From the June 11, 1955 issue of Billboard: “Sal Adorno Hr., formerly assistant general manager of M&D Theaters, Middletown, Conn., has opened his first drive-in theater, the $200,000, 875-car capacity Middletown on Route 9, Middletown, Conn. The theater features a screen measuring 120 feet wide and 52 feet high. A corner of the concession building is termed the Diaper Den, where mothers may tend their youngsters.”
From the June 4, 1955 issue of Billboard: “The Colonial Drive-In at Denton, Tex., closed since last June, has been re-opened by Debs Reynolds of Dallas, who has leased it from its owners, Mr. and Mrs. George Franklin.”
From the May 28, 1955 issue of Billboard: “Newest addition to the growing chain of Lee theaters in the Rocky Mountain area is Centennial Drive-In, the plush outdoor house located on the grounds of Centennial Race Track. The purchase from TV Theaters, Inc., was announced last fortnight.”
From the May 28, 1955 issue of Billboard: “Unseasonably long and heavy dust storms have cut into outdoor business in Denver where smaller box offices have been hurt even more by extensive damage to equipment. Lem Lee, owner of three drive-ins in Denver, estimates that between 500 and 1,000 speakers had to be replaced in one week at the Monaco Drive-In. Over a 30-day period nearly 4,000 speakers have had to be repaired or replaced.”
The Oct. 24, 1956 issue of the Motion Picture Exhibitor reported “The Tab Drive-In, 4227 West Indian School, opened last week. The spot is owned and operated by Hi-Plains Picture Company, in which Wayne Arnold, Everett Toomey, and Marvin Bell are partners.
“The new ozoner is equipped with a wide screen and the latest sound equipment. Six playground units for children are being built and a snack bar is included in plans.”
Note that this address matches several ads posted in the Photo section here.
In a remarkable coincidence, Alana Edgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote an update just yesterday. Edgin wrote that the Rocket was built in 1952, but it’s even more complicated.
“This drive-in actually existed twice. The first time was on US Highway 87 N. from 1952-1954. It was decimated by the Lake View tornado on 1953 … then at 4001 N. Chadbourne St., was destroyed (by fire) in September 1973”.
In a remarkable coincidence, Alana Edgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote yesterday about San Angelo’s drive-in history. Although Edgin has the same open/close dates (and a nice photo of the screen fire) for the Jet, it was rebuilt as the Twin Vue at 1001 W. 29th St.
Alana Edgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote yesterday that the Atomic “was open for just over a year”. It opened February 1952 and closed May 1953.
All I know is what I read. Rick Smith’s column, which accounted for every drive-in in CT’s San Angelo database, listed the Twilight as the drive-in at Chadbourne & Christoval and said that the Jet was at “3506 Sherwood Way (where the Angelo Bible Church is now).”
In a thoroughly remarkable coincidence, Alana Elgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote an updated drive-in list article just yesterday. Elgin wrote that the Jet was at 112 W 29th St. and later became the Twin Vue, the Twilite was “on Christoval Road near US Highway 87 South”, and that the Starlite “was on the Mertzon highway at Arden Road.” It opened in 1950, was sold in 1953 and closed in 1954.
From the April 13, 1955 issue of The Exhibitor: “Another new drive-in to increase the fast growing number in Arizona is the Northern (sic) Star, Holbrook. Ozoner is owned by Robert Young.”
The Feb. 2, 1955 issue of The Exhibitor reported that 32-year-old Charlie Jernigan had been charged with murdering his wife in the basement of the Ritz in Woodbury. (He said it was an accident.) “Jernigan, who bought the Ritz about six months ago, also owns the drive-in there.”
The Motion Picture Almanac and Theatre Catalog both placed the Skylark in Woodbury, so that was probably what Jernigan reportedly owned, but I never saw that name in either set of reference books.
The Skylark probably opened in 1950 or 1951. An April 11, 1951 note in The Daily News-Journal of Murfreesboro reported that “Mr. and Mrs. Howard Knox and children have moved to Ekylark(sic) Drive-In Theater on Highway 70.”
The Skylark’s first appearance in the Theatre Catalog was the 1952 edition, capacity 85, owner W. Hamaker. By the 1955-56 edition, the owner had changed to H. B. Hancock.
Its first appearance in the MPA was the 1952-53 edition, capacity 87, no owner info. The next year, the owner was N. B. Hancock, then for 1955 it settled in on H. B. Hancock. That’s how it stayed until 1962, when it fell off the list. The Skylark returned to Woodbury in 1966 with a capacity of 200 and owner Maurice Bush. The Skylark fell off the MPA drive-in list for the last time in 1977.
An aside: As I type, Cinema Treasures associates the Skylark with Readyville, but that’s an unincorporated community. I would prefer to place it with Woodbury, the actual town with which it’s been historically associated.
