Boxoffice, March 19, 1955: “James Nichols is the new owner of the Shell Drive-In and has changed its name to the No. 1 Drive-In. An improvement program will be started at once which will include the installation of CinemaScope. Stereophonic sound, new equipment and other improvements are planned. There is to be a new concession stand and it is probable that short order hot snacks will be available.”
A note in the June 18, 1955 issue of Boxoffice said that the Dixie had integrated its audience to include Black patrons. “The theatre has a large picnic lawn in front of the screen tower, and there are benches and chairs on the patio in front of the tower for viewers who don’t want to remain in their cars. It has complete playground facilities and children under 12 are admitted free in cars.”
The end? Boxoffice, Feb. 26, 1955: “The Sunset Drive-In, Jackson’s only airer, was destroyed by fire, with damages estimated at $15,000. The entire concession stand, as well as projection equipment, merchandise and merchandising equipment and two restrooms were demolished. Mack Foreman and L. P. Finley, co-owners, said they believed the fire was started due to defective wiring. The building and its contents were only partially covered by insurance.”
I found this postcard at the Boston Public Library’s Tichnor Brothers Collection. Since it was published without a copyright notice, it’s now in the public domain.
One of the Bridgehead’s screens lives on at the Skyline Drive-In in Barstow. According to a note in Barstow’s Desert Dispatch, that screen “was originally 60-by-90 feet but had to be trimmed down to 35-by-45 feet due to damage along the screen’s edges”
To amplify that excellent catch, the Bar-Len’s final performance was on Sunday, Sept. 15, 1968, when it showed “The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band” and “Bambi”. Subsequent ads were “Closed for the winter”.
Boxoffice, July 1990: “Larry Jacobs, former owner of the Eagle Rock Theatre in Eagle Rock, Calif., died at the age of 43. He was the former owner of a theatre in Bell, Calif., as well as drive-ins in Ventura and Mount Baldy. He came to the Los Angeles area from New York while working for Pacific Concessions.”
The Airway opened on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 1948, as seen in the ad below. The next day, a similar ad said “Now Open” so that grand opening probably went off okay.
In the autumn of 1974, Wehrenberg Theatres took over operation of the Airway. Less than a year later, they added a second screen, first advertising the Airway Twin on May 21, 1975.
As much as I’d like to believe this is the St. Ann 4-Screen, it looks more like the Riverdale IL 4-Screen. Chicagoland had this double feature, but as far as I can tell, St. Ann didn’t.
David Gulick, a photographer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, had several photos from the St. Ann 4-Screen in the newspaper’s July 6, 1958. One of those had to have been taken at the same time as this photo, with the same families in the front seats. The Post-Dispatch’s photo was cropped more narrowly, and the “engineer” was looking down instead of forward, but it was clearly taken within moments of this one. Weird!
The 1984 ads for the “St. Ann Drive-In” were independent of Wehrenberg and everybody else. Its final night was Sunday, Sept. 16, 1984. For $2 per person or $5 a carload, patrons could watch, on screens 1 & 2, “Sheena” and “Against All Odds.” On screens 3 & 4, the St. Ann advertised “Dark Forces” and “Monstoids.”
The 66 Park-In’s final night was Sunday, Oct. 17, 1993. Its final double feature was James Caan starring in “The Program” followed by Macaulay Culkin in “The Good Son.”
The Oct. 6, 1951 issue of Boxoffice had a three-page story about how Richard Sprague and Harold Van Winkle built their Mound City drive-in despite NPA restrictions on materials. Their makeshift drive-in, which opened July 3, 1951, held about 200 cars, used loudspeakers, and had a 36x24-foot screen. They built it on a flat “six-acre tract on a main highway some three miles outside of town.” A much later note in the St. Joseph News-Press said the Holt was east of Mound City, so it must have been on US 59. A 1982 aerial photo showed what might be its remains just east of Neptune Road.
That Boxoffice article never called it the Holt, but the 1952 Theatre Catalog listed the Holt in Mound City, capacity 200, owners Sprauge (sic) and Van Winkle. I presume it was named for Holt County.
A 1952 Kansas City Times article mentioned that Sprague was manager of Mound City Hardware. His 1969 obituary in the News-Press said that “Sprague resided in Mound City, where he and his wife, Darlene, operated a drive-in theater.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, June 14, 1961: “DOWEGIAC (sic), MICH.—Three individuals who have never had anything to do with show business take the plunge June 29 when they open the Five Mile North Drive-In Theatre, complete with fireworks. The title of the new project is Sisters Lake Enterprise. President is Donald G. White of Sisters Lake, who operates bowling alleys. Vice-president is Professor James Dincolo, who instructs at Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind., and who lives there. Secretary-treasurer is George S. Keller, who is an attorney and dwells in Niles, Mich. West Engineering Co. of Flint, Mich., built the 432-car site. All equipment is being furnished by the Detroit branch of National Theatre Supply.”
Motion Picture Herald, June 9, 1956: “The concession building and projection booth of Alliance’s North drive-in near Anderson were destroyed by fire May 24.”
