54 Drive-In
7801 E. Kellogg Avenue,
Wichita,
KS
67207
7801 E. Kellogg Avenue,
Wichita,
KS
67207
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Commonwealth Theatres closed up here at the expiry of a 25-year leasing agreement on October 29, 1972 with a triple feature of Robert Redford in “The Candidate,” Ruth Gordon in “Harold and Maude,” Richard Harris in “Man in the Wilderness.” The East Side National Bank & Trust Co. purchased the land and created a 9-story bank with the drive-in becoming its parking lot following its January 1970 demolition.
Boxoffice, Nov. 5, 1955: “Mrs. O. F. Sullivan notified Kansas City exchanges that the Crest, Crawford, Palace, Tower and Civic theatres, which had been leased to Consolidated agencies, reverted to Sullivan operation October 27 … The 81 Drive-In and 51 (sic) Drive-In were purchased by Consolidated and will continue to be operated by that circuit.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “Mrs. T. H. Slothower took over the operation of the 54 Drive-In and the 81 Drive-In on September 1. The outdoor theatres were originally part of the O. F. Sullivan chain, but have been operated the last few years by Consolidated Theatres out of Kansas City. The Slothower theatre circuit consists of numerous other theatres in the Wichita and the surrounding area.”
Grand opening ad posted. It opened on September 5th, 1947
Sometimes Boxoffice jumped the gun in its opening announcements. I wonder if this was one of those times.
Boxoffice, Aug. 23, 1947: “O. F. Sullivan’s second outdoor theatre in Wichita, with a capacity of 750 cars, … opened this week.”
Last season: 1972
A three-page story about Merta and Truman Slothower in the July 4, 1960 issue of Boxoffice included: “The 54 and 81 drive-in theatres were acquired in 1956 from Nu-Vue Theatres of Kansas City.”
The above address is incorrect. This drive-in was located further east at 7801 E Kellogg Drive Wichita KS 67207. It is now Holiday Inn across Hwy 54 from the mall.
For more memories of the 54 Drive In, see: “I Used to Drag Douglas”
The 54 Drive-In opened on September 4, 1947. It’s first showing was “The Yearling” starring Gregory Peck.
My future wife and I went to the 54 Drive In many times in high school and college. The only problem was that the B-52 bombers from McConnel AFB coming back from missions flew over the theater and drowned out the sound for as long as 30 minutes at a time.
I lived behind it as a kid on Gilbert Street. Used to watch movies from my bedroom window, and went there more than a few times with my family. It was closed and torn down sometime in the early 1970s to make room for the East Side National Bank building and the Hilton hotel.
1952 Night shot of the marquee. May be the same shot no longer valid on May 24, 2009 post above.
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IT PARKED 650 CARS .
This site has a sharp night veiw of the 54 Drive-In,
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A view from 1950 of the 54 Drive-In Theatre in Wichita Kansas.