Alps Auto Drive-In was located at 38.737747° -85.086785° on the northeast corner of Ind 56 (Main Street) and the old beginning of Ind 129. Ind 129 was rerouted so this old lane now comes to a dead end, access to the current YMCA is by the west side of the old lane. Ogle Industrial Park Drive now cuts through the middle of the old Drive-In grounds. The entrance to the Drive-In was on Main Street and the back of the screen was parallel to Ind 129.
This Drive-In was located on the west side of Highway 55, almost exactly four miles north of US 60 at Shelbyville, Ky. It was was built in 1955, managed by W. M. Curtis for the owner, James Head of Lexington, Kentucky. In 1974 Curtis resigned to work for the post office at Shelbyville. Old aerial photographs show the Drive-In still visible in 1985, but probably closed. The projection building was still standing in 1997 but by 2004 had been replaced by a house, with nothing visible of the Drive-In except for a bit of lane leading off of Hwy 55 at 38.260331° -85.202152°. The lane is still visible in 2021. It is near the north west corner of the drive-in grounds, and close to where the rear of the screen was located. A house and garage now sits approximately on the location of the old projection building.
I was clearly mistaken in an old comment that Sky-Line was located at the golf driving range, comparing old topographical maps to old and current aerial views, it appears that the remains of the marquee are still located at 38.756664° -85.449718°, that the screen faced away from the marquee and was located near 38.756841° -85.449381°, and that aerial views show the impression of a building that sat at an angle that faced the screen, still visible at 38.757139° -85.448797°, which is likely where the projection booth and concessions were located.
I saw a double-feature, “Doc” and “The Hospital” at the Skyline. Those are two 1971 films so I know it was still in operation at that time. I don’t recall where it was located but when I asked I was given the impression that it was located on the south side of Rt. 56 at the junction of Rt. 62 (Clifty Drive). The Clifty Golf Range is located there now.
The address you have is wrong. I believe it is 125 5th Street and it’s where the local American Legion chapter meets. The theater went out of business before The Richland, the other movie theater in town. I’m very sure I saw BATMAN there, a 1966 film. Also I think THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN, also from 1966. I may have seen a double bill there, a reissue of THE BIRDS with a Hammer film, THE DEADLY BEES, the latter being a 1967 film.
It’s my understanding that the Richland Theater used to be the Richland Opera House, and the original theater was on the second floor. There was an odd enclosed staircase on the corner of Main and Fourth. The entrance is visable in the 50’s postcard view. You would go up the stairs and cross through the corner building to get to the theater. Later it was a movie theater and at some point the theater was moved to the first floor. I think the old building had burned around the time of the ‘37 flood. Perhaps that’s when it was rebuilt as a street level theater. I remember seeing TARGETS there, a film from 1968. Also HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS, a film from 1970. I think the last film they showed was probably THE LOVE GOD with Don Knotts, which is listed at IMDB as an 1969 film, but they may have been showing it later. I recall the theater was out-of-business and the poster for THE LOVE GOD? was left on display outside for a long time afterwards. Years later the Richland and other buildings on that corner were destroyed by fire, and nothing has been built in their place.
Overlooking US 42 just east of the junction of Four-Mile Road (aka Thomas Oscar Harris Lane) is a home built in 1809 by Benjamin Craig Jr. Years later it was the home of Sen. Perry B. Gaines, who remodeled the home and dubbed it “Riverview,” the centerpiece of his Riverview Farms. After his death one or two of his sons developed the Riverview Drive-In on lands east of the house along U.S. 42. There is a site called CinemaTour that has some rough images of the drive-in structures and views. Another site on local history has an old newspaper photo with the Drive-In visible as part of an aerial view of the farm. That photo is here:
Comparing that view with Google Earth my best estimate is that the screen was located approximately at lat 38.710373° lon -85.104992° — now a parking area on the Dow Corning grounds. There is currently a driveway off of 42 close by, and I wonder if that driveway is much the same one that was used for the Drive-In. I have a vague memory that someone told me it was pretty much the same driveway, but I’m not sure.
“Some Came Running” was filmed in Madison, and it is still shown occasionally at the Ohio. It is a unique experience to see a movie in a theater that appears in the movie you are watching. There are shots of the marquee in the movie. A building next to the theater and one across the street from the theater were utilized for some particular scenes. The interior of the theater has not changed much in at least 40 years. In the 70’s the balcony was enclosed and made into a small second screen. The seats up there are pretty bad and the movies look like they are being projected through a dirty coke bottle. Both screens are a bit stained. The bathrooms are in the basement and there’s a long flight of stairs to the balcony, so if you have to go, it’ll be a long trip. No elevator. Not a friendly place for the elderly in that regard. Also very dark. The past few years when they run “classic” films, what they actually run are DVDs video-projected on the screen, which are very murky-looking. But you can’t beat the atmosphere. Coming out of the theater into downtown Madison, you feel like stepped back into the past. They currently show movies that have been out for a while for $5.00 with a special for $2.00 on Tuesdays, as well as special events.
