Carlyle Lake Drive-In
16000 Old U.S. 50,
Carlyle,
IL
62231
16000 Old U.S. 50,
Carlyle,
IL
62231
2 people
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Car-Breeze Drive-In
Nearby Theaters
The Car-Breeze Drive-In was opened on April 30, 1953 with Paulette Goddard in “Babes in Bagdad”. It was renamed Carlyle Lake Drive-In in 1968. It was closed on September 2, 1976 with the Walt Disney animated feature “Peter Pan” & Eddie Albert in “Escape to Witch Mountain”.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
It was in between the towns of Carlyle and Breese – hence the name Car-Breez. ;–)
1966 aerial photo posted in the photo section for this theatre.
The location where this drive-in was located is now 16000 Old US 50, Carlyle IL 62231.
Please update.
What year did the Car Breeze Drive-In close?
“The Car-Breeze Drive-In suffered damages estimated at around $15,000 during a recent electrical storm and severe wind. The large screen, tower and fence at the drive-in were blown down.” — Boxoffice, July 18, 1960
The ramps still remain
The Car-Breeze Drive-In launched April 30, 1953 with “Babes in Bagdad.” The theatre was located between Carlyle and Beckemeyer and Breese getting the name the Car-Breeze. In 1955, the theatre had a gala re-grand opening when the theatre converted to widescreen playing the CinemaScope “Chief Crazy Horse” on Easter Sunday.
In 1968, the venue would become the Carlyle Lake Drive-In. In 1976, the Carlyle Lake Drive-In ran into both labor issues and local indecency claims – the latter for showing R rated movies without blocking views to U.S. Highway 50. It appears to have closed at the end of the season. The Open Air Flea Market at the Carlyle Lake Drive-In, however, did use the facility for each of the next four seasons.
Actual closing date is September 2, 1976 with Walt Disney’s double feature of “Peter Pan” and “Escape To Witch Mountain”. The theater’s management at the time was already severely struggling just before its closure.
A slightly closer address is 15735 Old U.S. Hwy 50, Carlyle, IL.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property along where the entrance road use to be.
A 1955 aerial shows the entrance and exit roads connecting to County Road 1600 E.
However, a 1966 aerial shows the entrance road diverted to Old US-50. By 1981, the screen was torn down. But the projection booth/concession stand made it until at least 2005 before it was gone by 2007.
The parch marks of the ramps and general outline are still there along with traces of the redirected entrance road right next to Old US-50.
https://tinyurl.com/2s3utwva
I know when I was there in 2003 the concession stand was already engulfed in foliage that I climbed through to get inside to take the pictures that I posted here. The address Kenmore posted here is correct.