River Breeze Drive-In
6110 Asheville Highway,
Knoxville,
TN
37924
6110 Asheville Highway,
Knoxville,
TN
37924
2 people
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Showing 1 - 25 of 31 comments
Fotomac, The double feature playing on July 15, 1977 was “The House by the Lake”, and “Strange Shadows in an Empty Room”.
the screen foundation may still stand however the playground area still stands as there is a concrete square infront of where i believe the screen stood!
Can anyone remember what the feature was for the week of 15 July, when Star Wars came to town?
The last movie shown at the River Breeze was on October 12,1980. The final movie was “The Fog” which was a fitting title for the River Breeze since the drive-in sat on the banks of the Holston River. over the years, fog would offen roll in off the river and cover the drive-in. The final newspaper ad is posted in the photo section.
Opened with selected shorts(not named), news, cartoon(not named) and “Take me out to the ball game”.
A 1969 aerial photo was been posted in the photo section.
https://advantageplus.weichert.com/65608068/
Happened past this drive-in on a recent road trip. Yes, as Tom Mc11 noted, currently for sale. Link and pics above.
While I agree with Mike Rogers that the location and demographics would make it a viable theater, it highlights the near impossibility of reopening closed drive-ins. This one is as good as can be found, likely. Ticket booth and concessions stand intact. Great lot and ramps that can be brought back with minimal effort.
Between land acquisition, screen installation, projector acquisition, and refurbishment of existing facilities…easily north of $1,000,000 before the first car ever rolls in.
With the Parkway Drive-in only 20 miles south, the area is not starved for an ozoner like some areas. Fun to dream, and I have had many dreams of reopening one, but every year the economics make it less feasible.
As of February/March 2017 (Depending on what side of the highway you are on) the marquee of the River Breeze has a Coldwell Banker for sale sign on it.
Yes,And I think that close to the interstate and as Large as Knoxville is I would think one might make a go of it, really in a great location last time visited the area really hadn’t changed that much.
Wow. I love the street view of the River Breeze at the top of the page with the sign and box office still standing, and the lot still empty, ready for someone to put up a new screen and start showing movies again!
thanks bbrown for the ad remembering the old River Breeze.
At the links below are the photo of the River Breeze Drive-In opening night ad from July 13, 1950, and photo of the River Breeze in 1965 that were formerly on the Restore Knoxville site:
http://flic.kr/p/9myXqV
http://flic.kr/p/9mBZSo
Not a lot of Knoxville folks on CT i see,anyways this from Georgia, Now Showing at the RIVER BREEZE on Oct.24 1964 is THE BEATLES In “A HARD DAYS NIGHT” with a rather strange double feature we see at Drive-ins,“THE SON OF CAPTAIN BLOOD” with Sean Flynn.Like father like son? Beatles movie played twice that night.
You are getting off Topic.LOL.
Maybe you could get on the new HORDERS show,anybody can get on T.V. now.
I just have a bad habit of collecting Movie ads and never getting rid of them.COULD I BE A HORDER?
Your the man Mike.
NOW SHOWING Sept.18 1967 2 epics of terror
“THE HORRIBLE DR.HICHCOCK” and “THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF.” This was also playing at the DIXIE-LEE in Knoxville,Tenn.
HOW come someone in KNOXVILLE has not worked up an article on THE TWIN AIRE DRIVE IN in Knoxville.How could you guys forget it and i live in Georgia.
HERE IS A GOOD ONE FOR YOU KNOXVILLE THEATRE LOVERS….MONDAY SEPT. 25 1967 THE RIVER BREEZE AND DIXIE LEE DRIVE IN THEATRES WERE PLAYING DAY AND DATE SOMETHING YOU NEED NOT SEE MUCH IN THOSE DAYS. THE DOUBLE FEATURE WAS FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE AND JOHNNY TIGER. THE NEXT TWO FEATURES FOR WED-SAT.WOULD BE THE WAY WEST AND SECOND FEATURE THE PLAINSMAN. SEEMS LIKE KNOXVILLE LIKES COWBOY MOVIES. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY TO ADD TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL CITY.
I ONLY PASSED IT QUICKLY GOING ON THE INTERSTATE, BUT ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING IT EVEN FOR 15 seconds.. GOING TO SEE RELATIVES IN SPEEDWELL. TENN. I ALWAYS KNEW LIKE THE DRIVE IN IN NEWPORT YOU COULD SEE FROM I 40 TO GET READY. ABOUT 13 years ago my wife,understanding me , drove off the interstate to the county road and drove down and i snapped some shots. hated to see the screen gone. like the HILLTOP DRIVE IN IN NORTH AUGUSTA A BEAUTIFUL SPOT!
To get the map link at the top of the page to work, change the spelling of the highway to Asheville.
At the link below is the opening night ad for the River Breeze Drive In on July 13, 1950:
View link
and at the link below is a photo of the River Breeze from 1965. By the time I first went to the River Breeze in 1972, the marquee in the front had been replaced by a smaller one:
View link
Looking on the city/county property website www.kgis.org shows the property was bought by Ben and Sara Maloy on April 16 1945. Ben Maloy died on June 26 1983. Sara Maloy sold the property to John William Brewer and Bertha Marie Brewer on April 19 1991 for the sum of $80,000.00. According to the website, as of today, the property is still in the Brewers' hands (and the taxes are current.)
Hi JohnH1954 I want wondering if your brother still had those speakers from the drive in. I am interested in knowing what kind he got. Also, Junkinben do you have an update on who the new owners are or how to get in touch with them?