INDEPENDENCE, KAS. – The 300-car Sunset Drive-In, a Theatre Enterprises – William H. Wagner operation, opened here last week on a ten-acre tract on Highways 160-75. To add easier driving and parking, each ramp is plainly marked in neon.
The Sunset is equipped with RCA in-car speakers. Abbie Cook is in charge of the refreshment bar. A 27x16-foot patio in front of the concession stand is equipped with tables, chairs and speakers, for patrons who wish to leave their cars. There also is a playground for children.
A large neon sign on the back of the screen tower facing the highway depicts a sun setting behind a mountain. The operation will be under the direction of Wagner and W. R. Marshall, city manager here for TEI, with Myron Slater as house manager. Orven Knoles is chief projectionish and Vera Graham is cashier.
An Elk City history book, found at the Old Town Museum there, said that the 66 Drive-In Theatre was under construction in late 1949 and was owned by Griffith Theatre and Amusement Company, which also owned the Elk Theatre and the (also under construction) Westland Theatre.
An Elk City history book, found at the Old Town Museum there, said that the Westland Theatre was under construction in late 1949 and was owned by Griffith Theatre and Amusement Company, which also owned the Elk Theatre and the (also under construction) 66 Drive-In Theatre.
Joe E. Stribling ran the Gem from at least 1955, the date of a photo I just uploaded.
And we know when the Gem closed. Joe Vogel found the following one-paragraph story from Boxoffice, Aug. 13, 1962, under the Oklahoma City column:
Another little town, Davenport, a few miles east of Chandler, has lost its theatres. Joe E. Stribling and wife, who have operated the Gem Theatre and Rig Drive-In there for years, called it quits and closed both. The drive-in is being dismantled and the equipment stored in the Gem. They have a fine set of CinemaScope lenses and about 50 Simplex speakers, all for sale at a very reasonable price. Stribling was a manager for Griffith Amusement Co. and its successor, Video Independent, for many years, then entered exhibition on his own at the Ritz in Stroud, also in the Chandler area. For several years he has had a job with the telephone company which keeps him out of town during the week, while his wife is busy teaching piano. They admit they have not had time to look after the theatres properly. That and a decline in business caused them to call it quits.
I just uploaded a grainy third-generation image of the Rig’s screen tower. If it was originally taken in March 1955 as its source described, then it’s possible that the Rig opened earlier.
I’ll skip more homespun chatter, quoted in later issues of the Herald, and jump to the Sept. 28, 1957 issue of BoxOffice, where the classified Theatres For Sale ads included (apparently) the Pine Hill.
“Beautiful drive-in and indoor theatre, no competition. Owner retiring. A. B. Jefferis, Piedmont, Mo.”
The Sept. 28, 1957 issue of BoxOffice said that 19 owner Adolph Meier was soon going to reopen the indoor Cuba Theatre, which had been closed for the summer.
The Oct. 19, 1957 issue of BoxOffice gave us an approximate opening date and the reason for the drive-in’s first name:
“SPENCER, IND. – Charles E. and Charles P. Records of Bloomington, Ind., have opened the Records Drive-In at the junction of state roads 43 and 67 five miles north of here. The new drive-in accommodates more than 400 cars, has an all-steel panoramic screen.”
A 2013 article in Indianapolis Monthly told the story of Jon Walker, who bought the old Records “40 years ago” (1973?) and changed its name “in honor of the state highway”.
The drive-in’s first appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in list was the 1960 edition, capacity 500, owner “Phil Records by Pete Fortune”. In 1962, it was Phil Records by Indianapolis Co-op, and the 1963-66 MPAs listed Ora Sparks in charge.
The 1976 MPA still called it the Records, but the MPA was mostly on autopilot during 1967-76. The 1977-79 MPAs showed it as the Cinema 67, capacity 350, owner B. Dennis. For 1980-82, that switched to J. Walker; the 1983-88 editions listed W. Reed. I’d guess he was related to Ron Reed, who co-owned Spencer’s indoor theater, the Tivoli, with “John” Walker.
There was an apparently premature obituary for the Island in the Oct. 19, 1957 issue of BoxOffice:
BRUNSWICK, GA. – Curtis Stevens has closed the Island Drive-In because of other business interests. Stevens, who is a well-driller and operates a miniature railroad at the County Casino, said he (sic) not yet made plans to dispose of the property and equipment.
