I’d like to know what source suggested that was a grand opening photo. When it ran in the 1949-50 Theatre Catalog, it was illustrating a way to winterize drive-in speakers. “Waterproof speaker covers from Central States Paper and Bag Company are in use at Ronnie’s Drive-In, St. Louis, Mo., by Fred Wehrenberg circuit. Coverings are weather resistant, easy to install.” Plus, those trees on the horizon look more like December than June.
Aerial photos suggest that the Tu-Vu scaled back to keep only its west screen active by the late 1960s. Irregularities (weeds?) were starting to grow on the east ramps in 1966, and had taken over wide sections in 1972. Also, the 1970 topo map for the area outlined only the west field as “Drive-In Theater”.
Boxoffice, June 27, 1953: “After a quarter-century in show business with her late husband, Mrs. Roy Hunt has sold her Rubidoux Drive-In near Riverside to the Sero Amusement Co., which takes over the property July 1.”
The Exhibitor, Dec. 23, 1953: “Announcement has been made of the leasing of the Gem, by Consolidated Theatres to Sero Amusement Company, Los Angeles. The Gem, closed for renovations, will open on Jan. 1. Sero Amusement Company plans to operate the former second run and art house on a first-run basis.”
The Exhibitor, Jan. 27, 1954: “The Gem, operated by Sero Amusement Company Los Angeles, opened after being remodeled.”
Motion Picture Daily, Oct. 13, 1954: “Hartford, Oct. 12 - Groton Open Air Theatre, Inc., has opened Connecticut’s newest drive-in, the 600-car capacity Groton Drive-In, on Route 12. Principals include J. Lawrence Peters, Anthony Albino, Harry F. Picazzio, Jr., and Isadore Fishbone.”
Chiming in as the spelling stickler. There’s a lot of evidence for alternate spellings, but I’d go with R. G. Flanary, Jr. From 1953 forward, that was the consistent spelling from Boxoffice and Motion Picture Daily as the theater owner was repeatedly named as part of the Virginia Motion Picture Theatres Association. Also, the Richmond Times Dispatch reported on Oct. 2, 1978, that one Robert Guy Flanary III, 22, of Richlands, uh, made the news.
Two notes (with different spellings) that suggest a September opening for the Guy Drive-In:
The Exhibitor, Sept. 6, 1950: “(new equipment) in Guy Flannery’s completely remodelled Star, Richlands, Va. Flannery has also started construction of a new 300-car drive-in at Richlands named the Guy in memory of his father.”
The Exhibitor, Sept. 20, 1950: “Buddy Flanary’s ozoner in Richlands, Va., made its debut.”
The July 30, 1989 San Bernardino County Sun gave a reason for the shutdown. “Rialto’s Foothill Drive-In also closed down last year when its owner failed to renew the lease.”
Thanks to help from the great folks at the New Mexico Department of Transportation, I have one more data point. I’ve uploaded a photo showing that Kelly’s was intact, apparently open, in October 1961.
The Placita Hills first showed up in the 1980 edition of the Motion Picture Almanac, owner W. Edge, capacity 200. Its final appearance, with the same information, was in the 1982 edition.
Aerial photos show empty land at the site in 1963, an intact drive-in in 1981 and 1982, and the screen missing by 1996.
I’ve looked but failed to find any corroboration that the Hill existed. Anyone have any good evidence that this wasn’t just a Film Daily Year Book typo?
Thanks to the great work from NMDOT, I’ve uploaded a photo of the Nike. On its location, I was close. It was where the Carrizozo Auto Salvage is today; I can’t find its street address, but it’s next to 6479 US-380.
Following up StrangeStephen’s note, the Observer-Reporter of Greene County PA published an article on Dec 9, 2021 about the Skyview and its late owners. Elizabeth Clara Lysiane Walker, 57, died of Covid on Oct. 11. Her husband, Charles Walker III, 58, died of Covid 10 days later in the same hospital. They had owned the drive-in since 2007.
Caleb Miller, one of the Walkers' sons, told the newspaper, “We’re going to open it up next season if we can. If we can run it, we’re going to.”
