The Pampa Daily News reported that the Derby opened on Sept. 11, 1952. “The new drive-in is located about 1 mile east of town on highway 66. (Amos) Page will continue to operated his downtown show the same as in the past.”
Billboard wrote on Oct. 4, 1952 that “Amos Page has opened the 125-car capacity Derby Drive-In Theater at McLean, Tex.” In August 1953, Billboard added that McLean is where Page “also operates the Avalon Theater.”
Despite those mentions, the Derby didn’t show up in the Motion Picture Almanac until the 1955 edition.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
1955-59: (no capacity), Owner Madge Page
1960-66: Capacity 200, Owner Amos Page
1969-76: Capacity 200, (no owner info)
1977: off the list
As of this typing, I can just make out the suggestion of ramps covered in green along old Route 66, now the north outer road to I-40. Historic Aerials shows it clearly in 1962 but obliterated by 1996. The 1978 topo map still included it. As Kenmore discovered, it’s very difficult to come up with an address that Google Maps likes, but the coordinates are 35.227036, -100.576634.
Google Maps fought me on this one until I used 14 Sartin Street, Tatum, NM. The old Coyote was a few hundred feet north of that spot, but it’s actually a little closer than the 206-149 intersection.
The Gilmore was still included in advertisements in the LA Times as late as Nov. 1, 1977. An article printed on Jan. 8, 1978 said that the Gilmore was closed.
The Los Angeles Times, in articles and advertisements, placed the Gage in the City of Commerce in 1977, and technically the city briefly owned its land. In August that year its former owners agreed to sell to the city. The Gage was still showing movies in September, then its land was sold by the city in October, and its screen was pulled down by the first week of November.
Google Maps also places 6801 Gage Avenue in Commerce CA.
The first newspaper clipping I could find for the Electric Dusk was in January 2013, when it was at 240 W. 4th St. Its web domain appears to have first activated in late 2012, so somewhere around there would be its opening date.
The San Bernardino County Sun ran an article on April 7, 1981 saying construction of the Balsam Road Drive-In (not yet named) would begin in two weeks and end in June if all went well. Owner Jack Baldock said it would accommodate 528 vehicles and cost about $300,000.
According to Baldock, “A screen has been up at this site for several years, but the project was delayed until this time.” He said the new drive-in would not affect the operation of the Joshua Drive-In, which Baldock also owned.
The Joshua was still included in the Motion Picture Almanacs' final drive-in list in the 1988 edition. Of course, that doesn’t prove that it was still operating by then.
A Victorville Daily Press article in 2015 mentioned that the Joshua was the last drive-in to remain open in Victorville until it closed “in the 1980s”. The Joshua was mentioned in Los Angeles Times advertisements as late as December 1981.
In the book Historic Movie Theatres of New Mexico by Jeff Berg, he writes that “the Chief Drive-In entertained the masses prior to 1955 until 1980. It allowed for 250 automobiles.” No other details nor source notes.
Sorry, Kenmore, but that’s the Mountain View Drive-In on Mechem Drive.
The Downs Drive-In, as its name suggests, was across the highway south of the Ruidoso Downs race track. The Ladera Apartments are there now, though you can see the old entrance and exit paths between the apartments and US 70.
114 Dipaolo Hill Dr, Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346 is the Ladera’s address, and that’s the closest I can find that works on Google Maps.
Apparently it was real. An AP story from December 1955 mentioned an armed robbery at the Sunset Drive-In in Hobbs.
The Sunset did not advertise in the local Hobbs Daily News in the summer 1952 or 1960 issues I checked. (Very spotty availability online.)
The Motion Picture Almanac series included the Sunset in its drive-in for its 1957-65 editions. It had a capacity of 600 cars, and its owner was listed as O.O. Knotts.
The ticket booth, ramps and concession building are still clearly visible on Google Earth as I type.
The drive-in shows up on the 1973 topo map at Historic Aerials. It looks active from the 1969 aerial photo, and the screen is still there in 1997. It’s still on the 2001 topo map, but by the 2005 aerial photo, the screen is gone.
