Kaufman Pike Drive-In
7041 Hawn Freeway,
Dallas,
TX
75217
7041 Hawn Freeway,
Dallas,
TX
75217
4 people
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The Kaufman Pike Drive-In opened July 1, 1949. It was closed at the end of the 1984 season.
Contributed by
Billy Holcomb / Billy Smith / Don Lewis
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
The Kaufman Pike Drive In, located on Hawn Freeway (aka 2nd Ave), at the intersection of Jim Miller Rd. When the state widened the Freeway, the screen had to be moved inward several yards. In doing so, the original snack-bar was almost at the screen so instead of moving the snack-bar, another one was built, leaving the original snack-bar in front of the screen. Guess it was used for storage. Today, nothing remains of the Kaufman Pike…
July 1st, 1947 grand opening ad uploaded here.
The Kaufman Pike was a 600-car capacity drive-in opened July 1, 1949 for Charles W. Weisenburg. The Kaufman Pike opened with “Montana Mike” the same day that the Hi-Vue Drive-In opened by W.P. Moran. Weisnburg’s first drive-in was the Palo Duro in Amarillo but he would add five drive-ins to the Dallas Fort Worth area during the drive-in boom of the late 1940s and early 1950s. He also owned the Crest Theater, an indoor operation less than 15 miles away in Seagoville. While playing mostly second run double features, throughout the 1950s, the Kaufman Pike exhibited first-run B films, as well. John William “Wild Bill” Tucker brought his cowboy shooting and sound effects touring show to the Kaufman in 1953. The President of Jacksonville College hosted an Easter sunrise service at the drive-in in 1954. In the 1960s, the Kaufman would also get some first-run films from major studios in what were termed “saturation releases.”
in 1978, Weisenburg auctioned off his Kaufman Pike, Linda Kay, Bruton Road, and Lewisville 121 Twin drive-ins as he was retiring from his circuit that had 38 theaters at its apex. The Kaufman Pike closes in 1979. It has a grand re-opening by its new operator, Global Pictures Ltd., on June 6, 1981 showing “Texas Lightning,” “Graduation Day”, and “Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw”. The theater made it to its 35th anniversary on July 1, 1984. When it closed for the season at the end of 1984, it didn’t appear to re-open in 1985.
to: Driveintheatre2001: Hawn Frwy (Hwy 175) is not 2nd Ave.
One of my fondest memories as a child was my parents taking me to this theatre in the early 1950s. I loved the playground they had. I remember seeing “The Ten Commandments” in 1956 and seeing it again 1966
To: loric10.. Yes, originally it was 2nd Ave. Way back.. in the 50s.. When 175 was put in, 2nd Ave ended at the then new 175..
Why was it named Kaufman Pike?
Because it was on the road to Kaufman. Later, that road was expanded into a US Hwy, US 175. When the road was widened to a four lane divided highway, the screen tower was too close to the widened right roadway so it had to be moved back a bit. I don’t know if/how that affected car capacity.
A note in the Jan. 1, 1949 issue of BoxOffice said that Charles Weisenberg was working on opening a new indoor theater in Seagoville. “Then he will build his new Pike Drive-In on a site between the new house and the Dallas city limits.”
The April 9, 1962 issue of Boxoffice ran a small photo of three booms (I’d call them cranes) lifting and moving the 90x65-foot screen tower. Here’s the story that went with it:
Roadbuilding projects in Dallas, Tex., created some problems for Jack Weisenburg of the Kaufman Pike Drive-In Theatre, chief of which was the moving of the screen tower which was literally lifted and moved 250 feet.
The U.S. highway is being enlarged to a six-land thoroughfare and this took a good-sized piece off one section of the drive-in area, and there is to be an overpass over Jim Miller Road making it necessary to take another section of the land.