Boxoffice, March 3, 1969: “CAVE CITY, ARK. - Gene "Shorty” Thompson, owner of the Stone Theatre and Stone Drive-In, has installed heaters at the drive-in."
Boxoffice, Oct. 9, 1978: “The historic Rex Theatre in Nowata is being dismantled to make space for an office building, according to Leo Woodall who operates the Skyvue Drive-In there.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 16, 1974: “The new owners of the Westside Drive-In at Tahlequah are M. D. and Doris Gourley. Jim O'Donnell of Theatre Booking Service will continue to do booking and buying for the Tahlequah airer.”
Same drive-in? A 1972 aerial photo showed the same site as intact, so maybe?
Boxoffice, Sept. 16, 1974: “In to buy and book at Oklahoma City film exchanges were … Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Kelly, Mini-Car Drive-In, Henryetta, who also have the Kelly’s Monuments business in the same Oklahoma community”
Boxoffice, Oct. 28, 1974: “Georgia Kelly advised that they are closing the Henryetta Mini-Car Drive-In the last of the month.” (for the season?)
Boxoffice, Sept. 6, 1947: “WICHITA— This city’s second drive-in theatre, the Air Port Drive-In, opened last Friday night to a near-capacity crowd. The 700-car open-airer, located within a few minutes of the municipal air terminal, is owned by Peerless Theatres, Inc., representing C. C. McCollister and associates. Merle Barnes is managing director of the theatre. Constructed under the Louis Josserand patents, claiming 30 percent more capacity for a given area, the double-ramp drive-in was equipped by National Theatre Supply Co., Kansas City. Features are Simplex E-7 projectors with Hy-Candescent lamps for the 52-foot screen and Simplex in-car speakers. Power for booth equipment is furnished by a 40-horsepower generator. Signs were built by the Rich Signs Co. of this city. McCollister also owns and operates the Odom Drive-In in Oklahoma City and the Nomar Theatre here. Wichita’s other drive-in, a Sullivan location, opened a year ago. The Sullivan firm is building this city’s third open-airer, to open soon on highway 54.”
Tough question: WHY was this drive-in named the Odom? When it was built, the future Odom Road didn’t exist.
The easy answer would be that the Sullivan Theatre chain, which opened the NW Hi-Way the same night as the Odom’s debut, had something to do with it, since the head of that chain was Odom Farrell (O.F.) Sullivan. That theory would say that Sullivan sold it to Barton during the first off-season, and that’s why he renamed it Barton’s 77.
If only I hadn’t found the June 21, 1947 BoxOffice note above, which clearly shows that Barton finished the Odom. BUT look who started it before Barton bought it.
Motion Picture Herald, Feb. 15, 1947: “First drive-in theatre for this area has been announced for opening about April 15 with construction started last week on a 1,000-car unit to cost $100,000, as announced by C. C. McCollister of Wichita, Kan., president of Peerless Theatres, Inc., Sanford Swim is vice-president and Merle L. Barnes is secretary-treasurer of the company. The new theatre will be called the Odom.”
I’ll keep looking, but right now I’d say that O.F. Sullivan probably had a piece of Peerless.
Thanks to the amazing help of the New Mexico State Library, I now know that the Canal held its Grand Opening on Friday, April 20, 1951. Its first movie was “Kansas Raiders” starring Audie Murphy.
Based on previous MPH and Boxoffice notes, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canal really had a soft open on Easter Sunday, March 25, but I haven’t found anything to prove that theory one way or the other.
Maybe this sale didn’t take? The Exhibitor, April 28, 1954: “The Regent and Nile, Winfield, Kans., have been purchased by Ray Winch from O. F. Sullivan.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 21, 1948: “MUSKOGEE, OKLA. — A new 600-car capacity drive-in, covering an area of 12 acres four miles south of here on Highway 64, has been completed by O. F. Sullivan, Wichita theatre operator.”
(That was former Wichita mayor Odom Farrell Sullivan, BTW.)
The Exhibitor, June 3, 1953: “O. F. Sullivan, general manager, Sullivan Independent Theatres, announced that he and his wife, Mrs. O. F. Sullivan, had completed a deal with Fox Midwest for the Palace, Wichita, Kans. The theatre closed for three days for refurbishing, and reopened under the new management. The Palace makes the eighth theatre in Wichita acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, who came there 28 years ago, and opened the West, first and only suburban theatre in that city at that time. The Palace will be under the management of Phil Silvernail under the supervision of Leonard Kane in his capacity as city manager. Kane has been with Sullivan Theatres for over 20 years, and Mrs. O. F. Sullivan is now secretary-treasurer of the circuit. Sullivan also operates several theatres outside of Wichita, Kans., and is one of the pioneer drive-in builders in Oklahoma. He has always been active in exhibitor organization circles, and helped form Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Kansas and Missouri in 1948. He was president of this Allied unit for three years, and was a member of the national beard of directors of Allied States Association for four years.”
