In his 2007 book Cinema Houston: From Nickelodeon to Megaplex, David Welling wrote, “The Mini Drive-In, an X-rated theatre at 15010 East Highway 90, bore the distinction of being Houston’s only outdoor theatre-in-the-round.”
The Dickinson theater chain listed the Shepherd of the Hills Drive-In in its holdings in the Motion Picture Almanac section for Theatre Circuits in the 1955-57 editions, although the drive-in itself never appeared in any of the MPA drive-in lists.
I just uploaded the aerial photo of the Cinema 248’s likely location. It’s just west of Highway 248 at the present-day 134 Depew Dr, Branson, MO 65616.
The Cinema 248 Drive-In was different from the Branson Drive-In, which opened by 1955 and closed by 1969. The Branson was on Highway 76 west of town.
The June 23, 1974 Springfield Leader and Press reported: “BRANSON – Clemenson Enterprises, Inc., operated by Kon and Debbie Clemenson, have opened the Cinema 248 Drive-In Movie Theater on Taney County 248 north of here”.
The 1977-82 MPAs listed the Cinema 248 Drive-In, 1100 W Highway 76 (probably its mailing address), capacity 250, owner Kambeitz. It fell off the list in 1983.
The Bar-Len first appeared in the Film Daily Year Book in the 1950 edition. It was also in the first Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list, the 1950-51 edition, and the second Theatre Catalog list, 1949-50.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
1950-55: Capacity 400, owner P. K. Lyons, by Ish. White
1956: off the list (huh?)
1957-59: 400, P.K. Lyons
1960-66: 400, Western Amusement Co
1967-76: 400 (no owner info)
1977-88: off the list
But the “Barlen” was still included in Western Amusement’s holdings in the MPA’s Theatre Circuit section through 1984.
I just saw an aerial taken Oct. 5, 1959 (sorry, can’t post it yet) that shows the 66 looking very active. And that reminded me to check another section of those Motion Picture Almanacs.
Harry L. Nace Theatres still included the 66 among its holdings in the 1960-61 MPA Theatre Circuits sections even though the drive-in was off the list in the drive-in lists for those years. The Nace list didn’t include the 66 in 1962, and the January 1964 aerial I just posted showed the screen was gone by then, but it’s possible the drive-in lasted till 1961 or so.
I didn’t upload this, but I also found it at an Oklahoma Historical Society web page. (21412.M2021.1, Z. P. Meyers/Barney Hillerman Photographic Collection, OHS).
The Woodstock was operating by August 1973, according to the results of a lawsuit reported by The Daily Oklahoman on May 29, 1974. The article said that a girl was injured at the drive-in on Aug. 5, 1973, and a judge later awarded her damages after she sued “Ronald Turner and James J. O'Donnell, doing business as Woodstock Drive-In Theater.”
Google Earth, using a USGS aerial, showed the Rogers still active-looking as of February 1995. It was completely gone by the next photo (from the USDA Farm Service Agency) in 2003.
This image appears to be identical to a John Margolies photo taken in 1982 and residing in a Library of Congress collection. That Margolies photo, marked as public domain by the way, says that it was taken in Amarillo, but that note is wrong.
This screen looks nothing like the thick edifice evidenced in previous photos, including a couple by Margolies himself. The sign advertises general-feature movies made a decade after the Trail switched to X-rated fare.
My guess is that this is a photo of the Trail in Shamrock TX. It’s close enough to Amarillo that it might be mixed in by mistake, and its tall skinny screen and short, deep-angled fences match the Shamrock Trail’s 1962 aerial photo.
I don’t know about the other two photos, but this one appears to be identical to the 1980 John Margolies photo that is now effectively public domain in a Library of Congress collection.
Motion Picture Daily verified the May 18, 1955 opening date, based on a note published the next day. “Peter G. Perakos, president, and Sperie Perakos, general manager, were hosts last night to a delegation of Northeastern film executives at the premiere of their 800-car drive-in at Southington, Conn.”
Motion Picture Daily reported on May 12, 1955 that George Peterson had purchased the Kings Drive-In “at Armona”. So I checked the aerials – the Kings was/is just inside the northern edge of the Armona city limits. CT, please adjust the address.