I don’t want to be glib in the face of such a tragedy, but how can you tell when a seasonal drive-in is permanently closed? It’s not when it closes, it’s when it doesn’t reopen the following spring. As an optimist, I continue to consider the Skyview open.
The Arizona Highway Department commissioned this photo by Fronske Studio to document its planned property condemnation to build I-40. It’s part of the Fronske Studio Collection at Northern Arizona University, call number NAU.PH.85.3.210.109.
There was a small drive-in in Oklahoma on US 81 that was just 2000 feet south of the Kansas border. Aerial photos show that it was open by 1956 and still intact as late as 1995. It sure looks like something that someone would name the Bi-State Drive-In.
The closest little (population 12 in 2010) town to the south is Renfrow OK, about five miles away. Medford OK is about 14 miles from the drive-in.
The closest city is Caldwell KS, just two miles north. The Caldwell Golf Course across the highway from the drive-in site is private, from what I could find, unaffiliated with the city.
Since the Bi-State was an Oklahoma drive-in, I’d place it under the closest town in the state. That would be Renfrow, if you think it’s big enough, or Medford.
To amplify rivest266’s accurate closing date, Entertainment Centers of America operated the Joshua for approximately one week.
Victorville Daily Press, Dec. 19, 1982: “The El Rancho Theater and Balsam and Joshua Drive-In are now controlled by the same corporation that runs The Movies. Charly Funk, president of Entertainment Centers of America, Inc., said his company will officially begin operating the theater and drive-ins. “We will be running a total of 12 screens in Victorville this Friday (24?),” Funk said.”
The article about the Fun Lan’s closing was reprinted in the Orlando Weekly. No one’s sure who bought the place, since the City of Tampa denies rumors that it was the purchaser. “On Thursday, Dec. 2, they were told in person that Sunday would be the last business day. Their last day with a job and a paycheck is Friday (Dec. 10). In the meantime, they are assigned to work on the property and keep anyone from trespassing.”
The Feb. 20, 1960 Motion Picture Herald had a short article about Ben Poblocki, patriarch of the Poblocki & Sons sign company of Milwaukee.
“Six years ago … Ben Poblocki … decided to be an exhibitor himself. He bought the 600-seat Plaza in Burlington, Wis., and later added a drive-in at Grafton, the Highway 57, plus a drive-in restaurant adjoining the outdoor theatre. Recently he sold all of those properties … The Plaza theatre was sold to Lauren Husten, who operates the Troy in East Troy, and the Ford in Waterford, Wis.”
The Feb. 20, 1960 Motion Picture Herald had a short article about Ben Poblocki, patriarch of the Poblocki & Sons sign company of Milwaukee.
“Six years ago … Ben Poblocki … decided to be an exhibitor himself. He bought the 600-seat Plaza in Burlington, Wis., and later added a drive-in at Grafton, the Highway 57, plus a drive-in restaurant adjoining the outdoor theatre. Recently he sold all of those properties … Harry Melcher, who operates the Rivoli theatre in nearby Cedarburg, Wis., bought the Highway 57.”
The Moonlite Drive-In in Radcliff was mentioned in a July 22, 1956 ad in the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The 1958-59 Motion Picture Almanacs had the Moonlite, capacity 450, owner Sailing & Danner. The 1960-65 MPAs change the owner to Rockwood Amuse. Co., but the Rockwood Amusement Company circuit list holding in the 1960-65 MPAs didn’t include it.
The 1960 (or earlier)-1965 Film Daily Yearbooks included the Moonlite Drive-In under Radcliff, but the 1966 edition did not.
The first ad I could find for the Staunton VA Daily News Leader was on June 19, 1956. On June 29, it mentioned that the North 340 was “Waynesboro’s Newest Next to Eastside Speedway”.
Aerial photos of US 340 north of Waynesboro showed a drive-in adjacent to Eastside Speedway. The drive-in was intact through 1984, and the race track is still there at 134 Al Gore Ln, Waynesboro, VA 22980.