Motion Picture Herald, June 16, 1956: “Alliance has reopened the North drive-in, Anderson, which closed for repairs after fire destroyed the concession stand and projection booth.”
Boxoffice, May 7, 1949: “Feature of the Western Hills Auto-In Theatre, Aurora, Ind. (sic), is a show garden planted with 1,500 tulips and Paul’s scarlet climbing roses arranged to grow over the front fence. The drive-in has been equipped with a children’s playground and new neon lighting on the screen tower. It is located on Anderson Ferry road, between Sidney road and Crookshank.”
Thanks so much for posting that photo with a CC license! It was taken in mid-April 1960, when the Broadway was advertising “Solomon and Sheba,” “Subway in the Sky,” and “War Drums”.
Independent Film Journal, April 17, 1954: “Manchester Drive-In is adding three more ramps to accommodate 200 cars, increasing its capacity to about 900. It will also have a new 50x102 screen.”
Although the Motion Picture Almanac listed Jack Fruchtman as the owner throughout the 1960s, the 1962 Boxoffice photo accompanied an article about the showmanship of “Don Stott, who owns the drive-in (the Waldorf 301) and two other theaters in the Prince Frederick area”. One of those was the Calvert Drive-In, which even the MPA noticed was owned by Stott.
And again I point out that the drive-in’s full name was the “Waldorf 301,” as evidenced by its sign and most references to it.
According to a researcher at the Navajo County Historical Society in Holbrook, the 66’s last ad in the Holbrook Tribune News was on Aug. 16, 1957. Also, Nace’s ad in the Arizona Republic, which included Holbrook’s indoor Roxy plus ozoners Mt. Elden and Tonto, stopped including the 66 on May 17, 1957. For now, my guess is that 1957 was the 66’s final season.
Boxoffice, Dec. 18, 1978: “William B. Boren, son of Bill Boren, will take over the operation of the newly purchased Blackwell’s Video Theatre and the Pioneer Drive-In. Both situations were bought from Video Independent Theatres.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 15, 1973: “Athel Boyter, Boyter Booking Agency, took over operation of the Waldron Theatre and Hillcrest Drive-In at Lindsay Monday (1). Boyter’s partner and manager is Dan Wolfenbarger”
Boxoffice, June 17, 1974: “Dan Wolfenbarger … recently purchased (the Waldron Theatre and Hillcrest Drive-In at Lindsay) from Athel Boyter of Oklahoma City”
Boxoffice, March 19, 1955: “James Nichols is the new owner of the Shell Drive-In and has changed its name to the No. 1 Drive-In. An improvement program will be started at once which will include the installation of CinemaScope. Stereophonic sound, new equipment and other improvements are planned. There is to be a new concession stand and it is probable that short order hot snacks will be available.”
A note in the June 18, 1955 issue of Boxoffice said that the Dixie had integrated its audience to include Black patrons. “The theatre has a large picnic lawn in front of the screen tower, and there are benches and chairs on the patio in front of the tower for viewers who don’t want to remain in their cars. It has complete playground facilities and children under 12 are admitted free in cars.”
The end? Boxoffice, Feb. 26, 1955: “The Sunset Drive-In, Jackson’s only airer, was destroyed by fire, with damages estimated at $15,000. The entire concession stand, as well as projection equipment, merchandise and merchandising equipment and two restrooms were demolished. Mack Foreman and L. P. Finley, co-owners, said they believed the fire was started due to defective wiring. The building and its contents were only partially covered by insurance.”
I found this postcard at the Boston Public Library’s Tichnor Brothers Collection. Since it was published without a copyright notice, it’s now in the public domain.
One of the Bridgehead’s screens lives on at the Skyline Drive-In in Barstow. According to a note in Barstow’s Desert Dispatch, that screen “was originally 60-by-90 feet but had to be trimmed down to 35-by-45 feet due to damage along the screen’s edges”
To amplify that excellent catch, the Bar-Len’s final performance was on Sunday, Sept. 15, 1968, when it showed “The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band” and “Bambi”. Subsequent ads were “Closed for the winter”.
Boxoffice, July 1990: “Larry Jacobs, former owner of the Eagle Rock Theatre in Eagle Rock, Calif., died at the age of 43. He was the former owner of a theatre in Bell, Calif., as well as drive-ins in Ventura and Mount Baldy. He came to the Los Angeles area from New York while working for Pacific Concessions.”
The Airway opened on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 1948, as seen in the ad below. The next day, a similar ad said “Now Open” so that grand opening probably went off okay.
In the autumn of 1974, Wehrenberg Theatres took over operation of the Airway. Less than a year later, they added a second screen, first advertising the Airway Twin on May 21, 1975.
As much as I’d like to believe this is the St. Ann 4-Screen, it looks more like the Riverdale IL 4-Screen. Chicagoland had this double feature, but as far as I can tell, St. Ann didn’t.
David Gulick, a photographer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, had several photos from the St. Ann 4-Screen in the newspaper’s July 6, 1958. One of those had to have been taken at the same time as this photo, with the same families in the front seats. The Post-Dispatch’s photo was cropped more narrowly, and the “engineer” was looking down instead of forward, but it was clearly taken within moments of this one. Weird!
