955 Motion Picture Herald ran an article commemorating Ralph Winship’s 50 years in the theater business. In the middle was this sentence: “In 1952, with his son-in-law, D. T. ‘Bud’ Brown, … Ralph built a 300-car drive-in, in Phillipsburg, and also affiliated with other theatres in Colby and Stockton, Kansas and drive-ins in Longmont, Colorado, and McCook, Nebraska.”
From the Dec. 10, 1955 Motion Picture Herald:
Bob Adams has sold the Skyline drive-in, Rawlins, Wyo., to the Wyoming Amusement Corp. Clarence Batter will buy and book.
From the Nov. 26, 1955 Motion Picture Herald:
The All-Star drive-in theatre, located about a mile east of Holcomb, Mo., now is equipped for both air conditioning and heating, the installations recently having been completed.
From the Nov. 5, 1955 Motion Picture Herald:
C. K. Cargile, manager-owner with the Harry L. Nace circuit, has re-opened the Sands drive-in near Mesa, Ariz., complete with a new tower. Two months ago, shortly after the drive-in opened for the first time, a freak desert wind storm flattened the screen structure.