Telephone Road Twin Drive-In
11020 Telephone Road,
Houston,
TX
77075
11020 Telephone Road,
Houston,
TX
77075
3 people
favorited this theater
Opened by Stanley-Warner on June 29, 1967. It was still open in the 1980’s.
Contributed by
Bob Machann
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
Did some digging and found original ads and missing information about this theater.
The Telephone Road Twin Drive In Theatre (official name) opened on June 29, 1967, and was part of the Stanley-Warner Theatres chain. Advertising in both the Houston Post and Houston Chronicle announced that the drive-in featured “an ultra modern circular concession building â€" exterior of brick and glass â€" interior of stainless steel and Formica. Snack bar deluxe features fast, fast service, plus…a complete vending auxiliary, where you’ll meet the talking “Coke†machine! Completely paved parking area has a dust free, smooth, silent surface. True fidelity speakers give you a new depth of sound. Plenty of room…the Telephone Road Twin Drive In Theatre has a capacity of 1500 cars. Super high intensity projection lamps and an extra large prism screen provide a new brilliance, color and sharpness to outdoor movies. All tile restroom facilities are spacious and clean. Four lane entrance…no waiting. Come as you are! Everyone will be there… How about YOU?â€
The ads mention Thomas N. Pauken & Associates, Dallas, Texas, and Bruce Willis Corp., 5630 South Acres Drive, Houston, Texas. Those are believed to be the drive-in’s architect firm and building contractor, respectively.
P.S. Thanks, Ken, for the opening day date. That’s how I was able to find this.
Telephone Road Drive-In, this was before cell-phones I believe.Must have been a good place.
Here is a 1973 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of Historic Aerials Dot Com.
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I worked the Telephone Twin on Grand Opening Day.I was one of the last employees to work at the Winkler Drive Inn Theatre when it closed.The concession area and the projectors were state of the art when it made its debut. After leaving the Telephone Rd Twin I worked at the HiNabor on Makaywa Rd.There was and Old Abandoned Mansion right next to the HiNabor that was believed to be haunted.FYI.You could use your car radio at the Telephone Rd.to listen to the movie.This is how stste of the art Telephone Rd. theatre was.
Stanley Warner Theatres 174th theater was the $500,000 Telephone Road Twin Drive-In north of Pearland. A champagne opening night benefit for the Boys Harbor of Houston featured Miss Texas Beauty Judi Lackey and music from Uni labels' The Fever Tree (who had a top 100 charted hit the next year) and Billy Gibbon’s The Moving Sidewalks who had the hit “99th Floor” before Gibbons moved on to form ZZ Top.
Opening shows were a triple feature of “For a Few Dollars More,” “The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming” and “The Fortune Cookie” on Screen One and “The War Wagon,” “Texas Across the River,” and “Shenahoah” on Screen Two.
Was still operating in the early 1980’s. The site is now an empty field but the ramp markings can still be seen.
As of 2022, the property is still vacant and for sale.
Looks like the traces started to fade in the late 1980s, so it may’ve closed around there.
An industrial park has been built on the old drive in theater property.