The Exhibitor, Jan. 27, 1954: “It was announced by O. F. Sullivan, general manager, Sullivan Independent Theatres, Wichita, Kans., that operation of his Wichita theatres will be transferred to Consolidated Agencies, Kansas City, which is a buying, booking, and theatre management corporation. A sale, lease, and “option to purchase” agreement was completed, after two years of negotiation, with Nu-Vu Theatres, Inc., and a subsidiary corporation, Multi-Scope Theatres, Inc. C. A. Schultz, president, purchasing and leasing corporation, is also president. Consolidated Agencies, the corporation which will be actively operating the theatres. The theatres will continue to operate under the banner of Sullivan Independent Theatres, at least until after the “option to purchase” is exercised. Nick Sonday will assume the duties of general manager for this group of theatres, while Leonard Kane, associated in Wichita with Sullivan Theatres for over 20 years, will remain in the capacity of city manager. The complete theatre’s sale and lease and option agreement was handled by W. F. Brasch and Company. Sullivan Independent Theatres consists of eight Wichita theatres, the Crest, Palace, Crawford, Civic, Tower, West, 54 Drive-In, and 81 Drive-In, acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan over a period of 28 years. Sullivan was largely responsible for the forming of the Allied Independent Theatre Owners organization of Kansas and Missouri and was president for three years, 1948-1950.”
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 12, 1950: “Howard Larsen, manager and co-owner of the Civic and Junior theatres at Webb City, has purchased the Dickinson theater. The Dickinson now will be known as the Larsen theatre.”
The Thomases built the N'Eastern 66, I think, and they managed the place for years, but I also think they must have sold or leased it to the Barton theater chain very early on.
Motion Picture Herald, March 10, 1951: “Three of the Barton Drive-In Theatres were formally opened March 1. They are the Air Line drive-in, N. Eastern 66 drive-in, and Barton’s 77 drive-in.”
A close look at the grand opening ad that dallasmovietheaters uploaded (thanks!) shows that the Lone Star opened on Feb. 3, 1951. That goes along with a note in the March 3, 1951 Motion Picture Herald: “E. L. Pack opened his new Lone Star drive-in theatre recently. The newest ozoner has RCA in-car speakers, and M. L. Burns is the manager.”
Google Maps says that the site is now within the Centralia city limits. Maybe that’s accurate.
Boxoffice, Feb. 17, 1951: “Ed Auer and Howard Barber, both of Seattle, have sold their Twin City Drive-In Theatre located between Centralia and Chehalis. Buying the showcase were the three Gamble brothers, Ron, Roy and Williard of Centralia, Wash. The sale price was estimated at $80,000. The outdoorer is slated to be improved and reopened in the spring”.
Motion Picture Herald, Feb. 24, 1951: “The Mayfield, owned by Westside theatres, at South Palo Alto, is undergoing complete renovation and will be renamed the Cardinal.”
Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 27, 1951: “The H & E Balaban circuit purchased two drive-ins, the 600 car Hilltop at Joliet and the 750 car Robbins at Rockford.”
Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 27, 1951: “The H & E Balaban circuit purchased two drive-ins, the 600 car Hilltop at Joliet and the 750 car Robbins (sic) at Rockford.”
Delayed? Or for the season? Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 13, 1951: “The Commonwealth Theatre Corporation opened a new drive-in theatre at Batesville, Ark.”
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 23, 1952: “Official opening of Nowata’s first drive-in theatre, the Sky-Vu, took place August 11. C. D. Hicks and J. J. Bowden are the owners.”
Motion Picture Herald, Sept. 20, 1952: “The Parkvu, Nowata, opened this week. Owner is Chester Fleming.”
The 1953-54 Theatre Catalog included both. The Park Vu held 300, owned by C. V. Fleming, and the Sky-Vu on “Rt. 60” held 265, owners Bud Hicks and J. J. Bowden. US 60 is the east-west highway through Nowata.
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 30, 1952: “The Bloomer Amusement Co., of Belleville, Ill., has purchased the Starlight drive-in east of Upper Alton, Ill. The sale was completed by Joe Goldfarb and Harry Beck of Alton, Ill.”
Boxoffice, March 3, 1969: “CAVE CITY, ARK. - Gene "Shorty” Thompson, owner of the Stone Theatre and Stone Drive-In, has installed heaters at the drive-in."
Boxoffice, Oct. 9, 1978: “The historic Rex Theatre in Nowata is being dismantled to make space for an office building, according to Leo Woodall who operates the Skyvue Drive-In there.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 16, 1974: “The new owners of the Westside Drive-In at Tahlequah are M. D. and Doris Gourley. Jim O'Donnell of Theatre Booking Service will continue to do booking and buying for the Tahlequah airer.”
