Rancho Drive-In
401 Northeast Lincoln Road,
Idabel,
OK
74745
401 Northeast Lincoln Road,
Idabel,
OK
74745
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Mr. and Mrs. Audra Black built a Drive-In Theatre in 1950 the same day that Tri-States Theaters and Barton McLendon announced it was also building one. Black’s Drive-In Theatre opened on August 23, 1950 with Randolph Scott in “The Fighting Man of the Plains” and supported by the Popeye cartoon, “Wolf in Sheik’s Clothing” and an animated short about Texas called “The Lone Star State.” The screen tower was 54' by 48' and was located at the “Y” on Broken Bow Highway.
As the Black family prepared for Season 2, McLendon stopped building his ozone and simply purchased theatre in late March of 1951. He changed its name to the Rancho Drive-In relaunching on April 5, 1951 with Lucille Ball as “The Fuller Brush Girl.”
I cannot get an exact address on Google, but one that is next door is 401 Northeast Lincoln Road, Idabel, OK. The drive-in was located just to the south of this address.
It appears that a maintenance shop is on the property. You can still see the ramps and general outline. Plus, the marquee is still up, although not in very good shape, in front of the maintenance shop.
https://tinyurl.com/yargmd65
From the AIDA database:
IDABEL (Mc Curtain County)
Rancho Drive-in
Location: (Entrance) N 33° 53.82', W 94° 47.34'
Location: (Theatre) N 33° 53.87', W 94° 47.33'
Not found on topo map or satellite photo
Not listed in 1955 Theatre Catalog
1964 Opening set for Rancho
1964 [date omitted] Rancho Drive-in Opens Thursday
1965 IMPA lists Tri State theatres as owner
1965 IMPA lists capacity as 200
1965 IMPA lists Tri State Theatres as 800 Paramount Building, Des Moines 9, Iowa.
1979 IMPA, lists capacity as 300, J. Gore as owner
2004 Spoke with Ms. Gore. (580) 28–*** DI closed in 79, marquee still standing. Drive in was standing in 1961. They bought it and refurbished it
Wesley Horton AIDA
Catus Jack, it was run in 1956 by tri-state.And i have 200 car capacity!