Boxoffice, Oct. 27, 1956: “The Tab, newest drive-in theatre (in Phoenix), will show movies from dusk to dawn as long as patrons are on hand, according to Manager Wayne Arnold”
Boxoffice, Feb. 3, 1951: “Lawrence McKinney and Chester Copeland, Somerset business men, and Albert Sailing recently bought the Moonlit Drive-In, two miles outside the city. It was built last year on a 13-acre tract and will accommodate 508 cars. The location is near Camp Breckenridge, a permanent army camp. McKinney will manage the theatre.”
More names in Boxoffice, June 27, 1953: “A large contingent from (Seattle) Filmrow attended the opening of the new Kitsap Lake Drive-In at Bremerton Monday (22). It is owned by Dwight Spracher, George Blair and Rex Thompson.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 19, 1959: “Ramon Lence (is) the new owner of the Arapaho Drive-In … His parents are assisting him with the operation of the drive-in. Free prizes were offered every night during his first week at the airer.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 12, 1959: “Murray & Fink Theatres … has purchased the Trail Drive-In at Naples, the purchase including all real estate at the site, with ample room for expansion of the airer. The circuit plans to build a trailer park on part of the site. Erich Gompertz will own one-third interest in the Trail Drive-In.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “MONTGOMERY, ALA. - Felix Lacy, operator of the Fairview Drive-In here, is collecting Confederate money. Lacy, who likes to bill himself as "Crazy,” offers free admission for a carload on presentation of any Confederate bill."
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “Paul Pless of the Dreamland Drive-In, Asheville, N. C., has an amusement park with miniature golf and other attractions, including a concession stand, open in front of the theatre all day.”
The June 25, 1955 issue of Boxoffice mentioned that the new drive-in about to open in Marshall was “the only theatre in town. The old uptown house is now a furniture store.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “The new 275-car Swan Drive-In at Blue Ridge, Ga., is scheduled to open next weekend and is owned by W. H. Tilley and Jack Jones, who also operate the Rialto in Blue Ridge … It is a very neat and attractive drive-in with graveled ramps … the drive-in has a curved 40x72-foot screen. It has a nice attraction board at the highway, since the drive-in sits back from the highway a short distance on a side road on a very attractive site atop a knoll.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “The Oxford Eagle recently devoted page one of its second section to a history of the motion picutre industry in this city … In 1914, (Frank L.) Toole bought the lot on which the Lyric theatre now stands and erected a three-story building, with offices on the second and third floors. A 12x14 foot screen was used. R. X. Williams, who still operates the theatre, took over the Lyric in 1917 when he was 17 years old … Tragedy struck the Lyric in 1923, when … (t)he theatre was burned to the ground. Six days after the fire, Williams rented the Opera House and held shows there while rebuilding the Lyric. Construction was started in 1924, and on Jan. 1, 1925, the new Lyric reopened.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “MILTON, FLA. - The Joy Drive-In, which has been closed for some time, is being opened under the management of Harold Authenreith.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 14, 1954: “WATERLOO, IOWA - The Central States Theatre Corp. of Des Moines, headed by Myron Blank, recently purchased the controlling interest in two local drive-ins, the SkyVue and the Starlite, from Philip E. Winslow. The other owner, S. A. Oellerich, will keep his minority interest and continue as manager of the two airers.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 14, 1954: “High winds wrecked the 70-foot screen at the Rapid Drive-In, lifting it from its foundation and tossing it 150 feet into an adjoining corn field. Richard Klein, general manager of the Black Hills Amusement Co., operator of the airer, estimated damages at $10,000.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “The new owners of the Kissimmee Drive-In, Dewey P. Clayton and Neal C. Nesbit, are making a number of improvements to the 400-car theatre. Additional playground equipment and CinemaScope equipment will be installed. The new owners were formerly with the Hercules Power Co. in Cumberland, Md., and decided to bring their families to Florida and settle here.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “George Baker of Baker Enterprises took over the operation of the Claco Drive-In on September 1. Built and operated by Consolidated Theatres, the drive-in on Highway 10 off U. S. 69 north of town has been promoted by a neon sign of Claco, the clown, which shows up for miles.”
Boxoffice, May 8, 1948: “SPRINGFIELD, MO.— The Gillioz Theatre
here has been sold by Mr. and Mrs. M. E.