Same drive-in? A 1972 aerial photo showed the same site as intact, so maybe?
Boxoffice, Sept. 16, 1974: “In to buy and book at Oklahoma City film exchanges were … Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Kelly, Mini-Car Drive-In, Henryetta, who also have the Kelly’s Monuments business in the same Oklahoma community”
Boxoffice, Oct. 28, 1974: “Georgia Kelly advised that they are closing the Henryetta Mini-Car Drive-In the last of the month.” (for the season?)
Boxoffice, Sept. 6, 1947: “WICHITA— This city’s second drive-in theatre, the Air Port Drive-In, opened last Friday night to a near-capacity crowd. The 700-car open-airer, located within a few minutes of the municipal air terminal, is owned by Peerless Theatres, Inc., representing C. C. McCollister and associates. Merle Barnes is managing director of the theatre. Constructed under the Louis Josserand patents, claiming 30 percent more capacity for a given area, the double-ramp drive-in was equipped by National Theatre Supply Co., Kansas City. Features are Simplex E-7 projectors with Hy-Candescent lamps for the 52-foot screen and Simplex in-car speakers. Power for booth equipment is furnished by a 40-horsepower generator. Signs were built by the Rich Signs Co. of this city. McCollister also owns and operates the Odom Drive-In in Oklahoma City and the Nomar Theatre here. Wichita’s other drive-in, a Sullivan location, opened a year ago. The Sullivan firm is building this city’s third open-airer, to open soon on highway 54.”
Tough question: WHY was this drive-in named the Odom? When it was built, the future Odom Road didn’t exist.
The easy answer would be that the Sullivan Theatre chain, which opened the NW Hi-Way the same night as the Odom’s debut, had something to do with it, since the head of that chain was Odom Farrell (O.F.) Sullivan. That theory would say that Sullivan sold it to Barton during the first off-season, and that’s why he renamed it Barton’s 77.
If only I hadn’t found the June 21, 1947 BoxOffice note above, which clearly shows that Barton finished the Odom. BUT look who started it before Barton bought it.
Motion Picture Herald, Feb. 15, 1947: “First drive-in theatre for this area has been announced for opening about April 15 with construction started last week on a 1,000-car unit to cost $100,000, as announced by C. C. McCollister of Wichita, Kan., president of Peerless Theatres, Inc., Sanford Swim is vice-president and Merle L. Barnes is secretary-treasurer of the company. The new theatre will be called the Odom.”
I’ll keep looking, but right now I’d say that O.F. Sullivan probably had a piece of Peerless.
Thanks to the amazing help of the New Mexico State Library, I now know that the Canal held its Grand Opening on Friday, April 20, 1951. Its first movie was “Kansas Raiders” starring Audie Murphy.
Based on previous MPH and Boxoffice notes, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canal really had a soft open on Easter Sunday, March 25, but I haven’t found anything to prove that theory one way or the other.
Maybe this sale didn’t take? The Exhibitor, April 28, 1954: “The Regent and Nile, Winfield, Kans., have been purchased by Ray Winch from O. F. Sullivan.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 21, 1948: “MUSKOGEE, OKLA. — A new 600-car capacity drive-in, covering an area of 12 acres four miles south of here on Highway 64, has been completed by O. F. Sullivan, Wichita theatre operator.”
(That was former Wichita mayor Odom Farrell Sullivan, BTW.)
The Exhibitor, June 3, 1953: “O. F. Sullivan, general manager, Sullivan Independent Theatres, announced that he and his wife, Mrs. O. F. Sullivan, had completed a deal with Fox Midwest for the Palace, Wichita, Kans. The theatre closed for three days for refurbishing, and reopened under the new management. The Palace makes the eighth theatre in Wichita acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, who came there 28 years ago, and opened the West, first and only suburban theatre in that city at that time. The Palace will be under the management of Phil Silvernail under the supervision of Leonard Kane in his capacity as city manager. Kane has been with Sullivan Theatres for over 20 years, and Mrs. O. F. Sullivan is now secretary-treasurer of the circuit. Sullivan also operates several theatres outside of Wichita, Kans., and is one of the pioneer drive-in builders in Oklahoma. He has always been active in exhibitor organization circles, and helped form Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Kansas and Missouri in 1948. He was president of this Allied unit for three years, and was a member of the national beard of directors of Allied States Association for four years.”
