Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 17, 1957: “The Midway Drive-In, near Lilbourne (sic), Mo., has been taken over by Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Giddens from owner Bill Fitzpatrick.”
And here’s one more name, from Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 17, 1957: “The Grandee (sic?) Drive-In, Sullivan, Mo., is being operated this season by Mr. and Mrs. High Graham, former Webster operators here (in St. Louis).”
This photo, commissioned by the Ballantyne Company, was published in the 1960 Theatre Catalog, AKA the April 6, 1960 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor, which I believe is in the public domain.
Published as part of the Adler Silhouette Letter Co. ad in the 1960 Theatre Catalog, AKA the April 6, 1960 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor, which I believe is in the public domain.
irpworks was right about an amazing wealth of Lubbock theater pictures available, but his link no longer works. What you need to look for is the Winston Reeves Photograph Collection at Texas Tech University. When the link I supplied gets broken by some Tech reshuffling a decade or two from now, at least you’ll know where to look.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 14, 1962: “W. O. Bearden has closed the Chief, Lubbock, Tex., which he has owned and operated for 23 years. He stated that he should have closed the theatre long before but had kept it open for sentimental reasons. Beardon also operates the Arcadia, indoors, and the Red Raider, Westerner, and Golden Horseshoe drive-ins, Lubbock, plus holdings in Amarillo, Tex., and Clivis (sic), N.M.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 14, 1962: “W. O. Bearden has closed the Chief, Lubbock, Tex., which he has owned and operated for 23 years. He stated that he should have closed the theatre long before but had kept it open for sentimental reasons. Beardon also operates the Arcadia, indoors, and the Red Raider, Westerner, and Golden Horseshoe drive-ins, Lubbock, plus holdings in Amarillo, Tex., and Clivis (sic), N.M.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 7, 1962: “Mrs. Bill Petty has taken over the operation of the Roxy and Rex, indoor, and the 55 Drive-In, Munday, Tex. Her husband spends most of his time on a ranch near Munday recuperating from a heart ailment. They have a son who looks after the operation of the theatres.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Jan. 10, 1962: “The Moto-Vu Drive-In, Warrenton, Mo., is being dismantled, and reports are the property will be used as a trailer court."
Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 18, 1962: “Eugene Tacke will build a new drive-in at Warrenton, Mo., on the site of the old Moto-Vu, which was razed last year.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Aug. 1, 1962: “Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Tacke who operate the Vita and the Moto-Vue Drive-In, Warrenton, Mo., have written to friends here saying they are vacationing in Minnesota and will not return until October when they will reopen the Vita.”
I guess they expected to open a few months sooner. Motion Picture Exhibitor, Dec. 20, 1961: “Dave Ayoub and George Ogdee have opened the new 77 Drive-In in the San Benito-Harlingen, Tex., area.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Dec. 20, 1961: “Buford Kanz, Pioneer Drive-In, Cross Plains, Tex., has accepted a position in Mount Carmel, Ill., and his parents will operate the drive-in during his absence.”
moviejs1944’s excellent newspaper finds (from Columbus' Colorado County Citizen) indicate that the Ono was where we thought it was. (BTW, its opening article also mentions that “Sitting Bull” was the opening feature.)
In reviewing more issues of the Citizen, I found a blurry note in the June 27, 1957 edition: “W. A. Straus, who recently purchased the drive-in theatre on Hwy. 71 south of Columbus from Mr. and Mrs. Lester Miller, has announced he is changing the name of the theatre from Ono to Ranch Drive-In. Mr. Straus has been a rancher his entire life and says he thinks the name “Ranch Drive-In” suggests one of the main businesses of this entire area.“ Indeed, ads for the Ranch persisted into 1961.
Which means that Motion Picture Exhibitor’s story from Dec. 13, 1961 was a bit wrong: “W A. Straus is retiring from the theatre business after 30 years in Columbis (sic), Tex. … and will devote his time to ranching. … He also built the Ranch Drive-In just south of Columbus and closed it after it suffered heavy damages in Hurricane Carla.” Which tells us when the Ono/Ranch closed – by September 1961, when Carla hit.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, June 13, 1962: “Amos Page has taken over the operation of the Capada Drive In, Floydada, Tex. He operates the Avalon and Derby Drive-In at McLean, Tex. In addition page buys and books for the Rogue and Mustange (sic), Wheeler, and the Rogue and Matador Drive In at Matador, Tex. and the Bearcat Drive In at Erock (sic), Okla.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 30, 1962: “The screen tower at the Skyway Drive-In, Mattoon, Ill., a Frisina theatre, blew down. As a result, the Charleston, Ill., drive-in will go into a full time operation.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 23, 1962: “East Prairie Drive-In, East Prairie, Mo., was taken over April 1 by Clyde Gregory. The former owner was Mrs. G. McGee.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 2 1962: “Fred Smith, Belton, Tex., has taken over operation of the Preston Royal and the 77 Drive-In, Cameron, where the Milam was destroyed by fire last year.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 2 1962: “Fred Smith, Belton, Tex., has taken over operation of the Preston Royal and the 77 Drive-In, Cameron, where the Milam was destroyed by fire last year.”