Gillioz of Monett to the Missouri-Fox Realty
Corp. of Kansas City, a subsidiary of Fox
Midwest Theatres. Purchase price was $105,000. Equipment was sold in a separate transaction. Built in 1924, the house has been
leased for some years by the new owners.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 27, 1947: “Grading was started this summer on an
open-air theatre in Wilbraham, east of
Springfield on the main road to Worcester
and Boston. The project will be completed
next spring. Thomas Millea of Springfield
and David J. Willig are backing the theatre,
which will hold 600 cars. Willig operates an
open-airer outside Albany.”
Boxoffice, July 5, 1947: “SPRINGFIELD — Clark county’s first drive-in theatre, Melody Cruise-In, opened July 2 at a site a mile and a half east of Springfield on U.S. 40. The drive-in has a 500-car capacity. It is owned by Raymond K. Stout of Dayton. Manager is E. G. Babb, Springfield. ‘The theatre will operate on four changes a week. Bookings are handled by “Woody” Bressler of Cincinnati.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 29, 1961: “Marvin L. Williams and Mrs. Dorothy L. Williams have taken over as operators of the MotoVue Drive-In, Warrenton.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Nov. 22, 1961: “Chakeres Theatres, Springfield, O., have bought the 500-car Old Town Drive-In, Xenia, O. from Melton Straus and Harry Schwartz.”
This must have been when the El Capitan added the 520 seats, but I wonder what enclosing a whole ramp looked like.
The Exhibitor, Oct. 8, 1952: “In Metropolis, Ill., Eddie Clark plans enclosing one ramp at his El Capitan Drive-In to provide space for some 500 seats for persons.”
Independent Film Journal, May 16, 1953: “The Autovue Drive-In near Mountain Grove, Mo. opened under new ownership of Dean Davis, Jr. and with John Castner as mgr."
The Southwest section of the July 21, 1956 issue of Boxoffice ran a long story about “Elmer Gordon, manager of C. D. Leon’s Fort Worth Twin,” … “the lone dual screen drive-in at Fort Worth”. Here’s my favorite glimpse into what the place was like:
“The kiddy playground is so situated on the north side of the patio that the lights can continue burning on it throughout the performance of the screen attractions without disturbing the patron. And, a cage of parakeets is on exhibition outside the snack bar on screen No. 2 side.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 27, 1956: “The Tab, newest drive-in theatre (in Phoenix), will show movies from dusk to dawn as long as patrons are on hand, according to Manager Wayne Arnold”
Boxoffice, Feb. 3, 1951: “Lawrence McKinney and Chester Copeland, Somerset business men, and Albert Sailing recently bought the Moonlit Drive-In, two miles outside the city. It was built last year on a 13-acre tract and will accommodate 508 cars. The location is near Camp Breckenridge, a permanent army camp. McKinney will manage the theatre.”
Boxoffice, May 23, 1953: “Mr. and Mrs. Milan G. Steele, owners, set May 19 as opening date for their new Lakeside Drive-In Theatre at Pawnee.”
More names in Boxoffice, June 27, 1953: “A large contingent from (Seattle) Filmrow attended the opening of the new Kitsap Lake Drive-In at Bremerton Monday (22). It is owned by Dwight Spracher, George Blair and Rex Thompson.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 19, 1959: “Ramon Lence (is) the new owner of the Arapaho Drive-In … His parents are assisting him with the operation of the drive-in. Free prizes were offered every night during his first week at the airer.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 12, 1959: “Murray & Fink Theatres … has purchased the Trail Drive-In at Naples, the purchase including all real estate at the site, with ample room for expansion of the airer. The circuit plans to build a trailer park on part of the site. Erich Gompertz will own one-third interest in the Trail Drive-In.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “MONTGOMERY, ALA. - Felix Lacy, operator of the Fairview Drive-In here, is collecting Confederate money. Lacy, who likes to bill himself as "Crazy,” offers free admission for a carload on presentation of any Confederate bill."
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “Paul Pless of the Dreamland Drive-In, Asheville, N. C., has an amusement park with miniature golf and other attractions, including a concession stand, open in front of the theatre all day.”
The June 25, 1955 issue of Boxoffice mentioned that the new drive-in about to open in Marshall was “the only theatre in town. The old uptown house is now a furniture store.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “The new 275-car Swan Drive-In at Blue Ridge, Ga., is scheduled to open next weekend and is owned by W. H. Tilley and Jack Jones, who also operate the Rialto in Blue Ridge … It is a very neat and attractive drive-in with graveled ramps … the drive-in has a curved 40x72-foot screen. It has a nice attraction board at the highway, since the drive-in sits back from the highway a short distance on a side road on a very attractive site atop a knoll.”