The Exhibitor, Jan. 27, 1954: “It was announced by O. F. Sullivan, general manager, Sullivan Independent Theatres, Wichita, Kans., that operation of his Wichita theatres will be transferred to Consolidated Agencies, Kansas City, which is a buying, booking, and theatre management corporation. A sale, lease, and “option to purchase” agreement was completed, after two years of negotiation, with Nu-Vu Theatres, Inc., and a subsidiary corporation, Multi-Scope Theatres, Inc. C. A. Schultz, president, purchasing and leasing corporation, is also president. Consolidated Agencies, the corporation which will be actively operating the theatres. The theatres will continue to operate under the banner of Sullivan Independent Theatres, at least until after the “option to purchase” is exercised. Nick Sonday will assume the duties of general manager for this group of theatres, while Leonard Kane, associated in Wichita with Sullivan Theatres for over 20 years, will remain in the capacity of city manager. The complete theatre’s sale and lease and option agreement was handled by W. F. Brasch and Company. Sullivan Independent Theatres consists of eight Wichita theatres, the Crest, Palace, Crawford, Civic, Tower, West, 54 Drive-In, and 81 Drive-In, acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan over a period of 28 years. Sullivan was largely responsible for the forming of the Allied Independent Theatre Owners organization of Kansas and Missouri and was president for three years, 1948-1950.”
Motion Picture Herald, April 7, 1951: “Milas Hurley has opened his 550-car, $125,000 Canal drive-in, Tucumcari, N. M.”
Motion Picture Herald, Sept. 23, 1950: “The State theatre at Harrah, Okla., was destroyed by fire September 9.”
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 12, 1950: “Howard Larsen, manager and co-owner of the Civic and Junior theatres at Webb City, has purchased the Dickinson theater. The Dickinson now will be known as the Larsen theatre.”
The Thomases built the N'Eastern 66, I think, and they managed the place for years, but I also think they must have sold or leased it to the Barton theater chain very early on.
Motion Picture Herald, March 10, 1951: “Three of the Barton Drive-In Theatres were formally opened March 1. They are the Air Line drive-in, N. Eastern 66 drive-in, and Barton’s 77 drive-in.”
Motion Picture Herald, March 3, 1951: “Edward Terhune has bought the Fiesta theatre from Melvin B. Wilson and Harvey L. Stinson.”
A close look at the grand opening ad that dallasmovietheaters uploaded (thanks!) shows that the Lone Star opened on Feb. 3, 1951. That goes along with a note in the March 3, 1951 Motion Picture Herald: “E. L. Pack opened his new Lone Star drive-in theatre recently. The newest ozoner has RCA in-car speakers, and M. L. Burns is the manager.”
Google Maps says that the site is now within the Centralia city limits. Maybe that’s accurate.
Boxoffice, Feb. 17, 1951: “Ed Auer and Howard Barber, both of Seattle, have sold their Twin City Drive-In Theatre located between Centralia and Chehalis. Buying the showcase were the three Gamble brothers, Ron, Roy and Williard of Centralia, Wash. The sale price was estimated at $80,000. The outdoorer is slated to be improved and reopened in the spring”.
Motion Picture Herald, Feb. 24, 1951: “The Mayfield, owned by Westside theatres, at South Palo Alto, is undergoing complete renovation and will be renamed the Cardinal.”
That photo, cropped a little differently, appeared in the Feb. 3, 1951 issue of Motion Picture Herald, which should be in the public domain.
Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 27, 1951: “The H & E Balaban circuit purchased two drive-ins, the 600 car Hilltop at Joliet and the 750 car Robbins at Rockford.”
Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 27, 1951: “The H & E Balaban circuit purchased two drive-ins, the 600 car Hilltop at Joliet and the 750 car Robbins (sic) at Rockford.”
Delayed? Or for the season? Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 13, 1951: “The Commonwealth Theatre Corporation opened a new drive-in theatre at Batesville, Ark.”
Aha! There were two drive-ins in Nowata.
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 23, 1952: “Official opening of Nowata’s first drive-in theatre, the Sky-Vu, took place August 11. C. D. Hicks and J. J. Bowden are the owners.”
Motion Picture Herald, Sept. 20, 1952: “The Parkvu, Nowata, opened this week. Owner is Chester Fleming.”
The 1953-54 Theatre Catalog included both. The Park Vu held 300, owned by C. V. Fleming, and the Sky-Vu on “Rt. 60” held 265, owners Bud Hicks and J. J. Bowden. US 60 is the east-west highway through Nowata.
Same drive-in? Motion Picture Herald, Sept. 20, 1952: “Jack Butler is expanding his Ski-Way Drive-In, Danville, Ill., from 900- to 1200-car capacity.”
The Sky-Way was one of two Danville drive-ins (with the Dixie) in the 1952 Theatre Catalog. Owner Jack Butler, capacity 600.
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 30, 1952: “The Bloomer Amusement Co., of Belleville, Ill., has purchased the Starlight drive-in east of Upper Alton, Ill. The sale was completed by Joe Goldfarb and Harry Beck of Alton, Ill.”