Aha! I found a second drive-in theater site in the 1955 topo map on Historic Aerials. The Circle B was on the west side of town at 3706 West Main Street, and Google Street View still shows the concrete driveway-to-nowhere there. (It’s also on the 1978 topo map there, and the 1997 aerial photo shows more suggestion of ramps.)
So the Circle B was different than the Hermosa. The MPA mentions above suggest that the Circle B closed in the early 1960s but stayed intact enough for the 1978 topo map to include it.
Also, I just made this clipping from the Current-Argus of July 6, 2008. It’s a long retrospective of Bill Bartlett, son of Ray, who ran the motion picture business of Carlsbad and Artesia. In particular, his dad “had the Valley Theater and Hermosa and Circle ‘B’ drive-ins running at different times in Artesia.”
In Flagstaff’s Arizona Daily Sun from Sept. 25, 1976:
“(25 Years Ago in the Sun) … Harry Nace and Ray Olmstead have begun construction of the area’s first drive-in type theater, Guy Ellis, manager of Northern Arizona Theaters Inc., which will operate the establishment, said today.”
The Mt. Elden advertised in the Daily Sun through at least October 1977. A January 1978 police blotter note mentioned vandalism there, but by May 1978 it was being referred to as the “now-defunct” Mt. Elden Drive-In Theater.
The July 17, 1955 Arizona Republic included Holbrook’s 66 Drive-In in a movie ad with lots of out-of-town theaters. The 66 was showing Saskatchewan, starring Shelley Winters.
The Pampa Daily News reported that the Derby opened on Sept. 11, 1952. “The new drive-in is located about 1 mile east of town on highway 66. (Amos) Page will continue to operated his downtown show the same as in the past.”
Billboard wrote on Oct. 4, 1952 that “Amos Page has opened the 125-car capacity Derby Drive-In Theater at McLean, Tex.” In August 1953, Billboard added that McLean is where Page “also operates the Avalon Theater.”
Despite those mentions, the Derby didn’t show up in the Motion Picture Almanac until the 1955 edition.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
As of this typing, I can just make out the suggestion of ramps covered in green along old Route 66, now the north outer road to I-40. Historic Aerials shows it clearly in 1962 but obliterated by 1996. The 1978 topo map still included it. As Kenmore discovered, it’s very difficult to come up with an address that Google Maps likes, but the coordinates are 35.227036, -100.576634.
Google Maps fought me on this one until I used 14 Sartin Street, Tatum, NM. The old Coyote was a few hundred feet north of that spot, but it’s actually a little closer than the 206-149 intersection.
Google Maps now prefers the address as 31175 Old Hwy 58.
The Gilmore was still included in advertisements in the LA Times as late as Nov. 1, 1977. An article printed on Jan. 8, 1978 said that the Gilmore was closed.
The Los Angeles Times, in articles and advertisements, placed the Gage in the City of Commerce in 1977, and technically the city briefly owned its land. In August that year its former owners agreed to sell to the city. The Gage was still showing movies in September, then its land was sold by the city in October, and its screen was pulled down by the first week of November.
Google Maps also places 6801 Gage Avenue in Commerce CA.
The Floral was included in advertisements in the LA Times as late as June 1981.
The first newspaper clipping I could find for the Electric Dusk was in January 2013, when it was at 240 W. 4th St. Its web domain appears to have first activated in late 2012, so somewhere around there would be its opening date.
The Edwards Drive-In was listed in advertisements in the Los Angeles Times as late as September 1992.
“Pacific’s Big Sky Drive-In, 818/358-2565” was included in Los Angeles Times advertisements as late as September 1984.
“Pacific’s Mt. Vernon Drive-In, 714/884-0403” was included in Los Angeles Times advertisements as late as September 1991.
The San Bernardino County Sun ran an article on April 7, 1981 saying construction of the Balsam Road Drive-In (not yet named) would begin in two weeks and end in June if all went well. Owner Jack Baldock said it would accommodate 528 vehicles and cost about $300,000.
According to Baldock, “A screen has been up at this site for several years, but the project was delayed until this time.” He said the new drive-in would not affect the operation of the Joshua Drive-In, which Baldock also owned.
The Joshua was still included in the Motion Picture Almanacs' final drive-in list in the 1988 edition. Of course, that doesn’t prove that it was still operating by then.