Dansdriveintheater, I would specify that you should buy popcorn and a drink from the concession stand, since those are typically its highest margin products. But how do I email you to tell you that? You can email me at mkilgore@carload.com.
Attempting to answer Bob Jensen’s question: A 1951 aerial view of the site shows an empty field.
The Citrus’s first appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac was the 1953-54 edition, where it was listed as capacity 150, owned by A.B.C. Theatres.
Motion Picture Daily reported on May 12, 1955 that J. Williams Mullins had purchased the Citrus from J. B. Wagner. The 1955-56 Theatre Catalog listed the owner as J.W. Mullins (and capacity 200), but the MPA didn’t notice any ownership change until 1960 when it said it was Gordon Peck.
The Citrus’s final appearance in the MPA drive-in list was the 1965 edition.
Motion Picture Daily reported on May 9, 1955 that Wineland Theatres had purchased the ABC from a syndicate headed by Jacob Silverman (Altoona PA) and Paul B. Cromelin (Washington DC). Douglas W. Mellott was to remain in his job as manager of the ABC.
My guess is that the Starvue began its life as the Cleveland Drive-In, which first appeared in the Theatre Catalog in the 1949-50 edition, owned by Walter L. Morris and G. B. Oldum.
Motion Picture Daily reported on May 5, 1955 that Cletus Benton and Hoyt Fair had purchased the Cleveland Drive-In from Walter Morris. Later Motion Picture Almanacs did not include the Cleveland and listed the “Star-Vue” owner as “Cletus Bentont Hoyt O'Fain” (sic).
Bob, I’m curious about your Buffalo Autoscope photo. Could you please drop me a line at mkil
In his 2007 book Cinema Houston: From Nickelodeon to Megaplex, David Welling wrote, “The Mini Drive-In, an X-rated theatre at 15010 East Highway 90, bore the distinction of being Houston’s only outdoor theatre-in-the-round.”
Actually, it’s the Aug. 8, 1953 issue. I hear that no one ever renewed its copyright, which would place the whole magazine in the public domain.
The Dickinson theater chain listed the Shepherd of the Hills Drive-In in its holdings in the Motion Picture Almanac section for Theatre Circuits in the 1955-57 editions, although the drive-in itself never appeared in any of the MPA drive-in lists.
I just uploaded the aerial photo of the Cinema 248’s likely location. It’s just west of Highway 248 at the present-day 134 Depew Dr, Branson, MO 65616.
The Cinema 248 Drive-In was different from the Branson Drive-In, which opened by 1955 and closed by 1969. The Branson was on Highway 76 west of town.
The June 23, 1974 Springfield Leader and Press reported: “BRANSON – Clemenson Enterprises, Inc., operated by Kon and Debbie Clemenson, have opened the Cinema 248 Drive-In Movie Theater on Taney County 248 north of here”.
The 1977-82 MPAs listed the Cinema 248 Drive-In, 1100 W Highway 76 (probably its mailing address), capacity 250, owner Kambeitz. It fell off the list in 1983.
The Bar-Len first appeared in the Film Daily Year Book in the 1950 edition. It was also in the first Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list, the 1950-51 edition, and the second Theatre Catalog list, 1949-50.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
But the “Barlen” was still included in Western Amusement’s holdings in the MPA’s Theatre Circuit section through 1984.
I just saw an aerial taken Oct. 5, 1959 (sorry, can’t post it yet) that shows the 66 looking very active. And that reminded me to check another section of those Motion Picture Almanacs.
Harry L. Nace Theatres still included the 66 among its holdings in the 1960-61 MPA Theatre Circuits sections even though the drive-in was off the list in the drive-in lists for those years. The Nace list didn’t include the 66 in 1962, and the January 1964 aerial I just posted showed the screen was gone by then, but it’s possible the drive-in lasted till 1961 or so.
I didn’t upload this, but I also found it at an Oklahoma Historical Society web page. (21412.M2021.1, Z. P. Meyers/Barney Hillerman Photographic Collection, OHS).