The last movie ad I saw for the “North Drive-In” was in the Oct. 24, 1976 Daily News Leader, offering “The Filthiest Show in Town” and “Hot Times”. An Oct. 29 ad said that the North 340 was closed for the season. By 1990, the Daily News Leader was advertising Sunday flea markets at the “old North 340 Drive-In Theatre”.
I just noticed something odd about that photo - it’s flipped. As the 1952 aerial photo showed, the screen faced northeast. Route 66 ran to the north of the Bar-Len, with the train tracks farther north.
To summarize, the Basin opened on Thursday, July 24, 1952. Because that was after its planned opener, we don’t yet know what movies it showed that night. Its capacity was very likely 285 cars. The Basin closed by 1976, probably years earlier.
Boxoffice, Oct. 7, 1950: “Moses Lake, Wash. - John Lee of Ephrata, owner of Columbia Basin Theatres, … plans to acquire property for a drive-in to be opened in this area next spring … Lee said equipment for the drive-in has been ordered and is expected to be delivered in November. He said plans call for a capacity of 400 cars. THe ozoner will be located on the Moses Lake-Ephrata highway.”
Boxoffice, May 31, 1952: “Moses Lake, Wash. - The first drive-in for the Columbia basin was to be opened by late May, owner John Lee of Ephrata said … The Moses Lake situation is on the east side of town, just south of the new auto racetrack.”
Columbia Basin Herald, July 10, 1952 (quoted in the Oct. 4, 2014 Crescent Bar Chronicle): “The Columbia Basin’s first drive-in theater will open this weekend just off U.S. 10 near Moses Lake’s east city limits, according to William Daugaard, who will manage it. The theater is set up on an eight-acre tract cleared to accommodate 300 cars now and 600 when business warrants it, Daugaard said. The screen is 40 by 60 feet. The location is about three miles from the center of town. A double feature is booked for Friday and Saturday nights, but the theater may not be opened until Sunday, when the show will feature Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in "The Invisible Man” and a Roy Rogers western, the manager said. The theater will operate seven nights a week. The drive-in is owned by Columbia Basin Theaters, operated by John Lee of Ephrata, who also has the two regular movie houses in Moses Lake."
Boxoffice, Aug. 2, 1952: “Moses Lake, Wash. - John Lee opened his new airer, the Basin Drive-In, here Thursday (24). With a capacity of 285 cars, the theatre was equipped by Modern Theatre Supply of Seattle”
Spokane Chronicle, April 5, 1956: “Moses Lake, Wash., April 5 - Columbia Basin Theaters has been sold to Texan Peter Barnes, owner John Lee of Ephrata announced this week. The chain of theaters include 15 movie houses in Grant and Adams counties. Lee announced that he, however, wil retain ownership of the theater buildings. Included in the transation were the Lake and Ritz theaters and Basin Drive-In in Moses Lake; Lee and Marjo theaters and Park In Drive-In in Ephrata; Lake theater in Othello, and Warden theater in Warden.”
The 1953-56 Theatre Catalogs listed the Basin with a capacity of 284 cars, owner John Lee.
The 1953-66 editions of Motion Picture Almanac included the Basin of Moses Lake, capacity 258 cars, owner John Lee Circuit. A “Basin-258” entry continued while the MPA was on semi-autopilot during 1967-76, but when the MPA rebooted its drive-in list in 1977, the Basin was gone. My guess is that the 258 number was a typo of the accurate 285, and it stuck.
I haven’t dug too deeply into the old Rialto’s opening and closing dates. In 1985, it was apparently closed seasonally while the Tonto Drive-In was operating; the Sept. 11, 1985 ad for the Tonto noted “Rialto opens Friday (13).” Since the Tonto never reopened, the Rialto might have kept going all year. A spot check in the summer of 1988 showed the “Blair Rialto” advertising summer matinees. Here’s probably the end.
Winslow Mail, Feb. 7, 1996: “BioDome was the last movie to be shown at Winslow Rialto Theatre, prior to its closing on Jan. 31. Employees were surprised when the showed up to work on Wednesday to find the marquee taken down, equipment removed and their jobs eliminated.”