A Victorville Daily Press article in 2015 mentioned that the Joshua was the last drive-in to remain open in Victorville until it closed “in the 1980s”. The Joshua was mentioned in Los Angeles Times advertisements as late as December 1981.
In the book Historic Movie Theatres of New Mexico by Jeff Berg, he writes that “the Chief Drive-In entertained the masses prior to 1955 until 1980. It allowed for 250 automobiles.” No other details nor source notes.
Sorry, Kenmore, but that’s the Mountain View Drive-In on Mechem Drive.
The Downs Drive-In, as its name suggests, was across the highway south of the Ruidoso Downs race track. The Ladera Apartments are there now, though you can see the old entrance and exit paths between the apartments and US 70.
114 Dipaolo Hill Dr, Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346 is the Ladera’s address, and that’s the closest I can find that works on Google Maps.
Found it on the 1957 photo at Historic Aerials. The approximate address would be 1105 W Ave D.
The 1964 topo map shows the Yucca completely replaced by Taylor Junior High School, so unless it moved it must have closed before then.
Apparently it was real. An AP story from December 1955 mentioned an armed robbery at the Sunset Drive-In in Hobbs.
The Sunset did not advertise in the local Hobbs Daily News in the summer 1952 or 1960 issues I checked. (Very spotty availability online.)
The Motion Picture Almanac series included the Sunset in its drive-in for its 1957-65 editions. It had a capacity of 600 cars, and its owner was listed as O.O. Knotts.
I would say that April 1959 mention was probably a season opener, and this is the same drive-in as the Chico, based on the following.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions for Espanola:
The ticket booth, ramps and concession building are still clearly visible on Google Earth as I type.
The drive-in shows up on the 1973 topo map at Historic Aerials. It looks active from the 1969 aerial photo, and the screen is still there in 1997. It’s still on the 2001 topo map, but by the 2005 aerial photo, the screen is gone.
I prefer the address 19392 NM-314, Belen, NM 87002, where the Belen Flea Market is now.
The Albuquerque Journal mentioned the Zia in ads in 1959 and 1960.
The Zia did not advertise next to a local indoor theater in the Belen News-Bulletin in July 1971 (earliest available at NewspaperArchives).
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions:
The Yucca had its grand opening on May 1, 1958. It’s shown in the 1958 and 1962 photos at Historic Aerials.
American Storage Complex is now where the Yucca was.
Motion Picture Almanacs listed the Yucca under Aztec NM. Its last MPA mention was the 1976 edition, though it may have closed years earlier.
Aha! I found a second drive-in theater site in the 1955 topo map on Historic Aerials. The Circle B was on the west side of town at 3706 West Main Street, and Google Street View still shows the concrete driveway-to-nowhere there. (It’s also on the 1978 topo map there, and the 1997 aerial photo shows more suggestion of ramps.)
So the Circle B was different than the Hermosa. The MPA mentions above suggest that the Circle B closed in the early 1960s but stayed intact enough for the 1978 topo map to include it.
Also, I just made this clipping from the Current-Argus of July 6, 2008. It’s a long retrospective of Bill Bartlett, son of Ray, who ran the motion picture business of Carlsbad and Artesia. In particular, his dad “had the Valley Theater and Hermosa and Circle ‘B’ drive-ins running at different times in Artesia.”
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions for Artesia:
An Artesia resident named Ray Bartlett died there May 12, 1972, at the age of 78.
This clipping at Newspapers.com says that:
In Flagstaff’s Arizona Daily Sun from Sept. 25, 1976:
“(25 Years Ago in the Sun) … Harry Nace and Ray Olmstead have begun construction of the area’s first drive-in type theater, Guy Ellis, manager of Northern Arizona Theaters Inc., which will operate the establishment, said today.”
The Mt. Elden advertised in the Daily Sun through at least October 1977. A January 1978 police blotter note mentioned vandalism there, but by May 1978 it was being referred to as the “now-defunct” Mt. Elden Drive-In Theater.
The July 17, 1955 Arizona Republic included Holbrook’s 66 Drive-In in a movie ad with lots of out-of-town theaters. The 66 was showing Saskatchewan, starring Shelley Winters.