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “The Oxford Eagle recently devoted page one of its second section to a history of the motion picutre industry in this city … In 1914, (Frank L.) Toole bought the lot on which the Lyric theatre now stands and erected a three-story building, with offices on the second and third floors. A 12x14 foot screen was used. R. X. Williams, who still operates the theatre, took over the Lyric in 1917 when he was 17 years old … Tragedy struck the Lyric in 1923, when … (t)he theatre was burned to the ground. Six days after the fire, Williams rented the Opera House and held shows there while rebuilding the Lyric. Construction was started in 1924, and on Jan. 1, 1925, the new Lyric reopened.”
According to an article in the Oxford Eagle, quoted in the June 25, 1955 issue of Boxoffice, the Ritz opened in 1936.
Boxoffice, June 25, 1955: “MILTON, FLA. - The Joy Drive-In, which has been closed for some time, is being opened under the management of Harold Authenreith.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 14, 1954: “WATERLOO, IOWA - The Central States Theatre Corp. of Des Moines, headed by Myron Blank, recently purchased the controlling interest in two local drive-ins, the SkyVue and the Starlite, from Philip E. Winslow. The other owner, S. A. Oellerich, will keep his minority interest and continue as manager of the two airers.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 14, 1954: “High winds wrecked the 70-foot screen at the Rapid Drive-In, lifting it from its foundation and tossing it 150 feet into an adjoining corn field. Richard Klein, general manager of the Black Hills Amusement Co., operator of the airer, estimated damages at $10,000.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “The new owners of the Kissimmee Drive-In, Dewey P. Clayton and Neal C. Nesbit, are making a number of improvements to the 400-car theatre. Additional playground equipment and CinemaScope equipment will be installed. The new owners were formerly with the Hercules Power Co. in Cumberland, Md., and decided to bring their families to Florida and settle here.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “George Baker of Baker Enterprises took over the operation of the Claco Drive-In on September 1. Built and operated by Consolidated Theatres, the drive-in on Highway 10 off U. S. 69 north of town has been promoted by a neon sign of Claco, the clown, which shows up for miles.”
Boxoffice, May 8, 1948: “SPRINGFIELD, MO.— The Gillioz Theatre here has been sold by Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Gillioz of Monett to the Missouri-Fox Realty Corp. of Kansas City, a subsidiary of Fox Midwest Theatres. Purchase price was $105,000. Equipment was sold in a separate transaction. Built in 1924, the house has been leased for some years by the new owners.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 27, 1947: “Grading was started this summer on an open-air theatre in Wilbraham, east of Springfield on the main road to Worcester and Boston. The project will be completed next spring. Thomas Millea of Springfield and David J. Willig are backing the theatre, which will hold 600 cars. Willig operates an open-airer outside Albany.”
Boxoffice, July 5, 1947: “SPRINGFIELD — Clark county’s first drive-in theatre, Melody Cruise-In, opened July 2 at a site a mile and a half east of Springfield on U.S. 40. The drive-in has a 500-car capacity. It is owned by Raymond K. Stout of Dayton. Manager is E. G. Babb, Springfield. ‘The theatre will operate on four changes a week. Bookings are handled by “Woody” Bressler of Cincinnati.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 29, 1961: “Marvin L. Williams and Mrs. Dorothy L. Williams have taken over as operators of the MotoVue Drive-In, Warrenton.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Nov. 22, 1961: “Chakeres Theatres, Springfield, O., have bought the 500-car Old Town Drive-In, Xenia, O. from Melton Straus and Harry Schwartz.”
This must have been when the El Capitan added the 520 seats, but I wonder what enclosing a whole ramp looked like.
The Exhibitor, Oct. 8, 1952: “In Metropolis, Ill., Eddie Clark plans enclosing one ramp at his El Capitan Drive-In to provide space for some 500 seats for persons.”
Independent Film Journal, May 16, 1953: “The Autovue Drive-In near Mountain Grove, Mo. opened under new ownership of Dean Davis, Jr. and with John Castner as mgr."
The Southwest section of the July 21, 1956 issue of Boxoffice ran a long story about “Elmer Gordon, manager of C. D. Leon’s Fort Worth Twin,” … “the lone dual screen drive-in at Fort Worth”. Here’s my favorite glimpse into what the place was like:
“The kiddy playground is so situated on the north side of the patio that the lights can continue burning on it throughout the performance of the screen attractions without disturbing the patron. And, a cage of parakeets is on exhibition outside the snack bar on screen No. 2 side.”