The Richmond Times-Dispatch first ran this photo on May 20, 1948, according to a recent retrospective it published. I would guess they’re the ones who own the copyright, if any. The original caption:
The Bellwood Drive-In Theater, under construction now four miles south of Richmond city limits, will open on or about May 27. The tower shown in the photo is 70 feet high, serving as front of the theater and screen.
On Aug. 24, 1974, the Knoxville News-Sentinel ran an obituary for Louise Duncan, who “was owner and operator of the Carefree Drive-In, Oliver Springs and the Clinton Drive-In, Clinton, both of which ceased operation in the mid 1970s”.
(shrug) We’re in agreement, just using different words. South Clinton is clearly the name of a neighborhood, but only that. If CT starts listing all theaters by neighborhood, as it does in several larger cities, then this one would be in the South Clinton neighborhood of Clinton TN.
I hope that when its editors update the drive-in’s likely address to 1320 Clinch Ave, they also update the city to Clinton.
The first ad I could find for the Carefree was on May 19, 1954, when it was “Now Open.” The show that night was “Highway Dragnet” plus two color cartoons.
The last ad I could easily find for the Carefree was on June 23, 1974. An unrelated story in the March 15, 1981 Knoxville News-Sentinel said that 48-year-old Edwin L. Kelley owned the “old Carefree Drive-In,” where he was storing some of his stuff.
A 1981 aerial photo showed the remains of a drive-in about a mile south of the old Oliver Springs city limits west of the highway just north of what was then Norwood. (It was also marked in topo maps from 1972 through 2001.) A UPS Customer Center occupies the site today, now within the expanded Oliver Springs, at 251 Hannah Dr, Oliver Springs, TN 37840.
BTW, the drive-in site is within the current city limits of Clinton TN. I can’t find any references to “South Clinton” as a municipality or census-designated area; at best, it’s a neighborhood.
Also, Jim Pemberton’s letter to the editor said his family ran the Clinton until the 1980s. His memory was a little off, which is very common for us all.
It’s great to see such well-documented research on a great find. Here’s more to help.
Cole’s Clinton Drive-In Theater, “South of Clinton on Highway 25-W,” held its grand opening on April 9, 1953, based on its ad in the Knoxville Journal. The first program, run twice that night, was “Kansas Pacific” plus a color cartoon and a three stooges short.
Cole’s Clinton advertised in the Journal through Sept. 27, 1956. After that, I couldn’t find any ads or mentions until June 19, 1960. The drive-in might have closed, or it may have just decided not to advertise during that time.
The last ad that I could find for the Clinton was on Aug. 24, 1974 in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. That newspaper later ran an obituary for Louise Duncan, who “was owner and operator of the Carefree Drive-In, Oliver Springs and the Clinton Drive-In, Clinton, both of which ceased operation in the mid 1970s”.
A 1981 aerial photo showed the remains of a drive-in, with plenty of parked cars, at modern-day 1320 Clinch Ave (the former US 25W), Clinton, TN 37716.
This June 1939 photo by John Vachon is part of the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection of the Library of Congress, which says that it’s effectively in the public domain.
This September 1940 photo by Russell Lee is part of the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection of the Library of Congress, which says that it’s effectively in the public domain. You can find larger, sharper versions here.
This photo is part of the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection of the Library of Congress, which says that it’s effectively in the public domain.
Darn it, I did not plan to learn this much about the White Beauty. :) The resort was founded by Anita and Naldo Guccini, who owned the White Beauty View Restaurant by the 1930s. Looks like Richard was a son of the founders.
The last White Beauty Drive-In ad I could find in the Wayne Independent of Honesdale PA was on Sept. 22, 1977, with the showing of “Orca the Killer Whale” through Sept. 24.
The Scranton PA Tribune provided explanations to answer the last two posts.
The White Beauty View was a summer resort on Lake Wallenpaupack. It advertised for a cook “for the season” on May 23, 1949, and a chef’s 2005 obituary called it the “once famous” White Beauty View. (It changed its name to The Lakeside Resort in 1993.) The White Beauty Drive-In Theatre advertised its opening on June 30, 1949 at White Beauty View, so it might be that the resort folks started the drive-in.
The new question is why Motion Picture Herald and Billboard both thought that Richard Guccini opened his “new” White Beauty three years later. A 1955 note in the Tribune associated Guccini with the White Beauty View.
The April 4, 1960 issue of Boxoffice, found on Yumpu, told the story of three Texas Christian University students who pooled $2000 to reopen the Heights (previously closed for three years) as the Capri earlier in 1960. It summarized (or maybe just copied) Jack Gordon’s column in the Fort Worth Press.
There’s a fairly lengthy story about the Alpine in “East Rainelle” that ran in the April 18, 1960 issue of Boxoffice, found on Yumpu. To summarize:
Frank L. Weitzel bought the Alpine on March 1, 1960. Soon after, the town was snowed in for a week. In early April, warm weather brought a flood that “inundated the 512-seat house” so that only about 100 chairs were dry enough to be used. Weitzel reopened anyway on the weekend of April 10, running the boiler night and day to try to dry out the place. He soon bought dry seats from closed theaters in Gowen (?) and Gassaway (also called the Alpine), because the damp seats were creating an unpleasant “smell-o-vision” experience.