I’d like to know what source suggested that was a grand opening photo. When it ran in the 1949-50 Theatre Catalog, it was illustrating a way to winterize drive-in speakers. “Waterproof speaker covers from Central States Paper and Bag Company are in use at Ronnie’s Drive-In, St. Louis, Mo., by Fred Wehrenberg circuit. Coverings are weather resistant, easy to install.” Plus, those trees on the horizon look more like December than June.
Aerial photos suggest that the Tu-Vu scaled back to keep only its west screen active by the late 1960s. Irregularities (weeds?) were starting to grow on the east ramps in 1966, and had taken over wide sections in 1972. Also, the 1970 topo map for the area outlined only the west field as “Drive-In Theater”.
Boxoffice, June 27, 1953: “After a quarter-century in show business with her late husband, Mrs. Roy Hunt has sold her Rubidoux Drive-In near Riverside to the Sero Amusement Co., which takes over the property July 1.”
The photo also appeared, cropped slightly, in the Sept. 10, 1949 Boxoffice in a story on theaters in the Los Angeles area.
The Exhibitor, Dec. 23, 1953: “Announcement has been made of the leasing of the Gem, by Consolidated Theatres to Sero Amusement Company, Los Angeles. The Gem, closed for renovations, will open on Jan. 1. Sero Amusement Company plans to operate the former second run and art house on a first-run basis.”
The Exhibitor, Jan. 27, 1954: “The Gem, operated by Sero Amusement Company Los Angeles, opened after being remodeled.”
Motion Picture Daily, Oct. 13, 1954: “Hartford, Oct. 12 - Groton Open Air Theatre, Inc., has opened Connecticut’s newest drive-in, the 600-car capacity Groton Drive-In, on Route 12. Principals include J. Lawrence Peters, Anthony Albino, Harry F. Picazzio, Jr., and Isadore Fishbone.”
Chiming in as the spelling stickler. There’s a lot of evidence for alternate spellings, but I’d go with R. G. Flanary, Jr. From 1953 forward, that was the consistent spelling from Boxoffice and Motion Picture Daily as the theater owner was repeatedly named as part of the Virginia Motion Picture Theatres Association. Also, the Richmond Times Dispatch reported on Oct. 2, 1978, that one Robert Guy Flanary III, 22, of Richlands, uh, made the news.
Two notes (with different spellings) that suggest a September opening for the Guy Drive-In:
The Exhibitor, Sept. 6, 1950: “(new equipment) in Guy Flannery’s completely remodelled Star, Richlands, Va. Flannery has also started construction of a new 300-car drive-in at Richlands named the Guy in memory of his father.”
The Exhibitor, Sept. 20, 1950: “Buddy Flanary’s ozoner in Richlands, Va., made its debut.”
The July 30, 1989 San Bernardino County Sun gave a reason for the shutdown. “Rialto’s Foothill Drive-In also closed down last year when its owner failed to renew the lease.”
Thanks to help from the great folks at the New Mexico Department of Transportation, I have one more data point. I’ve uploaded a photo showing that Kelly’s was intact, apparently open, in October 1961.
The Placita Hills first showed up in the 1980 edition of the Motion Picture Almanac, owner W. Edge, capacity 200. Its final appearance, with the same information, was in the 1982 edition.
Aerial photos show empty land at the site in 1963, an intact drive-in in 1981 and 1982, and the screen missing by 1996.
I’ve looked but failed to find any corroboration that the Hill existed. Anyone have any good evidence that this wasn’t just a Film Daily Year Book typo?
Thanks to the great work from NMDOT, I’ve uploaded a photo of the Nike. On its location, I was close. It was where the Carrizozo Auto Salvage is today; I can’t find its street address, but it’s next to 6479 US-380.
Following up StrangeStephen’s note, the Observer-Reporter of Greene County PA published an article on Dec 9, 2021 about the Skyview and its late owners. Elizabeth Clara Lysiane Walker, 57, died of Covid on Oct. 11. Her husband, Charles Walker III, 58, died of Covid 10 days later in the same hospital. They had owned the drive-in since 2007.
Caleb Miller, one of the Walkers' sons, told the newspaper, “We’re going to open it up next season if we can. If we can run it, we’re going to.”