The Woodstock was operating by August 1973, according to the results of a lawsuit reported by The Daily Oklahoman on May 29, 1974. The article said that a girl was injured at the drive-in on Aug. 5, 1973, and a judge later awarded her damages after she sued “Ronald Turner and James J. O'Donnell, doing business as Woodstock Drive-In Theater.”
The 1967 photo at HistoricAerials.com shows the Hi-Way 66 already twinned.
Google Earth, using a USGS aerial, showed the Rogers still active-looking as of February 1995. It was completely gone by the next photo (from the USDA Farm Service Agency) in 2003.
This image appears to be identical to a John Margolies photo taken in 1982 and residing in a Library of Congress collection. That Margolies photo, marked as public domain by the way, says that it was taken in Amarillo, but that note is wrong.
This screen looks nothing like the thick edifice evidenced in previous photos, including a couple by Margolies himself. The sign advertises general-feature movies made a decade after the Trail switched to X-rated fare.
My guess is that this is a photo of the Trail in Shamrock TX. It’s close enough to Amarillo that it might be mixed in by mistake, and its tall skinny screen and short, deep-angled fences match the Shamrock Trail’s 1962 aerial photo.
Here’s a link to the slide at the Library of Congress, which says the photo is effectively public domain. And that it was taken in 1980.
This photo appears to be identical to the 2015 Carol M. Highsmith photo that is now effectively public domain in a Library of Congress collection.
This photo appears to be identical to the 1988 John Margolies photo that is now effectively public domain in a Library of Congress collection.
I don’t know about the other two photos, but this one appears to be identical to the 1980 John Margolies photo that is now effectively public domain in a Library of Congress collection.
Motion Picture Daily verified the May 18, 1955 opening date, based on a note published the next day. “Peter G. Perakos, president, and Sperie Perakos, general manager, were hosts last night to a delegation of Northeastern film executives at the premiere of their 800-car drive-in at Southington, Conn.”
Motion Picture Daily reported on May 12, 1955 that George Peterson had purchased the Kings Drive-In “at Armona”. So I checked the aerials – the Kings was/is just inside the northern edge of the Armona city limits. CT, please adjust the address.
Dansdriveintheater, I would specify that you should buy popcorn and a drink from the concession stand, since those are typically its highest margin products. But how do I email you to tell you that? You can email me at mkil
Attempting to answer Bob Jensen’s question: A 1951 aerial view of the site shows an empty field.
The Citrus’s first appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac was the 1953-54 edition, where it was listed as capacity 150, owned by A.B.C. Theatres.
Motion Picture Daily reported on May 12, 1955 that J. Williams Mullins had purchased the Citrus from J. B. Wagner. The 1955-56 Theatre Catalog listed the owner as J.W. Mullins (and capacity 200), but the MPA didn’t notice any ownership change until 1960 when it said it was Gordon Peck.
The Citrus’s final appearance in the MPA drive-in list was the 1965 edition.
Motion Picture Daily reported on May 9, 1955 that Wineland Theatres had purchased the ABC from a syndicate headed by Jacob Silverman (Altoona PA) and Paul B. Cromelin (Washington DC). Douglas W. Mellott was to remain in his job as manager of the ABC.
My guess is that the Starvue began its life as the Cleveland Drive-In, which first appeared in the Theatre Catalog in the 1949-50 edition, owned by Walter L. Morris and G. B. Oldum.
Motion Picture Daily reported on May 5, 1955 that Cletus Benton and Hoyt Fair had purchased the Cleveland Drive-In from Walter Morris. Later Motion Picture Almanacs did not include the Cleveland and listed the “Star-Vue” owner as “Cletus Bentont Hoyt O'Fain” (sic).
Claude Ezell and Associates bought the Pike (and the Jefferson in Dallas) from Harold Gibbons on May 3, 1955 per a note in Motion Picture Daily.
Claude Ezell and Associates bought the Jefferson (and the Pike in Fort Worth) from Harold Gibbons on May 3, 1955 per a note in Motion Picture Daily.
When I Google “Whitetail”, the first result is deer. I’m guessing that was the inspiration for the name.
Per a note in Motion Picture Daily, Ernie Borud bought the drive-in in April 1955 along with the Kressley-owned drive-in in Mobridge SD.