Rick Smith, columnist for the San Angelo Standard-Times, wrote in 2009 that the Starlite opened in 1949 at “Mertzon Highway and Arden Road (where NAPA Auto Parts is now).”
The address of that NAPA store is 3201 Arden Rd, but the topo map suggests a better match might be the adjacent Walgreens at 3328 Sherwood Way.
Rick Smith, columnist for the San Angelo Standard-Times, wrote in 2009 that the Jet was at “3506 Sherwood Way (where the Angelo Bible Church is now).”
“The Jet was built in 1948 and closed 20 years later after a fire destroyed its 80-foot-tall screen.” The fire was so fierce it damaged the fire truck and destroyed “$1,000 worth of fire hose.”
According to San Angelo Standard-Times columnist Rick Smith, writing in 2009, the Rocket was built in 1948, “was destroyed by the 1953 tornado” but rebuilt, then closed “about 1970 and burned in 1973.”
Historic Aerials shows that the Saratoga was still on topo maps in 1981 and 1988, but its 1995 aerial photo shows just hints of the ramps.
The Motion Picture Almanacs listed the Saratoga under Colonie. It was still there in the 1976 list but gone in 1977. New York Drive-Ins says its final season was 1971. Indeed, the Saratoga was in advertisements in The Troy Record in 1971 but I couldn’t find any for 1972.
A note in the May 19, 1943 issue of The Exhibitor reported that the Saugus had opened “for its fifth season.” Which would put its opening in 1939. Then it closed its gate “for the duration” weeks later following an order prohibiting pleasure driving, per the June 9 issue.
To partly answer Drive-In 54, the Motion Picture Almanac’s listing of that drive-in’s capacity went from 650 cars in 1964, when it was run by Eastern Management Corp., to 1400 cars in 1965, when General Cinema Corp. took over.
Strangely enough both the Route 29 (650, Eastern) and the Union Outdoor (1400, General) were in both the drive-in and circuit ownership lists in the 1965 MPA.
Also, when its land was sold from Susan L. and William H. Nealon to S. and G. Theatres, Inc., in December 1941, it was called the Drive-In-Theatre on Route 29 by The Exhibitor. As with many such prewar drive-ins, it seems to have been known mostly as just the drive-in of a particular highway or town.
The July 10, 1940 The Exhibitor reported “Mammoth Drive-In recently opened at Pine Island Park, Manchester, under management of Barney J. Williams, and capacity for 400 cars.” Perhaps it meant mammoth as an adjective and not the name.
The first drive-in list, quoted by Kerry Segrave in his book Drive-In Theaters, was the Film Daily Year Book 1942. It included the Pine Island Park-In Theater in Manchester.
The first Theatre Catalog drive-in list (1948-49) also called it the Pine Island Park Dr., Manchester NH, Routes 3A and 18, Exec: J. Sayer, capacity 300. In the 1955-56 edition, the exec was Jameston Amuse. Co.
The Pine Island’s last appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in list was the 1979 edition.
The Aug. 27, 1941 issue of The Exhibitor reported that Nelson Jacobs “has just completed the new Drive-In for Dartmouth Drive-In Theatres, Inc., in Dartmouth. This up-to-the-minute autery parks 750 cars, and is operated by William Purcell. Opening was to be on Aug. 22. A unique layout of the new Drive-In is the fan-design, with aisles spreading out in a cone, utilizing the architecture of the surrounding land.”
The Sept. 10, 1941 issue mentioned “New Drive-In Theatre operated by the Dartmouth Drive-In Theatre, Inc., has especially developed sound equipment installed by RCA Photophone.”
Riverside Park, reopened this season by Ed Carroll at considerable expense, isn’t proving the deadly competition with local theatre managers at first feared. With the exception of the roller skating rink and the outdoor motion picture venture, the park’s attractions are drawing but mildly, according to best information available.
The August 7, 1940 issue of The Exhibitor reported, “The Merrimack Park Drive-In is expected to open early this month. It is equipped with over 300 sound horns, in place of the solitary loud-speaker that neighbors complained about.”
The July 17, 1940 issue of The Exhibitor reported, “Salisbury Drive-in opened second season, under new owner-managership. Ralph E. Snider is the owner and Morris Stein, Boston, is managing.”
From the July 2, 1955 issue of Billboard, as part of a note on Loew’s acquisition:
“The Normandy features a miniature Seaboard Silver Meteor, free donkey rides, and a five-acre playground.”
From the June 11, 1955 issue of Billboard: “Sal Adorno Hr., formerly assistant general manager of M&D Theaters, Middletown, Conn., has opened his first drive-in theater, the $200,000, 875-car capacity Middletown on Route 9, Middletown, Conn. The theater features a screen measuring 120 feet wide and 52 feet high. A corner of the concession building is termed the Diaper Den, where mothers may tend their youngsters.”