The 1984 ads for the “St. Ann Drive-In” were independent of Wehrenberg and everybody else. Its final night was Sunday, Sept. 16, 1984. For $2 per person or $5 a carload, patrons could watch, on screens 1 & 2, “Sheena” and “Against All Odds.” On screens 3 & 4, the St. Ann advertised “Dark Forces” and “Monstoids.”
The 66 Park-In’s final night was Sunday, Oct. 17, 1993. Its final double feature was James Caan starring in “The Program” followed by Macaulay Culkin in “The Good Son.”
The Oct. 6, 1951 issue of Boxoffice had a three-page story about how Richard Sprague and Harold Van Winkle built their Mound City drive-in despite NPA restrictions on materials. Their makeshift drive-in, which opened July 3, 1951, held about 200 cars, used loudspeakers, and had a 36x24-foot screen. They built it on a flat “six-acre tract on a main highway some three miles outside of town.” A much later note in the St. Joseph News-Press said the Holt was east of Mound City, so it must have been on US 59. A 1982 aerial photo showed what might be its remains just east of Neptune Road.
That Boxoffice article never called it the Holt, but the 1952 Theatre Catalog listed the Holt in Mound City, capacity 200, owners Sprauge (sic) and Van Winkle. I presume it was named for Holt County.
A 1952 Kansas City Times article mentioned that Sprague was manager of Mound City Hardware. His 1969 obituary in the News-Press said that “Sprague resided in Mound City, where he and his wife, Darlene, operated a drive-in theater.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, June 14, 1961: “DOWEGIAC (sic), MICH.—Three individuals who have never had anything to do with show business take the plunge June 29 when they open the Five Mile North Drive-In Theatre, complete with fireworks. The title of the new project is Sisters Lake Enterprise. President is Donald G. White of Sisters Lake, who operates bowling alleys. Vice-president is Professor James Dincolo, who instructs at Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind., and who lives there. Secretary-treasurer is George S. Keller, who is an attorney and dwells in Niles, Mich. West Engineering Co. of Flint, Mich., built the 432-car site. All equipment is being furnished by the Detroit branch of National Theatre Supply.”
Now part of the Vintage St. Louis & Route 66 group on Facebook. No idea where they got it.
Now part of the Vintage St. Louis & Route 66 group on Facebook. No idea where they got it.
Motion Picture Herald, June 9, 1956: “The concession building and projection booth of Alliance’s North drive-in near Anderson were destroyed by fire May 24.”
Motion Picture Herald, June 16, 1956: “Alliance has reopened the North drive-in, Anderson, which closed for repairs after fire destroyed the concession stand and projection booth.”
Boxoffice, May 7, 1949: “Feature of the Western Hills Auto-In Theatre, Aurora, Ind. (sic), is a show garden planted with 1,500 tulips and Paul’s scarlet climbing roses arranged to grow over the front fence. The drive-in has been equipped with a children’s playground and new neon lighting on the screen tower. It is located on Anderson Ferry road, between Sidney road and Crookshank.”
Thanks so much for posting that photo with a CC license! It was taken in mid-April 1960, when the Broadway was advertising “Solomon and Sheba,” “Subway in the Sky,” and “War Drums”.
Independent Film Journal, April 17, 1954: “Manchester Drive-In is adding three more ramps to accommodate 200 cars, increasing its capacity to about 900. It will also have a new 50x102 screen.”
Although the Motion Picture Almanac listed Jack Fruchtman as the owner throughout the 1960s, the 1962 Boxoffice photo accompanied an article about the showmanship of “Don Stott, who owns the drive-in (the Waldorf 301) and two other theaters in the Prince Frederick area”. One of those was the Calvert Drive-In, which even the MPA noticed was owned by Stott.
And again I point out that the drive-in’s full name was the “Waldorf 301,” as evidenced by its sign and most references to it.
According to a researcher at the Navajo County Historical Society in Holbrook, the 66’s last ad in the Holbrook Tribune News was on Aug. 16, 1957. Also, Nace’s ad in the Arizona Republic, which included Holbrook’s indoor Roxy plus ozoners Mt. Elden and Tonto, stopped including the 66 on May 17, 1957. For now, my guess is that 1957 was the 66’s final season.
Boxoffice, Aug. 10, 1964: “Fred Munson, Arkansas City … has sold his 166 Drive-In to Clara Bullard, who operates the Airview (sic) there.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 18, 1978: “William B. Boren, son of Bill Boren, will take over the operation of the newly purchased Blackwell’s Video Theatre and the Pioneer Drive-In. Both situations were bought from Video Independent Theatres.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 15, 1973: “Athel Boyter, Boyter Booking Agency, took over operation of the Waldron Theatre and Hillcrest Drive-In at Lindsay Monday (1). Boyter’s partner and manager is Dan Wolfenbarger”
Boxoffice, June 17, 1974: “Dan Wolfenbarger … recently purchased (the Waldron Theatre and Hillcrest Drive-In at Lindsay) from Athel Boyter of Oklahoma City”