I don’t want to be glib in the face of such a tragedy, but how can you tell when a seasonal drive-in is permanently closed? It’s not when it closes, it’s when it doesn’t reopen the following spring. As an optimist, I continue to consider the Skyview open.
The Arizona Highway Department commissioned this photo by Fronske Studio to document its planned property condemnation to build I-40. It’s part of the Fronske Studio Collection at Northern Arizona University, call number NAU.PH.85.3.210.109.
There was a small drive-in in Oklahoma on US 81 that was just 2000 feet south of the Kansas border. Aerial photos show that it was open by 1956 and still intact as late as 1995. It sure looks like something that someone would name the Bi-State Drive-In.
The closest little (population 12 in 2010) town to the south is Renfrow OK, about five miles away. Medford OK is about 14 miles from the drive-in.
The closest city is Caldwell KS, just two miles north. The Caldwell Golf Course across the highway from the drive-in site is private, from what I could find, unaffiliated with the city.
Since the Bi-State was an Oklahoma drive-in, I’d place it under the closest town in the state. That would be Renfrow, if you think it’s big enough, or Medford.
To amplify rivest266’s accurate closing date, Entertainment Centers of America operated the Joshua for approximately one week.
Victorville Daily Press, Dec. 19, 1982: “The El Rancho Theater and Balsam and Joshua Drive-In are now controlled by the same corporation that runs The Movies. Charly Funk, president of Entertainment Centers of America, Inc., said his company will officially begin operating the theater and drive-ins. “We will be running a total of 12 screens in Victorville this Friday (24?),” Funk said.”
The article about the Fun Lan’s closing was reprinted in the Orlando Weekly. No one’s sure who bought the place, since the City of Tampa denies rumors that it was the purchaser. “On Thursday, Dec. 2, they were told in person that Sunday would be the last business day. Their last day with a job and a paycheck is Friday (Dec. 10). In the meantime, they are assigned to work on the property and keep anyone from trespassing.”
The Feb. 20, 1960 Motion Picture Herald had a short article about Ben Poblocki, patriarch of the Poblocki & Sons sign company of Milwaukee.
“Six years ago … Ben Poblocki … decided to be an exhibitor himself. He bought the 600-seat Plaza in Burlington, Wis., and later added a drive-in at Grafton, the Highway 57, plus a drive-in restaurant adjoining the outdoor theatre. Recently he sold all of those properties … The Plaza theatre was sold to Lauren Husten, who operates the Troy in East Troy, and the Ford in Waterford, Wis.”
The Feb. 20, 1960 Motion Picture Herald had a short article about Ben Poblocki, patriarch of the Poblocki & Sons sign company of Milwaukee.
“Six years ago … Ben Poblocki … decided to be an exhibitor himself. He bought the 600-seat Plaza in Burlington, Wis., and later added a drive-in at Grafton, the Highway 57, plus a drive-in restaurant adjoining the outdoor theatre. Recently he sold all of those properties … Harry Melcher, who operates the Rivoli theatre in nearby Cedarburg, Wis., bought the Highway 57.”
The Moonlite Drive-In in Radcliff was mentioned in a July 22, 1956 ad in the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The 1958-59 Motion Picture Almanacs had the Moonlite, capacity 450, owner Sailing & Danner. The 1960-65 MPAs change the owner to Rockwood Amuse. Co., but the Rockwood Amusement Company circuit list holding in the 1960-65 MPAs didn’t include it.
The 1960 (or earlier)-1965 Film Daily Yearbooks included the Moonlite Drive-In under Radcliff, but the 1966 edition did not.
The first ad I could find for the Staunton VA Daily News Leader was on June 19, 1956. On June 29, it mentioned that the North 340 was “Waynesboro’s Newest Next to Eastside Speedway”.
Aerial photos of US 340 north of Waynesboro showed a drive-in adjacent to Eastside Speedway. The drive-in was intact through 1984, and the race track is still there at 134 Al Gore Ln, Waynesboro, VA 22980.