From the June 4, 1955 issue of Billboard: “The Colonial Drive-In at Denton, Tex., closed since last June, has been re-opened by Debs Reynolds of Dallas, who has leased it from its owners, Mr. and Mrs. George Franklin.”
From the May 28, 1955 issue of Billboard: “Newest addition to the growing chain of Lee theaters in the Rocky Mountain area is Centennial Drive-In, the plush outdoor house located on the grounds of Centennial Race Track. The purchase from TV Theaters, Inc., was announced last fortnight.”
From the May 28, 1955 issue of Billboard: “Unseasonably long and heavy dust storms have cut into outdoor business in Denver where smaller box offices have been hurt even more by extensive damage to equipment. Lem Lee, owner of three drive-ins in Denver, estimates that between 500 and 1,000 speakers had to be replaced in one week at the Monaco Drive-In. Over a 30-day period nearly 4,000 speakers have had to be repaired or replaced.”
The Oct. 24, 1956 issue of the Motion Picture Exhibitor reported “The Tab Drive-In, 4227 West Indian School, opened last week. The spot is owned and operated by Hi-Plains Picture Company, in which Wayne Arnold, Everett Toomey, and Marvin Bell are partners.
“The new ozoner is equipped with a wide screen and the latest sound equipment. Six playground units for children are being built and a snack bar is included in plans.”
Note that this address matches several ads posted in the Photo section here.
In a remarkable coincidence, Alana Edgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote an update just yesterday. Edgin wrote that the Rocket was built in 1952, but it’s even more complicated.
“This drive-in actually existed twice. The first time was on US Highway 87 N. from 1952-1954. It was decimated by the Lake View tornado on 1953 … then at 4001 N. Chadbourne St., was destroyed (by fire) in September 1973”.
In a remarkable coincidence, Alana Edgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote yesterday about San Angelo’s drive-in history. Although Edgin has the same open/close dates (and a nice photo of the screen fire) for the Jet, it was rebuilt as the Twin Vue at 1001 W. 29th St.
Alana Edgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote that the “Belvue” opened in 1953 and closed in the “Late 1960s”.
Alana Edgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote yesterday that the Atomic “was open for just over a year”. It opened February 1952 and closed May 1953.
All I know is what I read. Rick Smith’s column, which accounted for every drive-in in CT’s San Angelo database, listed the Twilight as the drive-in at Chadbourne & Christoval and said that the Jet was at “3506 Sherwood Way (where the Angelo Bible Church is now).”
In a thoroughly remarkable coincidence, Alana Elgin of the San Angelo Standard-Times wrote an updated drive-in list article just yesterday. Elgin wrote that the Jet was at 112 W 29th St. and later became the Twin Vue, the Twilite was “on Christoval Road near US Highway 87 South”, and that the Starlite “was on the Mertzon highway at Arden Road.” It opened in 1950, was sold in 1953 and closed in 1954.
From the April 13, 1955 issue of The Exhibitor: “Another new drive-in to increase the fast growing number in Arizona is the Northern (sic) Star, Holbrook. Ozoner is owned by Robert Young.”
The Feb. 2, 1955 issue of The Exhibitor reported that 32-year-old Charlie Jernigan had been charged with murdering his wife in the basement of the Ritz in Woodbury. (He said it was an accident.) “Jernigan, who bought the Ritz about six months ago, also owns the drive-in there.”
The Motion Picture Almanac and Theatre Catalog both placed the Skylark in Woodbury, so that was probably what Jernigan reportedly owned, but I never saw that name in either set of reference books.
The Skylark probably opened in 1950 or 1951. An April 11, 1951 note in The Daily News-Journal of Murfreesboro reported that “Mr. and Mrs. Howard Knox and children have moved to Ekylark(sic) Drive-In Theater on Highway 70.”
The Skylark’s first appearance in the Theatre Catalog was the 1952 edition, capacity 85, owner W. Hamaker. By the 1955-56 edition, the owner had changed to H. B. Hancock.
Its first appearance in the MPA was the 1952-53 edition, capacity 87, no owner info. The next year, the owner was N. B. Hancock, then for 1955 it settled in on H. B. Hancock. That’s how it stayed until 1962, when it fell off the list. The Skylark returned to Woodbury in 1966 with a capacity of 200 and owner Maurice Bush. The Skylark fell off the MPA drive-in list for the last time in 1977.
An aside: As I type, Cinema Treasures associates the Skylark with Readyville, but that’s an unincorporated community. I would prefer to place it with Woodbury, the actual town with which it’s been historically associated.