The May 2, 1962 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor printed a letter from the president of the Chicagoland Drive-In Theatre Association accusing the 53 Drive-In (and the nearby Starlite) of booking up to five features on a program and then skipping a reel or two of each. I have no idea whether that was ever true, and I’d never heard of that practice until I read that letter today.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 25, 1962: “A tornado wrecked much of the business section at Mineola, Tex. About 80 children in the Select watching "One, Two, Three,” escaped injury although the theatre front was blown out. Employees evacuated the children without panic."
There are a zillion notes of drive-in burglaries, but this one was different enough to share. Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 18, 1962: “Police arrested three men and their wives looting the snack bar of the Fiesta Drive-In, El Paso, Tex., which is owned and operated by William M. Burke.”
An odd note in the Feb. 13, 1957 issue of Variety: “Earl Hargis whose ozoner is near Lebanon, had closed it for an indefinite period and no relighting date has been set for another in the same area.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 7, 1962: “The SkiHi Drive-In, Lebanon, has been sold to Olen Barton, of St. Louis.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 18, 1962: “Another drive-in, the Ski-Hi, Lebanon, Mo., was sold again. Olen Barton, who bought it recently from Earl Hargis, has sold it to Howard E. Thompson.”
From the 1962 Theatre Catalog (AKA the April 4, 1962 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor), which I believe is in the public domain. The original caption:
Above photo shows projectionist of the modern North Star Drive-In, Denver, Col. converting one of two new Norelco Universal 70/35mm projectors. With a 135 ft. screen, the North Star is built on terrain that slopes towards the screen providing a natural amphitheatre effect. The two projectors must throw 552 ft. to fill the wide North Star screen with picture. Management of the Wolfsberg Theatre circuit, owners, report that the 70mm picture fills the giant screen with “brilliant” light.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 17, 1957: “The Midway Drive-In, near Lilbourne (sic), Mo., has been taken over by Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Giddens from owner Bill Fitzpatrick.”
And here’s one more name, from Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 17, 1957: “The Grandee (sic?) Drive-In, Sullivan, Mo., is being operated this season by Mr. and Mrs. High Graham, former Webster operators here (in St. Louis).”
This photo, commissioned by the Ballantyne Company, was published in the 1960 Theatre Catalog, AKA the April 6, 1960 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor, which I believe is in the public domain.
Published as part of the Adler Silhouette Letter Co. ad in the 1960 Theatre Catalog, AKA the April 6, 1960 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor, which I believe is in the public domain.
Published in the 1961 Theatre Catalog (AKA the April 12, 1961 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor), which I believe is in the public domain.
irpworks was right about an amazing wealth of Lubbock theater pictures available, but his link no longer works. What you need to look for is the Winston Reeves Photograph Collection at Texas Tech University. When the link I supplied gets broken by some Tech reshuffling a decade or two from now, at least you’ll know where to look.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 14, 1962: “W. O. Bearden has closed the Chief, Lubbock, Tex., which he has owned and operated for 23 years. He stated that he should have closed the theatre long before but had kept it open for sentimental reasons. Beardon also operates the Arcadia, indoors, and the Red Raider, Westerner, and Golden Horseshoe drive-ins, Lubbock, plus holdings in Amarillo, Tex., and Clivis (sic), N.M.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 14, 1962: “W. O. Bearden has closed the Chief, Lubbock, Tex., which he has owned and operated for 23 years. He stated that he should have closed the theatre long before but had kept it open for sentimental reasons. Beardon also operates the Arcadia, indoors, and the Red Raider, Westerner, and Golden Horseshoe drive-ins, Lubbock, plus holdings in Amarillo, Tex., and Clivis (sic), N.M.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 7, 1962: “Mrs. Bill Petty has taken over the operation of the Roxy and Rex, indoor, and the 55 Drive-In, Munday, Tex. Her husband spends most of his time on a ranch near Munday recuperating from a heart ailment. They have a son who looks after the operation of the theatres.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Feb. 21, 1962: “The North Drive-In, which opened Feb. 2 for the season, is being taken over by the Wehrenberg Circuit.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Jan. 10, 1962: “The Moto-Vu Drive-In, Warrenton, Mo., is being dismantled, and reports are the property will be used as a trailer court."
Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 18, 1962: “Eugene Tacke will build a new drive-in at Warrenton, Mo., on the site of the old Moto-Vu, which was razed last year.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Aug. 1, 1962: “Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Tacke who operate the Vita and the Moto-Vue Drive-In, Warrenton, Mo., have written to friends here saying they are vacationing in Minnesota and will not return until October when they will reopen the Vita.”
I guess they expected to open a few months sooner. Motion Picture Exhibitor, Dec. 20, 1961: “Dave Ayoub and George Ogdee have opened the new 77 Drive-In in the San Benito-Harlingen, Tex., area.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Dec. 20, 1961: “Buford Kanz, Pioneer Drive-In, Cross Plains, Tex., has accepted a position in Mount Carmel, Ill., and his parents will operate the drive-in during his absence.”
moviejs1944’s excellent newspaper finds (from Columbus' Colorado County Citizen) indicate that the Ono was where we thought it was. (BTW, its opening article also mentions that “Sitting Bull” was the opening feature.)
In reviewing more issues of the Citizen, I found a blurry note in the June 27, 1957 edition: “W. A. Straus, who recently purchased the drive-in theatre on Hwy. 71 south of Columbus from Mr. and Mrs. Lester Miller, has announced he is changing the name of the theatre from Ono to Ranch Drive-In. Mr. Straus has been a rancher his entire life and says he thinks the name “Ranch Drive-In” suggests one of the main businesses of this entire area.“ Indeed, ads for the Ranch persisted into 1961.
Which means that Motion Picture Exhibitor’s story from Dec. 13, 1961 was a bit wrong: “W A. Straus is retiring from the theatre business after 30 years in Columbis (sic), Tex. … and will devote his time to ranching. … He also built the Ranch Drive-In just south of Columbus and closed it after it suffered heavy damages in Hurricane Carla.” Which tells us when the Ono/Ranch closed – by September 1961, when Carla hit.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, Dec. 13, 1961: “Robert Johnson, North Terre Haute, has bought the Casey Drive-In, Casey, Ill.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, June 13, 1962: “Amos Page has taken over the operation of the Capada Drive In, Floydada, Tex. He operates the Avalon and Derby Drive-In at McLean, Tex. In addition page buys and books for the Rogue and Mustange (sic), Wheeler, and the Rogue and Matador Drive In at Matador, Tex. and the Bearcat Drive In at Erock (sic), Okla.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 30, 1962: “The screen tower at the Skyway Drive-In, Mattoon, Ill., a Frisina theatre, blew down. As a result, the Charleston, Ill., drive-in will go into a full time operation.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 23, 1962: “East Prairie Drive-In, East Prairie, Mo., was taken over April 1 by Clyde Gregory. The former owner was Mrs. G. McGee.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 2 1962: “Fred Smith, Belton, Tex., has taken over operation of the Preston Royal and the 77 Drive-In, Cameron, where the Milam was destroyed by fire last year.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, May 2 1962: “Fred Smith, Belton, Tex., has taken over operation of the Preston Royal and the 77 Drive-In, Cameron, where the Milam was destroyed by fire last year.”
The May 2, 1962 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor printed a letter from the president of the Chicagoland Drive-In Theatre Association accusing the 53 Drive-In (and the nearby Starlite) of booking up to five features on a program and then skipping a reel or two of each. I have no idea whether that was ever true, and I’d never heard of that practice until I read that letter today.
Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 25, 1962: “A tornado wrecked much of the business section at Mineola, Tex. About 80 children in the Select watching "One, Two, Three,” escaped injury although the theatre front was blown out. Employees evacuated the children without panic."
There are a zillion notes of drive-in burglaries, but this one was different enough to share. Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 18, 1962: “Police arrested three men and their wives looting the snack bar of the Fiesta Drive-In, El Paso, Tex., which is owned and operated by William M. Burke.”
An odd note in the Feb. 13, 1957 issue of Variety: “Earl Hargis whose ozoner is near Lebanon, had closed it for an indefinite period and no relighting date has been set for another in the same area.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, March 7, 1962: “The SkiHi Drive-In, Lebanon, has been sold to Olen Barton, of St. Louis.”
Motion Picture Exhibitor, April 18, 1962: “Another drive-in, the Ski-Hi, Lebanon, Mo., was sold again. Olen Barton, who bought it recently from Earl Hargis, has sold it to Howard E. Thompson.”
From the 1962 Theatre Catalog (AKA the April 4, 1962 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor), which I believe is in the public domain. The original caption:
Above photo shows projectionist of the modern North Star Drive-In, Denver, Col. converting one of two new Norelco Universal 70/35mm projectors. With a 135 ft. screen, the North Star is built on terrain that slopes towards the screen providing a natural amphitheatre effect. The two projectors must throw 552 ft. to fill the wide North Star screen with picture. Management of the Wolfsberg Theatre circuit, owners, report that the 70mm picture fills the giant screen with “brilliant” light.