Boxoffice, April 2, 1949: “Danville, Ill. - Abe H. Kaufman, owner of the Fountain Theatre, Terre Haute, Ind., has purchased the Victory Theatre here effective April 1 from Jack Butler. The theatre name will be changed to the Main.”
Boxoffice, April 2, 1949: “Cave-In-Rock, Ill. - The Ohio Theatre, which was badly damaged by fire January 23, has been reopened by Carl Humm and Tom Partain. A plastic fireproof screen has been installed and the projection room has been made as nearly fireproof as possible. Steel guards, which will drop automatically, have been placed over all opening so that it would be sealed off in the event of a fire. A fireproof door, which is closed automatically, shots off the booth from the rest of the house. Humm and Partain did not carry insurance on either the theatre building or its contents prior to the fire.”
Boxoffice, April 2, 1949: “New feature of the Eugene Drive-In, opening for its second season, is a pony ring, with six shetland ponies to provide rides before the shows free of charge for children. The ozoner is located at 2860 South Willamette St., near the intersection of the Lorane Road. L. M. Wirtz is the manager.”
Boxoffice, April 2, 1949: “Michael Redstone, operator of the Sunrise Highway Drive-In Theatre at Valley Stream, L. I., will build an 800 to 1,000-car drive-in in the east Bronx. This will be the second drive-in within the city limits. The Fabian circuit opened a 620-car drive-in on Staten Island last spring. Redstone’s new theatre will be built on a 22-acre site near the Bronx-Whitestone bridge. The property was bought last week”
According to the Lewiston PA Sentinel, Timothy and Lacie Wert of Burnham bought the Midway as of Dec. 1 this year. They bought it mainly for the River’s Edge RV Park and Campground next door, but they have assured fans on Facebook that the only change they plan is moving opening day from Memorial Day to Mother’s Day weekend.
According to a drive-in history roundup in the Omaha World-Herald (paywall) that started in 2021 and was updated in 2022, this photo was taken by a World-Herald staffer as workers were raising the screen one week before opening night. I would bet that the newspaper still owns the copyright.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch first ran this photo on May 20, 1948, according to a recent retrospective it published. I would guess they’re the ones who own the copyright, if any. The original caption:
The Bellwood Drive-In Theater, under construction now four miles south of Richmond city limits, will open on or about May 27. The tower shown in the photo is 70 feet high, serving as front of the theater and screen.
On Aug. 24, 1974, the Knoxville News-Sentinel ran an obituary for Louise Duncan, who “was owner and operator of the Carefree Drive-In, Oliver Springs and the Clinton Drive-In, Clinton, both of which ceased operation in the mid 1970s”.
Nifty vintage photo! Where is it from?
(shrug) We’re in agreement, just using different words. South Clinton is clearly the name of a neighborhood, but only that. If CT starts listing all theaters by neighborhood, as it does in several larger cities, then this one would be in the South Clinton neighborhood of Clinton TN.
I hope that when its editors update the drive-in’s likely address to 1320 Clinch Ave, they also update the city to Clinton.
The first ad I could find for the Carefree was on May 19, 1954, when it was “Now Open.” The show that night was “Highway Dragnet” plus two color cartoons.
The last ad I could easily find for the Carefree was on June 23, 1974. An unrelated story in the March 15, 1981 Knoxville News-Sentinel said that 48-year-old Edwin L. Kelley owned the “old Carefree Drive-In,” where he was storing some of his stuff.
A 1981 aerial photo showed the remains of a drive-in about a mile south of the old Oliver Springs city limits west of the highway just north of what was then Norwood. (It was also marked in topo maps from 1972 through 2001.) A UPS Customer Center occupies the site today, now within the expanded Oliver Springs, at 251 Hannah Dr, Oliver Springs, TN 37840.
BTW, the drive-in site is within the current city limits of Clinton TN. I can’t find any references to “South Clinton” as a municipality or census-designated area; at best, it’s a neighborhood.
Also, Jim Pemberton’s letter to the editor said his family ran the Clinton until the 1980s. His memory was a little off, which is very common for us all.
It’s great to see such well-documented research on a great find. Here’s more to help.
Cole’s Clinton Drive-In Theater, “South of Clinton on Highway 25-W,” held its grand opening on April 9, 1953, based on its ad in the Knoxville Journal. The first program, run twice that night, was “Kansas Pacific” plus a color cartoon and a three stooges short.
Cole’s Clinton advertised in the Journal through Sept. 27, 1956. After that, I couldn’t find any ads or mentions until June 19, 1960. The drive-in might have closed, or it may have just decided not to advertise during that time.
The last ad that I could find for the Clinton was on Aug. 24, 1974 in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. That newspaper later ran an obituary for Louise Duncan, who “was owner and operator of the Carefree Drive-In, Oliver Springs and the Clinton Drive-In, Clinton, both of which ceased operation in the mid 1970s”.