The last movie ad I saw for the “North Drive-In” was in the Oct. 24, 1976 Daily News Leader, offering “The Filthiest Show in Town” and “Hot Times”. An Oct. 29 ad said that the North 340 was closed for the season. By 1990, the Daily News Leader was advertising Sunday flea markets at the “old North 340 Drive-In Theatre”.
I just noticed something odd about that photo - it’s flipped. As the 1952 aerial photo showed, the screen faced northeast. Route 66 ran to the north of the Bar-Len, with the train tracks farther north.
To summarize, the Basin opened on Thursday, July 24, 1952. Because that was after its planned opener, we don’t yet know what movies it showed that night. Its capacity was very likely 285 cars. The Basin closed by 1976, probably years earlier.
Boxoffice, Oct. 7, 1950: “Moses Lake, Wash. - John Lee of Ephrata, owner of Columbia Basin Theatres, … plans to acquire property for a drive-in to be opened in this area next spring … Lee said equipment for the drive-in has been ordered and is expected to be delivered in November. He said plans call for a capacity of 400 cars. THe ozoner will be located on the Moses Lake-Ephrata highway.”
Boxoffice, May 31, 1952: “Moses Lake, Wash. - The first drive-in for the Columbia basin was to be opened by late May, owner John Lee of Ephrata said … The Moses Lake situation is on the east side of town, just south of the new auto racetrack.”
Columbia Basin Herald, July 10, 1952 (quoted in the Oct. 4, 2014 Crescent Bar Chronicle): “The Columbia Basin’s first drive-in theater will open this weekend just off U.S. 10 near Moses Lake’s east city limits, according to William Daugaard, who will manage it. The theater is set up on an eight-acre tract cleared to accommodate 300 cars now and 600 when business warrants it, Daugaard said. The screen is 40 by 60 feet. The location is about three miles from the center of town. A double feature is booked for Friday and Saturday nights, but the theater may not be opened until Sunday, when the show will feature Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in "The Invisible Man” and a Roy Rogers western, the manager said. The theater will operate seven nights a week. The drive-in is owned by Columbia Basin Theaters, operated by John Lee of Ephrata, who also has the two regular movie houses in Moses Lake."
Boxoffice, Aug. 2, 1952: “Moses Lake, Wash. - John Lee opened his new airer, the Basin Drive-In, here Thursday (24). With a capacity of 285 cars, the theatre was equipped by Modern Theatre Supply of Seattle”
Spokane Chronicle, April 5, 1956: “Moses Lake, Wash., April 5 - Columbia Basin Theaters has been sold to Texan Peter Barnes, owner John Lee of Ephrata announced this week. The chain of theaters include 15 movie houses in Grant and Adams counties. Lee announced that he, however, wil retain ownership of the theater buildings. Included in the transation were the Lake and Ritz theaters and Basin Drive-In in Moses Lake; Lee and Marjo theaters and Park In Drive-In in Ephrata; Lake theater in Othello, and Warden theater in Warden.”
The 1953-56 Theatre Catalogs listed the Basin with a capacity of 284 cars, owner John Lee.
The 1953-66 editions of Motion Picture Almanac included the Basin of Moses Lake, capacity 258 cars, owner John Lee Circuit. A “Basin-258” entry continued while the MPA was on semi-autopilot during 1967-76, but when the MPA rebooted its drive-in list in 1977, the Basin was gone. My guess is that the 258 number was a typo of the accurate 285, and it stuck.
I haven’t dug too deeply into the old Rialto’s opening and closing dates. In 1985, it was apparently closed seasonally while the Tonto Drive-In was operating; the Sept. 11, 1985 ad for the Tonto noted “Rialto opens Friday (13).” Since the Tonto never reopened, the Rialto might have kept going all year. A spot check in the summer of 1988 showed the “Blair Rialto” advertising summer matinees. Here’s probably the end.
Winslow Mail, Feb. 7, 1996: “BioDome was the last movie to be shown at Winslow Rialto Theatre, prior to its closing on Jan. 31. Employees were surprised when the showed up to work on Wednesday to find the marquee taken down, equipment removed and their jobs eliminated.”