Robin Hood Drive-In
3400 Robinhood Road,
Winston-Salem,
NC
27104
3400 Robinhood Road,
Winston-Salem,
NC
27104
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There used to be houses across Robinhood Road from the theater. The lots were well above the road and offered excellent views of the screen. I watched several films form my girlfriend’s front yard in the 1960s.
Bobc, is Eli Dreyinger who owned the Robin Hood Drive-In from 1965 to 1975? I know for sure that Clarence Whicker built and owned the theatre from 1950 to 1965, selling it because he didn’t like the movies that were being pushed for drive-ins (sexploitation films).
Do you have any more specific memories to tell, and would you happen to know of any photos of the old Robin Hood Theatre?
That sounds cool Bobc007.
The Robin Hood Drive was owned by Eli Dreyinger who also owned the Flamingo Drive In and the Centre Theatre . I was lucky enough to have the Dreyingers as my next door neighbors as a kid and spend many nights in the theatre’s projection booths.
Chuck, the entrance was on Robinhood, right past the gas station lot on the corner. When you zoom in on the aerial you can see the billboard sign next to the entrance, and the roof of the ticket booth right past the entrance. The exit was on Peace Haven, and it also had a billboard with directions to the entrance on Robinhood. It may have had entrances and exits on both sides later…I’m not sure.
I went to movies here most every year between the ages of 9 to 14. I hate that I took it for granted back then because they’re such fond memories now.
I believe the owner of the Robinhood Drive-In was Clarence Whicker.
The Robinhood Drive-in had a capacity of around 125 cars. The projection room was in a small building that also housed a walk-up concessions window with a grill that served hotdogs and hamburgers, along with the other standard fare of popcorn, candy, and fountain drinks.
The screen had a slanted back design made of tin with a door to storage space inside. “Robinhood Drive-In” was painted in large green lettering on the slanted back. I believe I remember a little green hat with a feather as a logo either on the slanted back, or on the entrance sign.
In this 1963 aerial photo the theater in in the lower right corner:
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In this photo it is right of center:
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If anyone has a photo of the Robinhood Drive-in, please post it here or contact me.