Citation for this really nifty, possibly copyrighted photo:
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. “Star-Vu Drive-in Theatre, Longmont, Colorado.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/aab9d7af-0d1f-8301-e040-e00a18064189
Klock listed the drive-in in the classifieds in the Jan. 30, 1961 issue of BoxOffice. “For Sale: Neodesha, Kansas drive-in theatre, 375 cars, population 4,000. No reasonable offer refused. Downtown theatre to be dismantled. G. E. Klock.”
From the Theatres For Sale section of the want ads in the Jan. 2, 1961 issue of BoxOffice:
Gov. Ritchie Theatre, 700-car drive-in theatre in continuous operation since 1939 on Ritchie Highway 3 miles south of Baltimore. Highly profitable theatre including choice commercial frontage. Stockholders' deadlock has forced sale by public auction to be held January 25, 1961. For full information write Gov. Ritchie Theatre, Inc., P. O. Box 25, Glen Burnie, Maryland.
While it’s true that the Carena has a Gering postal address, municipal boundaries show that it is completely within Terrytown. Which is to be expected; Terry Carpenter founded the drive-in and also incorporated the village and named it for himself.
W. R. Palmer, owner of the Palmer News Company, has purchased the stock of Herbert Mack in the Chief drive-in theatre, Topeka, Kan. Palmer, Mack and the late Lawrence Breuninger had owned the stock since it was opened in 1952. The Chief corporation now is owned entirely by the Palmer family. Palmer said he planned no change in policy or operation at this time.
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.
I had wondered how the drive-in got its name. Now I know. From the May 6, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
CORAOPOLIS, PA. – Joseph Marcus, who heads Dependable Coal Co., is constructing a new outdoor theatre near here to be named the Dependable Drive-In.
From the May 6, 1950 issue of BoxOffice:
INDEPENDENCE, KAS. – The 300-car Sunset Drive-In, a Theatre Enterprises – William H. Wagner operation, opened here last week on a ten-acre tract on Highways 160-75. To add easier driving and parking, each ramp is plainly marked in neon.
The Sunset is equipped with RCA in-car speakers. Abbie Cook is in charge of the refreshment bar. A 27x16-foot patio in front of the concession stand is equipped with tables, chairs and speakers, for patrons who wish to leave their cars. There also is a playground for children.
A large neon sign on the back of the screen tower facing the highway depicts a sun setting behind a mountain. The operation will be under the direction of Wagner and W. R. Marshall, city manager here for TEI, with Myron Slater as house manager. Orven Knoles is chief projectionish and Vera Graham is cashier.
An Elk City history book, found at the Old Town Museum there, said that the 66 Drive-In Theatre was under construction in late 1949 and was owned by Griffith Theatre and Amusement Company, which also owned the Elk Theatre and the (also under construction) Westland Theatre.
An Elk City history book, found at the Old Town Museum there, said that the Westland Theatre was under construction in late 1949 and was owned by Griffith Theatre and Amusement Company, which also owned the Elk Theatre and the (also under construction) 66 Drive-In Theatre.
Joe E. Stribling ran the Gem from at least 1955, the date of a photo I just uploaded.
And we know when the Gem closed. Joe Vogel found the following one-paragraph story from Boxoffice, Aug. 13, 1962, under the Oklahoma City column:
Another little town, Davenport, a few miles east of Chandler, has lost its theatres. Joe E. Stribling and wife, who have operated the Gem Theatre and Rig Drive-In there for years, called it quits and closed both. The drive-in is being dismantled and the equipment stored in the Gem. They have a fine set of CinemaScope lenses and about 50 Simplex speakers, all for sale at a very reasonable price. Stribling was a manager for Griffith Amusement Co. and its successor, Video Independent, for many years, then entered exhibition on his own at the Ritz in Stroud, also in the Chandler area. For several years he has had a job with the telephone company which keeps him out of town during the week, while his wife is busy teaching piano. They admit they have not had time to look after the theatres properly. That and a decline in business caused them to call it quits.
I just uploaded a grainy third-generation image of the Rig’s screen tower. If it was originally taken in March 1955 as its source described, then it’s possible that the Rig opened earlier.