A 1981 aerial photo showed the remains of a drive-in, with plenty of parked cars, at modern-day 1320 Clinch Ave (the former US 25W), Clinton, TN 37716.
This June 1939 photo by John Vachon is part of the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection of the Library of Congress, which says that it’s effectively in the public domain.
This September 1940 photo by Russell Lee is part of the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection of the Library of Congress, which says that it’s effectively in the public domain. You can find larger, sharper versions here.
This photo is part of the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection of the Library of Congress, which says that it’s effectively in the public domain.
Darn it, I did not plan to learn this much about the White Beauty. :) The resort was founded by Anita and Naldo Guccini, who owned the White Beauty View Restaurant by the 1930s. Looks like Richard was a son of the founders.
The last White Beauty Drive-In ad I could find in the Wayne Independent of Honesdale PA was on Sept. 22, 1977, with the showing of “Orca the Killer Whale” through Sept. 24.
The Scranton PA Tribune provided explanations to answer the last two posts.
The White Beauty View was a summer resort on Lake Wallenpaupack. It advertised for a cook “for the season” on May 23, 1949, and a chef’s 2005 obituary called it the “once famous” White Beauty View. (It changed its name to The Lakeside Resort in 1993.) The White Beauty Drive-In Theatre advertised its opening on June 30, 1949 at White Beauty View, so it might be that the resort folks started the drive-in.
The new question is why Motion Picture Herald and Billboard both thought that Richard Guccini opened his “new” White Beauty three years later. A 1955 note in the Tribune associated Guccini with the White Beauty View.
The April 4, 1960 issue of Boxoffice, found on Yumpu, told the story of three Texas Christian University students who pooled $2000 to reopen the Heights (previously closed for three years) as the Capri earlier in 1960. It summarized (or maybe just copied) Jack Gordon’s column in the Fort Worth Press.
There’s a fairly lengthy story about the Alpine in “East Rainelle” that ran in the April 18, 1960 issue of Boxoffice, found on Yumpu. To summarize:
Frank L. Weitzel bought the Alpine on March 1, 1960. Soon after, the town was snowed in for a week. In early April, warm weather brought a flood that “inundated the 512-seat house” so that only about 100 chairs were dry enough to be used. Weitzel reopened anyway on the weekend of April 10, running the boiler night and day to try to dry out the place. He soon bought dry seats from closed theaters in Gowen (?) and Gassaway (also called the Alpine), because the damp seats were creating an unpleasant “smell-o-vision” experience.
Vintage Aerial has a 1972 photo of the Sullivan here.
Vintage Aerial has a 1976 photo of the Mound Drive-In here and a 1981 photo here.
Vintage Aerials has a 1984 photo of the Atomic Drive-In here.
Vintage Aerials has a 1977 photo of the Hi-Way 28 here.
Boxoffice, April 2, 1949: “Danville, Ill. - Abe H. Kaufman, owner of the Fountain Theatre, Terre Haute, Ind., has purchased the Victory Theatre here effective April 1 from Jack Butler. The theatre name will be changed to the Main.”
Boxoffice, April 2, 1949: “Cave-In-Rock, Ill. - The Ohio Theatre, which was badly damaged by fire January 23, has been reopened by Carl Humm and Tom Partain. A plastic fireproof screen has been installed and the projection room has been made as nearly fireproof as possible. Steel guards, which will drop automatically, have been placed over all opening so that it would be sealed off in the event of a fire. A fireproof door, which is closed automatically, shots off the booth from the rest of the house. Humm and Partain did not carry insurance on either the theatre building or its contents prior to the fire.”
Boxoffice, April 2, 1949: “New feature of the Eugene Drive-In, opening for its second season, is a pony ring, with six shetland ponies to provide rides before the shows free of charge for children. The ozoner is located at 2860 South Willamette St., near the intersection of the Lorane Road. L. M. Wirtz is the manager.”
Boxoffice, April 2, 1949: “Michael Redstone, operator of the Sunrise Highway Drive-In Theatre at Valley Stream, L. I., will build an 800 to 1,000-car drive-in in the east Bronx. This will be the second drive-in within the city limits. The Fabian circuit opened a 620-car drive-in on Staten Island last spring. Redstone’s new theatre will be built on a 22-acre site near the Bronx-Whitestone bridge. The property was bought last week”
According to the Lewiston PA Sentinel, Timothy and Lacie Wert of Burnham bought the Midway as of Dec. 1 this year. They bought it mainly for the River’s Edge RV Park and Campground next door, but they have assured fans on Facebook that the only change they plan is moving opening day from Memorial Day to Mother’s Day weekend.
This Omaha World-Herald file photo was taken before the Q-Twin’s season opener in 1987. I would bet that the newspaper still owns the copyright.
According to a drive-in history roundup in the Omaha World-Herald (paywall) that started in 2021 and was updated in 2022, this photo was taken by a World-Herald staffer as workers were raising the screen one week before opening night. I would bet that the newspaper still owns the copyright.