77 Drive-In
9301 S. Shields Boulevard,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73160
9301 S. Shields Boulevard,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73160
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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.
To Wesley Horton, Welcome back! So great to hear from you! I just read your name in the “Tulsa Movie Theaters” book I bought this week. Please drop me an email at mkilgore@carload.com!
I bow to you in your superior Oklahoma drive-in knowledge, and probably much more, but every calendar I’ve accessed insists that March 6, 1948 was a Saturday. That would line up with the Daily Oklahoman believing that the 26th was a Friday. All I know is what I read.
Note to MichaelKilgore,
You need to recheck your data. March 6, 1948 was indeed a Friday. Note the advert from the Oklahoman archives on that date:
https://imgur.com/a/D6cxGrH
I would double- and triple-check any source I found that contradicted Wesley Horton’s work. In this case, it’s undeniably true that March 6, 1948 was not a Friday. But March 26, 1948 was.
One more minor flaw in Horton’s date, this March 26 ad specifies that the 77 will open for the season on Easter Sunday - March 28, 1948.
Name changed to Burton’s 77 Drive-in on 10/3/1949 with “That wonderful urge”. Reopened on 7/7/1968 with “Cool Hand Luke” and “Wait until dark”.
More personal details than normal from the June 21, 1947 BoxOffice:
Robert L. Barton, son of the R. Lewis Bartons, and Betty Lou Humphrey were married recently. Both the bride and bridegroom were Oklahoma City university students. The bride was president of her senior class. The couple is on a one-month wedding trip to Canada and Niagara Falls. Young Barton is associated with his dad in the theatre business but plans to continue his college education in the autumn. His father owns a chain of houses in Oklahoma, including the Home, Knob Hill and Redskin here. He also is building a new drive-in near the city which will have a 1,000-car capacity. It is three miles south of the city on Norman Highway 77, and will be known as the Odom.
Management built a new concession stand in the 1955-56 offseason, per a Feb. 25, 1956 note in the Motion Picture Herald.
Also opened with a Bugs Bunny cartoon(not named), and a Three Stooges short(Fright night).
Reopened as the Barton’s 77 Drive-In on March 10th, 1949. Another grand reopening ad from July 7th, 1968 (along with the Airline Drive-In). Both ads posted.
The NW Hwy and Odom Drive-Ins both opened on July 2nd, 1947.
Northwest Highway and Odom Drive-Ins opening Wed, Jul 2, 1947 – 38 · The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) · Newspapers.com
Gulf States commenced their succeeding ownership of this theater on May 3, 1972 with Dimension Pictures' new film TWILIGHT PEOPLE, 1968’s MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND, and 1969’s THE WITCHMAKER. And for what its worth, the exact day of permanent closing was Tuesday, September 2, 1975 featuring $1 admission for adults. (Oklahoma Journal for both sources)
July 2nd, 1947 grand opening can be found in the photo section.
Up loaded Goggle Earth view 2011
From the AIDA database:
Odom Drive-in Theatre (Barton’s 77 Drive-in Theatre) (article, ad)
Opened July 2, 1947
Closed Dec 7, 1947 as Odom, reopened Friday, Mar 6,1948 as Barton’s 77
Closed 1974 Did not reopen for the 1975 season
Final showing, week of Aug 27, 1975. See picture of Daily Oklahoman
Location 9301 S. Shields Blvd.
1948-49 Theatre Catalog lists as 77 Drive-in Exec RL Barton M8-C900-CH3
1949-1950 Theatre Catalog lists RL Barton as owner M9-C1000-D7*
1965 IMPA lists RL Barton as owner
1965 IMPA lists capacity as 800
Location by GPS N 35º 22.396’ W 97º 30.226’
1974, July 25, Drive in movie operator charged
Last movies shown, Burt Reynolds in “The Longest Yard,” and “The Gambler”
Wesley Horton AIDA
In the late 50’s and early 60’s this theater was managed by “Rusty” Steel. My father & I organized the 4th of July fireworks there for at least 3 years running. I loved firing the big mortar bombs. One year a spark from one of the big overhead shots landed in a box of smaller fireworks and we had an exciting finish.
Please correct address to:
9301 S. Shields Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73160 United States
800 is correct on Car capacity.
Up the the very end the 77 Drive-In had beautiful, manicured landscaping. An overabundance of fragrant flowering bushes. After dark lighting effects were most colorful and dramatic.
X rated films were shown at this drive in theatre during its last two years of operation. A tornado blew down the screen tower forcing closure.
The below site will lead to a 77 Drive-In Theatre c 1949 photo. In seach area type in word “theatre”. Once 77 Drive-In image appears, click on it again for a large view -
View link