M. Phillipson visited Denver in 1960 on behalf of the Corral, per an Aug. 1, 1960 mention in BoxOffice magazine.
A short note from the Aug. 1, 1960 issue of BoxOffice: “The Tru-Vu Drive-In, Delta, was destroyed by fire and is closed.”
I’ll skip more homespun chatter, quoted in later issues of the Herald, and jump to the Sept. 28, 1957 issue of BoxOffice, where the classified Theatres For Sale ads included (apparently) the Pine Hill.
“Beautiful drive-in and indoor theatre, no competition. Owner retiring. A. B. Jefferis, Piedmont, Mo.”
The Sept. 28, 1957 issue of BoxOffice said that 19 owner Adolph Meier was soon going to reopen the indoor Cuba Theatre, which had been closed for the summer.
The Oct. 19, 1957 issue of BoxOffice ran a lengthy story about the Twin adding a shopping center to its grounds.
The Oct. 19, 1957 issue of BoxOffice gave us an approximate opening date and the reason for the drive-in’s first name:
“SPENCER, IND. – Charles E. and Charles P. Records of Bloomington, Ind., have opened the Records Drive-In at the junction of state roads 43 and 67 five miles north of here. The new drive-in accommodates more than 400 cars, has an all-steel panoramic screen.”
A 2013 article in Indianapolis Monthly told the story of Jon Walker, who bought the old Records “40 years ago” (1973?) and changed its name “in honor of the state highway”.
The drive-in’s first appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in list was the 1960 edition, capacity 500, owner “Phil Records by Pete Fortune”. In 1962, it was Phil Records by Indianapolis Co-op, and the 1963-66 MPAs listed Ora Sparks in charge.
The 1976 MPA still called it the Records, but the MPA was mostly on autopilot during 1967-76. The 1977-79 MPAs showed it as the Cinema 67, capacity 350, owner B. Dennis. For 1980-82, that switched to J. Walker; the 1983-88 editions listed W. Reed. I’d guess he was related to Ron Reed, who co-owned Spencer’s indoor theater, the Tivoli, with “John” Walker.
There was an apparently premature obituary for the Island in the Oct. 19, 1957 issue of BoxOffice:
BRUNSWICK, GA. – Curtis Stevens has closed the Island Drive-In because of other business interests. Stevens, who is a well-driller and operates a miniature railroad at the County Casino, said he (sic) not yet made plans to dispose of the property and equipment.
Citation for this really nifty, possibly copyrighted photo:
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. “Star-Vu Drive-in Theatre, Longmont, Colorado.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/aab9d7af-0d1f-8301-e040-e00a18064189
Klock listed the drive-in in the classifieds in the Jan. 30, 1961 issue of BoxOffice. “For Sale: Neodesha, Kansas drive-in theatre, 375 cars, population 4,000. No reasonable offer refused. Downtown theatre to be dismantled. G. E. Klock.”
BoxOffice reported that the Winchester opened in 1960. It cost $450,000 to build and was owned even then by Syufy Enterprises.
From the Theatres For Sale section of the want ads in the Jan. 2, 1961 issue of BoxOffice:
Gov. Ritchie Theatre, 700-car drive-in theatre in continuous operation since 1939 on Ritchie Highway 3 miles south of Baltimore. Highly profitable theatre including choice commercial frontage. Stockholders' deadlock has forced sale by public auction to be held January 25, 1961. For full information write Gov. Ritchie Theatre, Inc., P. O. Box 25, Glen Burnie, Maryland.
While it’s true that the Carena has a Gering postal address, municipal boundaries show that it is completely within Terrytown. Which is to be expected; Terry Carpenter founded the drive-in and also incorporated the village and named it for himself.
From the Dec. 29, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
Tom Griffing has bought the Joy drive-in, Anthony, N. M.
From the Oct. 27, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
W. R. Palmer, owner of the Palmer News Company, has purchased the stock of Herbert Mack in the Chief drive-in theatre, Topeka, Kan. Palmer, Mack and the late Lawrence Breuninger had owned the stock since it was opened in 1952. The Chief corporation now is owned entirely by the Palmer family. Palmer said he planned no change in policy or operation at this time.
From the Oct. 13, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:
The latest drive-in to become a part of the Harry L. Nace circuit is the new Sage drive-in, in Kingman, Ariz., with a 400-car capacity.
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.