Rick Smith, columnist for the San Angelo Standard-Times, wrote in 2009 that the Starlite opened in 1949 at “Mertzon Highway and Arden Road (where NAPA Auto Parts is now).”
The address of that NAPA store is 3201 Arden Rd, but the topo map suggests a better match might be the adjacent Walgreens at 3328 Sherwood Way.
Rick Smith, columnist for the San Angelo Standard-Times, wrote in 2009 that the Jet was at “3506 Sherwood Way (where the Angelo Bible Church is now).”
“The Jet was built in 1948 and closed 20 years later after a fire destroyed its 80-foot-tall screen.” The fire was so fierce it damaged the fire truck and destroyed “$1,000 worth of fire hose.”
According to San Angelo Standard-Times columnist Rick Smith, writing in 2009, the Rocket was built in 1948, “was destroyed by the 1953 tornado” but rebuilt, then closed “about 1970 and burned in 1973.”
Historic Aerials shows that the Saratoga was still on topo maps in 1981 and 1988, but its 1995 aerial photo shows just hints of the ramps.
The Motion Picture Almanacs listed the Saratoga under Colonie. It was still there in the 1976 list but gone in 1977. New York Drive-Ins says its final season was 1971. Indeed, the Saratoga was in advertisements in The Troy Record in 1971 but I couldn’t find any for 1972.
A note in the May 19, 1943 issue of The Exhibitor reported that the Saugus had opened “for its fifth season.” Which would put its opening in 1939. Then it closed its gate “for the duration” weeks later following an order prohibiting pleasure driving, per the June 9 issue.
To partly answer Drive-In 54, the Motion Picture Almanac’s listing of that drive-in’s capacity went from 650 cars in 1964, when it was run by Eastern Management Corp., to 1400 cars in 1965, when General Cinema Corp. took over.
Strangely enough both the Route 29 (650, Eastern) and the Union Outdoor (1400, General) were in both the drive-in and circuit ownership lists in the 1965 MPA.
Also, when its land was sold from Susan L. and William H. Nealon to S. and G. Theatres, Inc., in December 1941, it was called the Drive-In-Theatre on Route 29 by The Exhibitor. As with many such prewar drive-ins, it seems to have been known mostly as just the drive-in of a particular highway or town.
The July 10, 1940 The Exhibitor reported “Mammoth Drive-In recently opened at Pine Island Park, Manchester, under management of Barney J. Williams, and capacity for 400 cars.” Perhaps it meant mammoth as an adjective and not the name.
The first drive-in list, quoted by Kerry Segrave in his book Drive-In Theaters, was the Film Daily Year Book 1942. It included the Pine Island Park-In Theater in Manchester.
The first Theatre Catalog drive-in list (1948-49) also called it the Pine Island Park Dr., Manchester NH, Routes 3A and 18, Exec: J. Sayer, capacity 300. In the 1955-56 edition, the exec was Jameston Amuse. Co.
The Pine Island’s last appearance in the Motion Picture Almanac’s drive-in list was the 1979 edition.
The Aug. 27, 1941 issue of The Exhibitor reported that Nelson Jacobs “has just completed the new Drive-In for Dartmouth Drive-In Theatres, Inc., in Dartmouth. This up-to-the-minute autery parks 750 cars, and is operated by William Purcell. Opening was to be on Aug. 22. A unique layout of the new Drive-In is the fan-design, with aisles spreading out in a cone, utilizing the architecture of the surrounding land.”
The Sept. 10, 1941 issue mentioned “New Drive-In Theatre operated by the Dartmouth Drive-In Theatre, Inc., has especially developed sound equipment installed by RCA Photophone.”
From the July 24, 1940 issue of The Exhibitor:
Riverside Park, reopened this season by Ed Carroll at considerable expense, isn’t proving the deadly competition with local theatre managers at first feared. With the exception of the roller skating rink and the outdoor motion picture venture, the park’s attractions are drawing but mildly, according to best information available.
Looking through some 1940 issues of The Exhibitor, it generally referred to the theater as the Saco Drive-In.
June 5: “Drive-In Saco is operating full blast although a steady seige of rainy weather hampered.”
July 3: “Saco Drive-In here opened June 22.”
Aug. 14: “Saco Drive-In, after changing hands, has closed.”
Sept. 18: “Saco Open Air is closed.”
The August 7, 1940 issue of The Exhibitor reported, “The Merrimack Park Drive-In is expected to open early this month. It is equipped with over 300 sound horns, in place of the solitary loud-speaker that neighbors complained about.”
The July 17, 1940 issue of The Exhibitor reported, “Salisbury Drive-in opened second season, under new owner-managership. Ralph E. Snider is the owner and Morris Stein, Boston, is managing.”