Alps Auto Drive-In was located at 38.737747° -85.086785° on the northeast corner of Ind 56 (Main Street) and the old beginning of Ind 129. Ind 129 was rerouted so this old lane now comes to a dead end, access to the current YMCA is by the west side of the old lane. Ogle Industrial Park Drive now cuts through the middle of the old Drive-In grounds. The entrance to the Drive-In was on Main Street and the back of the screen was parallel to Ind 129.
This Drive-In was located on the west side of Highway 55, almost exactly four miles north of US 60 at Shelbyville, Ky. It was was built in 1955, managed by W. M. Curtis for the owner, James Head of Lexington, Kentucky. In 1974 Curtis resigned to work for the post office at Shelbyville. Old aerial photographs show the Drive-In still visible in 1985, but probably closed. The projection building was still standing in 1997 but by 2004 had been replaced by a house, with nothing visible of the Drive-In except for a bit of lane leading off of Hwy 55 at 38.260331° -85.202152°. The lane is still visible in 2021. It is near the north west corner of the drive-in grounds, and close to where the rear of the screen was located. A house and garage now sits approximately on the location of the old projection building.
I was clearly mistaken in an old comment that Sky-Line was located at the golf driving range, comparing old topographical maps to old and current aerial views, it appears that the remains of the marquee are still located at 38.756664° -85.449718°, that the screen faced away from the marquee and was located near 38.756841° -85.449381°, and that aerial views show the impression of a building that sat at an angle that faced the screen, still visible at 38.757139° -85.448797°, which is likely where the projection booth and concessions were located.
I saw a double-feature, “Doc” and “The Hospital” at the Skyline. Those are two 1971 films so I know it was still in operation at that time. I don’t recall where it was located but when I asked I was given the impression that it was located on the south side of Rt. 56 at the junction of Rt. 62 (Clifty Drive). The Clifty Golf Range is located there now.
The address you have is wrong. I believe it is 125 5th Street and it’s where the local American Legion chapter meets. The theater went out of business before The Richland, the other movie theater in town. I’m very sure I saw BATMAN there, a 1966 film. Also I think THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN, also from 1966. I may have seen a double bill there, a reissue of THE BIRDS with a Hammer film, THE DEADLY BEES, the latter being a 1967 film.
It’s my understanding that the Richland Theater used to be the Richland Opera House, and the original theater was on the second floor. There was an odd enclosed staircase on the corner of Main and Fourth. The entrance is visable in the 50’s postcard view. You would go up the stairs and cross through the corner building to get to the theater. Later it was a movie theater and at some point the theater was moved to the first floor. I think the old building had burned around the time of the ‘37 flood. Perhaps that’s when it was rebuilt as a street level theater. I remember seeing TARGETS there, a film from 1968. Also HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS, a film from 1970. I think the last film they showed was probably THE LOVE GOD with Don Knotts, which is listed at IMDB as an 1969 film, but they may have been showing it later. I recall the theater was out-of-business and the poster for THE LOVE GOD? was left on display outside for a long time afterwards. Years later the Richland and other buildings on that corner were destroyed by fire, and nothing has been built in their place.
Overlooking US 42 just east of the junction of Four-Mile Road (aka Thomas Oscar Harris Lane) is a home built in 1809 by Benjamin Craig Jr. Years later it was the home of Sen. Perry B. Gaines, who remodeled the home and dubbed it “Riverview,” the centerpiece of his Riverview Farms. After his death one or two of his sons developed the Riverview Drive-In on lands east of the house along U.S. 42. There is a site called CinemaTour that has some rough images of the drive-in structures and views. Another site on local history has an old newspaper photo with the Drive-In visible as part of an aerial view of the farm. That photo is here:
[url]http://www.nkyviews.com/carroll/carroll370.jpg[/url]
Comparing that view with Google Earth my best estimate is that the screen was located approximately at lat 38.710373° lon -85.104992° — now a parking area on the Dow Corning grounds. There is currently a driveway off of 42 close by, and I wonder if that driveway is much the same one that was used for the Drive-In. I have a vague memory that someone told me it was pretty much the same driveway, but I’m not sure.
“Some Came Running” was filmed in Madison, and it is still shown occasionally at the Ohio. It is a unique experience to see a movie in a theater that appears in the movie you are watching. There are shots of the marquee in the movie. A building next to the theater and one across the street from the theater were utilized for some particular scenes. The interior of the theater has not changed much in at least 40 years. In the 70’s the balcony was enclosed and made into a small second screen. The seats up there are pretty bad and the movies look like they are being projected through a dirty coke bottle. Both screens are a bit stained. The bathrooms are in the basement and there’s a long flight of stairs to the balcony, so if you have to go, it’ll be a long trip. No elevator. Not a friendly place for the elderly in that regard. Also very dark. The past few years when they run “classic” films, what they actually run are DVDs video-projected on the screen, which are very murky-looking. But you can’t beat the atmosphere. Coming out of the theater into downtown Madison, you feel like stepped back into the past. They currently show movies that have been out for a while for $5.00 with a special for $2.00 on Tuesdays, as well as special events.