Starlighter Drive-In
1712 N. Riverside Drive,
Espanola,
NM
87532
1712 N. Riverside Drive,
Espanola,
NM
87532
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Dollison Theaters, Trans-Lux Movies Corp.
Previous Names: El Chico Drive-In, Chico Drive-In, Espanola Drive-In
Nearby Theaters
The El Chico Drive-In opened in April 28, 1950 with Vincent Price in “The Baron of Arizona”. It operated until 1962. On April 6, 1962 it was renamed Starlighter Drive-In and closed on September 9, 1994 with John Candy in “Wagons East” & Harrison Ford in “Clear and Present Danger”.
Contributed by
Don Lewis / Billy Smith / Billy Holcomb
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
I would say that April 1959 mention was probably a season opener, and this is the same drive-in as the Chico, based on the following.
Motion Picture Almanac drive-in list mentions for Espanola:
Based on its Grand Opening ad, the Chico opened April 28, 1950 with Vincent Price starring in The Baron of Arizona.
Is snow unusual in New Mexico?
Sixty seconds with Google brought me to this page with a thorough rundown of average snowfall amounts for towns in New Mexico. Nearby Santa Fe averages almost two feet and even Carlsbad averages a couple of inches.
Boxoffice, April 29, 1950: “Fidel Theatres has opened its new 475-car $75,000 drive-in at Espanola, N. M. Brenkert projectors and RCA sound and in-car speakers were purchased from Western Service & Supply.”
How many times did Fidel sell this drive-in?
Boxoffice, Aug. 21, 1954: “Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Mills have bought the El Capitan and the El Rio, along with the Chico Drive-In, Espanola, N. M., from the Fidel Theatres, Inc.”
Boxoffice, April 6, 1957: “Lester Dollison has bought the Chico Drive-In and the El Rio in Espanola, N. M., from the El Fidel Theatres”
Santa Fe New Mexican, April 22, 1962: “‘Starlighter’ is the new name for the Espanola Drive-In Theater, formerly known as the Chico, however, it is still operated by the Dollison Theatre chain which has headquarters in Santa Fe.”
The Santa Fe New Mexican wrote that the Trans-Lux theater folks bought the Starlighter in 1989, but it wasn’t as successful as Santa Fe’s Yucca, which Trans-Lux also owned at the time. Nevertheless, the Starlighter stayed open until at least Sept. 9, 1994, when it showed “Wagons East” with “Clear and Present Danger”.
Trans-Lux sold the Starlighter to a housing developer in early 1995, and the screen was taken down in April that year.
The best address for the former Chico / Starlighter on Google Maps today is 1712 N Riverside Dr, where a tire store sits on the former drive-in’s entrance road.
The side of the ramps still remain please update